October 10, 2015
Day 4
In the morning our neighbors Ben and Chuck greeted us with some water and told us not to hesitate to ask them for anything else we may need. Later I walked to their side of the lake to ask if they had any toilet paper. Not only did they give us that, but they also shoved wet wipes, Reese's Pieces and Clif Bars into my arms! Now we're living large! These two men would be returning to Pennsylvania that day, so they wanted to be rid of anything they no longer needed. As I left to help Freebird tear up camp, they reminded me again that we could ask for anything else.
Freebird and I then met a Navajo family, from all over Utah, nearby our camp. They were very humble and sweet, never talking over each other, giving each other space to speak. Meeting in the La Sals, they were having an annual hunt together for elk.
Around 11 AM we got a late start, and thankfully, so did Ben and Chuck. They were just about to drive off when we walked past. They turned off the engine and stayed for another hour to chat with us. Turns out Ben has also hiked long-distance (the AT and other trails) and has summited other mountains. Years ago he organized a Yosemite trip for friends, which Chuck attended. Since then he has also become hooked.
Soon it was time for all of us to move on. Before leaving, Chuck and Ben insisted that we contact them if we ever pass through their area.
Medicine Lake had been wonderful the past couple of nights. It vanished behind the trees as we road-walked over and down the other side of La Sal Pass. Ravens continued to swarm about Tuk, swooping over and calling to us. Down in the forest on the other side, a family from Idaho stopped to make sure we were okay. They had four dogs in the back, including one that the wife proudly told us was named Corky, because he had a corkscrew tail.
Eventually we reached Squaw Springs Trail. The trail itself was so diverse - dry grasslands, golden aspen forests, damp and mossy conifer forests, expanses of small red oaks. And the views to the western horizon were incredible! Some of the landmarks seen included the Abajos, Henrys, and Moab Valley. Free-range cattle were frequently spotted along the trail. As the day was coming to a close, the perfect spot to camp was found in an aspen grove. We watched the sunset, cooked dinner, sang a selection of our favorite songs, and then went to bed.
Here are some pictures from that day:
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| Aspen grove below La Sal Pass. |
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| Part of the Henrys range and Canyonlands. |
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| Rounding Tuk and Little Tuk to the west. |
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| South Mountain. |
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| The Abajos range to the south. |
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| The aspen grove where we camped. |
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