Jacks Canyon like the Wild Wild West

One would think that we'd learn.  June in Arizona is a hot Hot HOT place. But just when you think there is no relief, you realize that dropping (or hiking) down into the earth is a COOL thing to do.  Jack's Canyon outside Winslow is full of cool things to do, especially if you climb.   Besides base camp has a fan or two (we don't need no stinking air conditioning) so sleeping wasn't as hard as it was last year when we were here, in a tent.. in June!

Once again we met some interesting folk, this time from Texas.  We had a beer and shared stories before going to bed for the night, only to hear (about an hour later) a large BLAST (boom?  shot?)  and then another.  Jim immediately said that was gunfire, but I wasn't so sure.  We certainly didn't hear screaming or the fateful "he's been shot" or anything like that, so we quickly went back to sleep.  The next morning we heard from our

Texas friends the she nearly stepped on the "rattler" that he shot and killed.

Where was it?  We wanted to see for ourselves.  "Up in that tree," he told us.

UP? In the tree? She almost stepped on it?

Two shots to kill a retreating snake? Where are you from again?  Oh yea, Texas.  Never mind the fact that on the board where you sign in for the FREE camping here, it clearly says that discharging a firearm was prohibited.  Did I mention he was from Texas?  They don't need no stinkin' rules! Get these M.F'ng snakes out my M.F'ng campground!   

OK I'll move on.  And, this is sort of big...I don't know why I didn't give this a HEADLINE, but I "ticked" a LEAD this trip. My first lead in 25+ years (I'll save you any math...I'm 57) but back then I didn't lead much anyway.  So this was big. OK a 5.5 sport face on a boulder off of the wall....but yea.. I did that.