With Joan working on July 4th this year and not wanting to drive far, we returned to our local peaks again.
This time to the Abajos, about an hour south of us.
Though not as dramatic as the La Sals, the Abajos form a more expansive range with arguably more variety and lots of nooks and crannies to poke around.
As typical, we made a quick dispersed camp—one not far from the trailhead and near a small pond. The setting sun and the call of the birds at night brought forth a pleasant way to start the weekend.
The following morning we started our route that took in a mix of single track, jeep track, and ATV track along the mountains.
Most of the day remained quiet. We did encounter one large grouping of (very courteous) dirt bikers. But then we started having the mountains again to ourselves on some rolling single track that climbed to a ridge.
We set up camp past a saddle and climbed to one of our favorite peaks in the area.
PCO Joan
From its summit, we could see such Colorado Plateau landmarks as Bears Ears. Navajo Mountain, Sleeping Ute, and many other places make our part of the world.
Abajo Peak, the high point of the range, is in the background. PCO Joan.
We made it back to the saddle and our waiting camp. Our usual meal with a rum and cider nightcap ended with an amazing mountain sunset.
PCO Joan.
That evening, a thunderstorm brought in fierce winds, lightning, and more than a bit of rain. Unlike a few weeks ago, no widow makers this time!
PCO Joan
We donned our rain gear and hiked in the mist. The cool air and fog reminded me a bit of my formative backpacking years in New Hampshire.
We chuckled because it seemed it only rained near our summit and nowhere else! A friend who spent the weekend a ridge over later corroborated that he saw columns of rain where we camped but not among the other mountains.
PCO Joan
The rest of the day proved quiet on a similar mix of jeep, ATV, and single track. We did not see anyone. Not even any cars in the distance.
We arrived at the truck and enjoyed a catered lunch at the trailhead. And by catered, I mean reheated leftovers from home, in the cooler, with a last-minute batch of coffee for me.
PCO Joan.
A quiet weekend. A local weekend. And another satisfying one.