HDT Day 6: Lockhart Road & Canyon

Daily Miles: 18.3, Total Miles: 65.3

A symphony of quacking ducks and cooing doves on the Colorado River this morning. Tom appeared with Jack, his small dog, just as I was about ready to set off. Tom walked with me on a shortcut back to the HDT, so I got a property tour and some history.

I bid farewell to a gracious host on a cool, overcast morning. I then heading south on a bench high above the Colorado River.

The Lockhart Road eventually turned away from the river and continued to wind around the tops of colorful canyons to the west and high vertical bluffs to the east.

Later in the afternoon, I left the road and entered a canyon where I was supposed to hike down a few miles to a big pouroff. Part way down I was stopped by a smaller pouroff that had me a bit stumped. It seemed a bit out of reach without a good rope, gymnastic skills or being ten feet tall. Besides, I’m already wearing an ankle brace due to torn tendons. I camped on a high bench above the pouroff. Later some exploration downstream to find a way back down to the canyon bottom but to no avail.

Cold front moving in and the blustery conditions made it a challenge to get the tent up. May be a night for earplugs.