Ann and I part ways today. She’s participating in a women’s climbing day, and I’m off to tramp around Vedauwoo. It doesn’t take long for me to reach unfamiliar terrain north of Reynold’s Hill. I find some roads and trails that go my way for a while, then turn away to parts unknown. I don’t see anybody on any of them, much less going cross country through sage and stands of aspen. I’m making my way to Twin Mountain, a pair of rocky peaks that have tempted me for years. As I approach I scan them for a route to the summits. I try the northeast twin from the east ridge, nearly reaching the top but opting to descend and top out via an easier scramble on the south side. The ridge traverse between the two is fun, with a very pronounced spine in places. The southwest peak offers the best route on the east side, with a really satisfying move at the top. The day is blissfully sunny and warm. I continue southward through some jumbled terrain, a meadow with a giant ant colony, and finally a heavily wooded climb up to the ridge of the Sherman Mountains. There are now some thunderstorms forming, and I watch distant lightning strikes and soaring buzzards while I eat my turkey wrap.
Descending south I rockhop to a drainage headed west with a light game trail through the aspen. A ways down this I find a trail going back east. I can’t resist following this, then bending south at a fork. This soon brings me to Crow Creek just south of Reynold’s hill, familiar terrain for me. I take my wending back up the hills to my campsite where a cold beer is waiting. Life can be hard in Vedauwoo. When will I ever have time to find out where all those enticing roads and trails lead?