Two Asses and a Vacuum

Today was a really good example of a great micro-adventure. As you may know from reading my blog, I'm very big on enjoying what you have. I don't live in Colorado. I live in Phoenix and I don't even have a four wheel drive vehicle. I have a 2WD SUV that gets me to limited spots. And that's OK. For now. Do I want to move to Colorado and have an awesome 4WD setup? Of course.

This adventure connected four mountains over the span of about 6.4 miles and accumulated about 2400 feet of accumulated elevation gain (AEG). The last peak, which was only 2340 feet was one of my most difficult summits to date. Yes, you read that right. The peak was very steep (colored red on Caltopo's fixed and gradient slope shading) and its scree was of the sort that you just cannot stand. I was seriously having to crawl up this mountain. And don't even get me started on the descent. I basically chose to crab walk down the mountain. It was that loose and steep.

But what this trip really proves is that adventures don't have to be *amazing*, to be amazing. You learn when you value what you have to see the beauty in things that others think are lame or ordinary. There is nothing ordinary about views like below.

A particular highlight of this trip was my discovery of what seemed to be a perfectly good vacuum without a mark on it laying on the side of a wash. It seemed that someone may have been using it as a cairn??? And also the two wild burro that I saw just prior to my last summit.