Ann’s parents have found the trail crossing near Crooks Gap! They’ve strung up a tarp for shade, making a little oasis for us. A hot meal and cold drink top us off. I say goodbye to Ann, and Pete and I set off again.

Quickly the terrain changes as we climb into the Crooks Mountains. There are trees, granite outcrops, wild horses, and the ubiquitous cattle. We finish with some cross country through high sagebrush to Green Mesa, where we sleep under the sky, hoping that ticks are not nocturnal.