Powderhorn to 5 Lakes 10/17/04

Surprised to have 9 team members show up on a windy day with steady rain. Wimpy alternative trainings were unanimously dismissed at the garage so we shuttled cars to the 5 Lakes trailhead, then the drive up to the Powderhorn trailhead, watching the temp drop, the trees whip and a dusting of snow start to show. Nice thing about a steady rain is it keeps the trail dust down, and you can slide in mid-pack and let the trailbreakers knock most of the branch & grass water off before you get there, not that it matters after about half an hour. The roar of the wind along the ridges above us made the stroll through the drainages seem calm, most of the time, just the tattoo of rain on hoods and the steady squish of boots on the trail. A decent workout, about 14 miles, mostly fun, (but wet), with various stops for map orientation and GPS checks. Hey - are the good LZ's programmed into the team GPS "mainframe" computer? Sounds like a good Dirk suggestion - A lesson re-learned - ANYTHING you want kept dry inside ANY backpack - double garbage bag it! Those GB's come in handy. Thanks Bernie for organizing things.

All photos and text by David Wright.