It was a much easier hiking day today. I broke came about 8:30am and made a quick trip down the trail in search of water. The first spring was not great--way too many cow pies--uck! I found a better one just down the trail and dumped the first bactch of water before drinking any. All the water after that was much better, especially Sheep Camp Spring.

I surprised a doe and her very young fawn on the trail near Ward Fork gap.

Donomore Meadows were really amazing--so much green lushness. There is a cool old cabin there too that I stopped in to check out.

Approaching the Oregon border I went through some blooming stands of snowbrush. The place was alive with bumblebees and so many flowers! I've seen every color of Indian Paintbrush imaginable, including a violet variety which is growing around me in camp. You wouldn't think this rocky, dry soil on the east slope of Big Red Mountain would be growing much of anything besides a few scraggly pines, but there are a great variety of flowers on this slope. They aren't big or showy, but they are here.

I'm glad that busy ground squirrel finally went away. He kept trying to steal my boxers!

There's some color in the sky tonight and a line of thin, gray overcast to the north. Sure hope it doesn't rain. I will keep the rainfly handy.

Only 20 miles to Callahans!