The worst time of the year

This is the worst time of the year for me

The weather has stormed in and the forecast for the next couple of weeks seem to confirm what I dreaded. It is a wet fall and I am unlikely to be able to get out again this year.

It is time to put away the panniers and equipment.

It is time to check all the equipment and relive past trips instead of making more memories.

I need to remember to check all the saddles and panniers for possible needed cleaning and repairs.

I need to put all the food up so it gets used instead of getting stale and being thrown away.

I need to arrange my packing companions in various fields for the winter.

My one big consolation is we have a wood lot that needs firewood to be retrieved from some of our canyon trails. That is as near to packing in the late fall and winter as we can get.

For those in the Four Corners area you probably have several weeks of packing yet. Lucky guys. If I could just figure out how to get some time off and head for Grand Gulch. . . .