CDT – Day 124 – Chinese Wall M2817.4 to TSC Trail #173

8/26/15 Day 124 – Chinese Wall M2817.4 to TSC Trail #173, 5161′
Tent – Nights Spent Alone: 15
26.4, 2560.8 Trip Miles

Day’s of Snow: 9 – Day’s of Rain: 42 – Days of Hail: 19
6 am to 8:20 pm
# of Zero days: 12
Gila Crossings Final Total: 221
Tick Count: 4 (4 more crawling on me)

Wanted List
Mountain Goat
Grizzly Bear
Sasquatch
Black Bear – SPOTTED
Bighorn Sheep
Velociraptor
Mountain Lion
Beaver – SPOTTED 
Unicorn  
Wolf
Buffalo

Critter Count
13 Chipmunks
8 Squirrels
1 Snake
1 Ground Squirrel

Totals
1) 618 Pronghorn*
2) 448 Elk*7
3) 401 Chipmunks *5
4) 201 Deer*2
5) 166 Squirrels *9
6) 154 Marmot*4 
7) 120 Lizards*6
8) 116 Wild Horses
9) 77 Ground Squirrels*10
10) 71 Pika
11) 57 Cotton Tail Rabbits *8
12) 30 Prairie Dogs
13) 22 Horny Toads
14) 18 Jack Rabbit*3
15) 14 Moose
16) 10 Snakes
17) 5 Coyotes
18) 5 Moles
19) 4 Black Bears
20) 4 Porcupine
21) 3 Toads
22) 2 Mouse
23) 2 Fox
24) 2 Rattle Snakes
25) 1 Beaver
26) 1 Badger
27) 1 Skunk
28) 1 Weasel -Long Tail
*259 from car, *2 – 49 from car – 3 in town, *3 – 1 from car, *4 – 2 from car, *5 – 2 off trail, *6 – 1 off trail, *7 – 9 from car, *8 – 3 off trail *9 – 1 from car, *10 – 6 off trail m
No Grizzlies last night or today. We put Bailey’s bear bell on the food when we hung it. The trees out here are not convenient for hanging food properly. We hung ours up a tree ten feet but it was next to the trunk not the recommended four feet. It was the best we could do. I worried more about mice and squirrels. 
The smoke was bad all day. After a while you don’t even smell it unless you breath deep. You see it everywhere though. I can only imagine what it’s doing to our lungs. 
The day was yet again another hot day. We hiked a few burns but we’re more in the trees. Unfortunately that isn’t as great as it sounds. The trees are not very thick so shade comes and goes repeatedly. 
Just before lunch we crossed Pentagon Creek. We were supposed to hike a hundred yards then turn right. We missed this fact and hiked two miles in the wrong direction. I was pissed and crushed at the same time. I really wanted to make good miles today and this hurt us.
We ate lunch and figured out we could do an alternate of our alternate. It still had a climb but was actually short as it brought us to the mandatory fire reroute further north. Because of the wrong turn we didn’t get there tonight but will in the am. 
I plan on studying the map if there is one at the campground so I can look for other alternates. The reroute and CDT both zig zag all over the place. There may be a shorter route which will get us out of this smoke. 
Only seven days left. A week! Doesn’t seem real. One week into the trip and I couldn’t imagine being here. Now I’m here and can’t imagine almost being done. 
Tonight we’re camped along the Dolly Verden Creek / Pentagon Creek on Trail #173. I have miss Bailey with me. She passed out in no time. I’m about to do the same. Night…
Scatman

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