Elevation: 7,136 ft
GPS coordinates: W 105 1 0.59  N 36 30 59.46 

Temperatures: High 79 degrees - Low 65 degrees 

Dean Cow to Harlan  

7.5 Miles

Total: 24.5 Miles

      We arrived at Harlan at just before 5:00 PM.  We set up camp and made dinner just in time to have David and Matt enter in the Burro races which began at 7:00 PM.  

The turnout at the Burro corral was quite large.  There were six Burros to choose from.  The staff members explained how the race  was to be done.  There would be no riding of the Burros.  The idea was for one crew member to pull the Burro using a rope attched to the bridle and the rest of the participants would slap the Burro on the hind quarters.  Matt and David got off to a good start and were leading the race for the first half, but lost ground when the race track turned around the boulder back towards the corral.  The other three burros took off like rockets and Matt and David's burro came in fourth place out of six. More card playing before it was time to turn in.

    The one hour break camp challenge was suspended for this morning. We had time to sleep in today until 7:00 AM.  We had the Shotgun shell loading and shooting program scheduled for the morning and then a short 1.9 mile hike to Deer Lake later in the afternoon. We met at the shotgun shell loading area at 8:00 AM.  The crew learned how to re-load shotgun shells.  After the loading instruction, each crew member filled three shells.  It was then time to use those shells on the shotgun range.  A short walk past the burro corral to the shotgun range.  The range was set up in a clearing facing the mountains towards the West.  Shotgun safety rules were discussed and a volunteer to throw the clay pigeons was selected.  Each crew member was attempting to complete five out of five hits for an Ice Cream cone back at base camp.  All the members of the crew did well, although only Chris managed to hit all five of his targets.  Several other crews were already waiting to take their turn on the range as we headed back to camp.

    Back at camp the crew decides to cook a dinner for lunch in order to minimize the need for water at Deer Lake.  Deer lake does not have a water source so all the water must be carried in. The crew fills each of the two gallon water containers half full of water for the hike from Deer Lake to Ute Gulch.  Ute Gulch is our next food pick up and is about half way to Sawmill Camp.  After cooking the Mexican Beans and Rice meal we break camp and head for Deer Lake.  We leave Harlan at about 1:30 PM.