August 14

It’s hard to believe it’s going to be over so soon. Tomorrow, the pro crew leaves to do water bars from the horse camps out to the trailhead. I really want to go to the volunteer party on Saturday. Today, over lunch, Scott was regaling us with tales of Mike, the trail foreman for my Table Mountain trip five years ago. Apparently, I missed meeting Scott by a matter of days. He’d had a run-in with some bees, and his face swelled up. However, he knew Frank, Bundy & Rob.
I worked mostly with Tyson today, splitting rock, finishing a step, and making a water bar – Tyson started it, but Scott finished the water bar. You can see the progression in the pictures, before, during & after.
I really liked how Scott taught trail building techniques – he explained why things needed to be done in a particular way...and if they weren’t done properly, he’d describe how the structure would end up being ineffective. He was also all about working smarter, not harder. Young trailbuilders tend to go for Really Big Rocks. Scott looked for the rocks that were Just Right.
After dinner, Julie, Tyson, Saara, Jeff and I headed over to Hurricane Pass for the sunset. BEAUTIFUL!!! The Grand Teton looked close enough to touch...even closer than from Table Mtn – and you could see Table, too.
The walk back was amazing! The moon is very nearly full, so it lit the path all the way back home. We didn’t even need our headlamps.

Julie said that if she is around, she might join me in the Smokies.
I will miss this trip!