When we crossed the North Fork Urraca River and passed through the camp there (8000 ft., it was empty), I noticed that we were following along the river. I thought that was odd. When we started to recross the river, though, I called for a map check. It turned out that the guy in front had missed the trail that goes north up to Shaefer's Peak. Instead we were headed west toward Black Mountain Camp, definitely out of our way.
Once we got headed in the right direction, things went OK. We got to the top of Shaefer's Peak (9414 ft.) still in full dark at just after 5. We bundled into our sleeping bags and waited for the sun. Our crew was watching the sunrise quietly after some prodding by the advisors, but a couple of other crews arrived and kind of spoiled the mood. They were generally loud and boisterous. The sunrise was OK, but to me the big attraction was the series of mist-shrouded mesas marching to the north.
We ate our breakfast and then headed out for our hike along the ridge. As we've always found before, the Tooth Ridge trail is pretty rough, but the view is worth it. It had been pretty chilly before sunrise, but it quickly warmed up.
One thing I noticed was that the light band in the mountains to the northwest, which I thought was a flaw or shadow in one of my earlier pictures, really is there. It looks like maybe there is a layer of some different rock at that level, and vegetation doesn't do as well.
The hike from the Tooth to base camp was very long and tiring. The only saving grace of the hike was a thunderstorm that hung overhead. We got only a trace of rain, but the clouds kept the heat down. Without it we might have had serious dehydration problems. It would be hard to carry as much water as you really need for this hike.
One big problem is a recent "improvement" in the trail. The new OA Tooth Ridge trail was officially finished within the last week. It replaces what used to be a quite steep, eroded trail. Now, instead, there is a long series of switchbacks. Emphasis on long. The descent is very gradual, sometimes going hundreds of yards around the contour with no perceptible drop. It must be great for erosion control. I have no idea how much longer it is now than before. It must be at least 2-3 miles. The claim is that is so much easier to hike now that you can do the longer distance in the same time as before. I think that's bull. In my opinion it makes the hike from Miner's Park over Tooth Ridge impractical for all but seasoned packers. (Well, I guess anyone who is just finishing a trek is a seasoned packer.)
We got to camp at 2:30. We did the homebound camper routine: equipment checkin, showers, unlock the crew locker, showers, snack bar, showers....
After dinner (some kind of flavored animal protein patty) [rumor has it that base camp food is selected to make the back-country meals taste good by comparison] was the closing campfire. The staff must be on the way home. There was some nice music, but the comedy routine was not up to Philmont standard.
Then to bed. We're all exhausted.
My cot is less comfortable than the ground. Very saggy. Were it not raining on and off I'd be tempted to sleep outside the tent.
Andrew is furious that the snack bar is out of nachos, and is angling for a bus trip tomorrow into Cimarron to pick up junk food. Fortunately, most of the crew doesn't go along with that.
WE'RE DONE. (MW)
Praise the Lord!!
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