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It didn't get too awfully cold last night, only 45 degrees, but it was very damp. We were in the clouds. It didn't actually rain very much, but there was constant dripping on the tent from condensation from the fog in the trees. The tents were soaked in the morning.
We didn't bother to look for a sunrise.
We got up fairly late and had breakfast, then packed up to head for Clear Creek Camp (10300 ft.). We were still in the clouds, so no view from Mt. Phillips. We still took pictures, including some of the "monument" that some of the guys built on the peak last night. Colin stood on the top of a cairn at the peak and declared that this was the highest he had ever been outside of an airplane.
The hike down to Clear Creek Camp was steep, but not too long. (Clear Creek comes from the old name of Mt. Phillips, by the way. There is no flowing water called Clear Creek.) We got to the camp at about 11:30, even though we took a leisurely pace. About half way down the mountain the fog cleared and we had a clear view of the peak. I'll bet that the view was great. My suggestion that we ditch our packs and hike back up was soundly defeated.
At Clear Creek Camp we cooked a dinner for lunch.
The staff guy said that their philosophy in Clear Creek is "If you are standing up you could be sitting. If you're sitting you could be lying. If you're lying you could be napping. Napping and clothes drying are the two main program features at Clear Creek. (Oh, yes, they also had tomahawk throwing, black powder rifles, and the trader's cabin.)
After lunch we went up to do black powder rifle shooting. The staff had a pretty entertaining spiel that got all of the necessary safety stuff across. We got to see most of it twice because they were behind schedule and were still talking to the previous group when we got there. I blew about a 5-inch hole in my bandana with my single shot. Unfortunately, now I can't find most of the 30-06 holes.
After shooting, we got a very quick tour of the trappers' cabin. Basically, we went in, looked around, and the guy asked if we had any questions. I was disappointed. In '94 we got a very informative and entertaining lecture on the life and trade of fur trappers. Furthermore, we didn't get an explanation of fur trapping at the pond. Apparently the lecture this year involves the staff going into the water, and they thought it was too cold.
We then headed down the canyon to Comanche Camp (9600 ft.). The canyon is beautiful, but the big storm in July blew down a lot of trees. It isn't as pretty as it was, a real pity.
We met a number of cows along the trail. Apparently they are left to range free in the canyons. The guys at Clear Creek camp said that they had to send Scouts out frequently to chase them out of camp.
When we got to camp about 5:30, it took us quite a while to scout out a decent campsite. We couldn't find bear cables, and most of the camps had a lot of mud. We finally settled on site 8, not getting into camp until 6:30. By the time we finished cleaning up after dinner it was time for bed.
As we were preparing dinner, Don led us in an adapted reflection from "Eagles Soaring High." It led to a very interesting discussion about various religions, and especially the differing beliefs and rituals between Jews and Christians. One of the best interactions I've had with this group.
We are camped right next to a crew from Columbus, OH. They are on itinerary 11. I warned them about the hard-to-find turn to Harlan after Ute Gulch, and was able to list off most of the stops on their trek. They were impressed.
The weather has been much better today. It has been pleasantly cool, with broken clouds. Tonight is clear, and the sky would be spectacular were it not for the trees. I hope that we'll have weather like this at Apache Springs.
At Clear Creek Camp we were told that the main program activities are napping and clothes drying. We certainly took advantage of the latter after a damp night. (DW)
Whatever happened to Phillips? (MD)
Even though there was no view, the top of Phillips was cool with the fog. "Colin" effect failed last night, but it wasn't that bad and it's working now.
On the fifth day of Philmont my true love gave to me - the sun shining brightly all day.
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