Juniper Mountain is the highlight so far

Juniper Mountain was supposed to be a little over 7,000 feet, or so I thought. Turns out it was much higher than what was listed in the trail information I had read. When I reached the top, my smartwatch read 7,800 feet. It was a steady climb up this beautiful mountain covered in junipers and cedars.

The views were truly stunning in all directions. Very underrated in my book. You know, for such a beautiful view on a little-known trail, I’d say it was certainly one of the best views I’ve ever had.

From the west side, heading down toward Maybell and Thornburg Draw, it was nice to see all the greenery in the distance with the bright blue river flowing right next to it.

Yesterday was my highest mileage day on the road. 13 miles across desert terrain wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was only about 50 degrees and it used a little over a liter of water. Thornburg Draw to County Road 143 is simply a desert with some decent sized hills. However, the thing about this area is the lack of places to camp. Also, as at the beginning, it is very difficult to nail a tent to the ground.

Cross Mountain isn’t far from here and I can’t wait for those cool nights a little higher up in the trees. It’s also my favorite spot on the trail, so it’s easy to get excited about hiking there.

That’s all for now, I’ll talk to you later.

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