Elevation: 7,136 ft
GPS coordinates: W 102 2 18.78  N 36 37 20.59 

Temperatures: High 82 degrees - Low 65 degrees 

Indian Writings to Ponil

5.65 Miles

Total: 8.9 Miles

Ponil       images

     The trail from Indian Writings to Ponil switch backed out of Indian Writings. It would be a continuous uphill until we reached Harts peak at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.  We stopped to have breakfast at about the 1 1/2 mile mark.  We reached Harts peak at about 11:00 AM.  We took a few pictures, then hiked the downhill portion of the trail into Ponil camp.

     From the ridge above Ponil we could see horses and some burros in the corrals below.  We reached the valley at just before 1:00 PM.  We were just in time for our porch talk.  The Programs at Ponil were Horse riding and Branding.  Ponil also offered a Chuck Wagon dinner and Breakfast,  the Mexican Style Cantina and Trading Post.  The crew found out that all the horse ride sessions were full for that afternoon, but were told we might be able to get in the morning session at 8:00 AM.  With the  food pickup and the Horse ride we would get out of camp by 11:00 AM.  The crew declined the horse rides in favor of leaving earlier. The hike to Dean Cow would be over 7 miles and the crew wished to leave earlier to take advantage of the cool morning temperature.  Our camp assignment would be made as soon as the staff member returned from settling in another crew.  Today's lunch was eaten on the picnic tables just outside the Cantina, while we waited for it to open at 1:00 PM.

     With lunch out of the way, and the Cantina not yet open,  the crew had time to use the lassos to rope the stationary steer in the arena in front of the staff cabin. When the staff member returned it was time to get our camp site assignment.  The crew had a choice of camping on the terrace or meadow camping.  The vote was for the meadow since the terrace camps were at the end a steep uphill climb.  The meadow campsite was nice.  It was close to water and not the terrain almost level.  The crew set up camp pretty quickly, because the Cantina was opening soon and the showers at Ponil worked.  The advisors quickly chose showers over root beer and took the time to shower first.  Washing some of the dirt off of the trail clothes was also a good idea.

     With the showers and laundry out of the way the crew found its way into the Cantina for some .75 cent Root Beer with .25 cent refills. Root Beer and cards most of the afternoon.   Some opted for more wrangling of steer and horse shoe playing.   At 5:00 PM it would be time for the Chuck Wagon Dinner so it was time to send down two volunteers at 3:30 PM to help with the cooking.  Andrew and Matt were the lucky ones to help today.  

     The Chuck Wagon Dinner was very good.  The meal consisted of meat stew, Dutch Oven biscuits and Dutch oven Peach Cobbler.  The cobbler was kind of bland, but hey we didn't have to cook.  The cleanup crew for the Chuck Wagon dinner was Do and Justin.  With the Cantina Show not until 9:00 PM, this left some time to get more Root Beer and so more Wrangling and of course more card playing.
While at the Cantina I spoke with some other crew's advisors who told me that their crew was also stricken with a Virus.  The first case of the virus appearing shortly after leaving base camp, then three days later three more members became ill.  Was this going to be the story for our crew as well?  We took precautions and stocked up on plastic bags and hand sanitizer.

    The Cantina Show was quite entertaining, with songs, stories and a full action Play.  Our own Crew member DO was asked to perform for the crowd. Do performed a song on his Ocarina which he carried with him the whole trip.  For his performance in the show do received an entire box of cookies which he shared with the entire crew.  

    It was time to turn in.  At 10:30 PM it was lights out.  

   In the morning the camp next to up got up broke camp and were on the trail in less than 45 minutes.  Our crew was still half asleep, some had not even been out of their tents yet.  Did I mention the crew that cleared out so quickly was comprised totally Females. This prompted the Advisor challenge which was to stand for the rest of the Trek.  From wake up to trail in less that one hour, would earn each crew member an Ice Cream cone upon return to base camp.

   Ponil Camp is the first food pick up station.  The Commissary opened at 7:30 AM and the crew acquired quite a few bags of food.  This haul would have to last four days instead of two.  In other words this was twice as much food as we had carried the last two days.  Our ill crew member was still not feeling well and was awaiting instructions from base camp medical crew.  With his vital signs normal the advice was for him to hike to the next camp with the crew.  For the third time the crew repacked their packs now containing 4 days of food and additional belongings from the ill member of the crew.  By the time all was situated and re-packed it was almost 10:30 AM.  This was much later than we had wanted to get out of camp.   

    The trail out of Ponil was very steep for the first two miles then pretty much level for the rest of the way to Dean Cow.  The Top map had yielded a distance of 7.1 Miles. The actual GPS distance turned out to be 8.2 Miles.  At mile 6 up on the ridge we spotted our first deer, a female about 3 years old.  We reached Dean Cow at well after 4:00 PM.