Woke up early to what sounded like a dog barking?!? We are the only people out here and we haven’t seen a soul since we left Sunday morning. So either the dog belongs to a ghostly person or it was a wolf acting like a dog. No elk but both Salamander and I saw deers on our outing today.

The early morning chore was filling up with water from the elusive spring that was hiding in the meadow. We packed up then hiked out, gathered 3 liters each, which adds 6 pounds to our already burdened packs. But from all the intel that was gathered, this was the last water source till the end of the day.

Once loaded up, we started route finding. That seems to be a common theme on our past two days. Both Salamander and I have downloaded maps on our phones. It’s not typically the way I travel but great experience on using GPS. I’m sure God is teaching me something regarding finding my way without a trail.

We climbed 1800’ today, not as much as yesterday but it felt just as tough. I’m quite a bit slower than my partner, this seems to be the story of my life when I travel long distance. There were many times I didn’t see Salamander for a couple of hours but then she’d sit and wait till I caught up. She is very patient and seems to enjoy the extra rest time. But once we’re up and moving, she bolts!

We had a variety of terrain today. Starting back in the trees but quickly made it to a high knoll. There was plenty of shale and low brushy trees. Then we headed back into desert terrain with the red rocks and not much shade. But the highlight was walking through a grassy meadow that went on for at least a mile. We climbed more towards the end of the day. But just short of our destination, there was a surprise creek running across the trail. We both had run short of water so this was a no-brainer. We stopped, looked at the map and decided to hunker down for the evening. We were only .3 miles from our original planned destination. If we kept moving, we would’ve had to huff it another .4 miles to water one way. This is splendid and it’s always an added bonus to have water flowing next to the tent. A little added ambience.

Today was filled with special moments. The Lord pushes me outside my comfort zone just long enough that I truly depend on Him to get me through. This was one of those days. I had many points that I wondered, why am I wandering through this wilderness that no one else seems to know about? Why am I carrying this backpack that is much to heavy for its maximum load capacity? Why can’t I keep up with my hiking partner? Then God shows up and reminds me that if I truly want to see him and hear him, I need to get away from all the distractions that I tend to put in front of Him. This is where He gets my undivided attention. Thank you Jesus for waiting for me, asking me and knowing that I will go so that we can spend these special moments together.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “who shall I send and who shall go for us” And I said, “here I am and I shall go.” Isaiah 6:8