La Plata 2

The North Fork of Clear Creek Trail

Old School Navigation
Most hikers these days use a Smart Phone with GPS capabilities or a specific APP to plan and execute the adventure. Take four steps to the WNW, turn slightly to the right at these coordinates - 9°25'N 98°30'W - and pause for 23 seconds before taking 47 steps to the ESE. Of course, the Smart Phone delivers the instructions via a sultry female android voice. The technology of today is pretty amazing and leaves nothing to chance.

We don't navigate this way...we study paper maps, read multiple trail reports, collect data in our minds, memorize pictures of cairns and trails, and then fly by the seat of our pants. Nic says it best in his thick Algerian accent, "I see the top of the mountain and I walk towards it." To date this has worked out well.

Following...
the two guys from the truck seemed perfectly logical. Their truck was parked at the beginning of a clearly defined trail AND we could see them in the distance hiking towards the southwest. They HAD to be going up La Plata via the Southwest Ridge. We discarded all of the data previously collected and followed...

The North Fork of Clear Creek Trail...
is one of the most ruggedly beautiful places I have tread upon. The trail meanders through the valley between
the creek and forest, jagged peaks tower above us on all sides. We enjoyed soaking in the beauty on this stroll for about a mile. And though we enjoyed the leisurely stroll, there was a nagging feeling inside each of us that something was not quite right. The data previously collected and recently discarded mentioned that very early in the hike there is a steep ascent, the data never mentioned a leisurely stroll...

Questioning Our Leaders
We eventually lost sight of our leaders. Not a problem though because of the well marked trail and the certainty that La Plata Peak would soon be in view. Our leaders reappeared, not on the trail ahead of us but up and to our right, struggling up a steep hill (see photo below). The nagging feeling intensified as we began to wonder if our leaders were lost...

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