Day Two - Thursday

          It was a slow start today, finally making trail about 1:00 PM.  I put the skins on the sled and decided to carry the pack and pull the sled, despite the damaged poles, rather than ditch the sled and make two trips with the pack, thus doubling my time on the trail.  It went well with he skins on the sled allowing me to rest without fighting the backward pull of the sled on the steep slant of Woodpecker Ridge as it buttressed the east slope of Mt. Jefferson.

          The angle aluminum runners that allowed the sled to track worked well on moderate slopes.  However, on steeper traverses I need longer blades to prevent side slippage.

          Going up the backbone of the ridge I made good time; but, my damaged poles holding the sled have me worried.  i wrap strapping tape and spare tent pegs to reinforce both poles at their respective breaks.  The test is yet to come as I drop off the ridge onto a steep, thickly timbered slope.  The rapidly receding snow exposes young trees, low limbs and downed timber.  Headway is fair, but the sled rolls over a couple of times weakening the poles further.  to make matters worse the weather is so warm and the snow so wet that the skins on the sled loosen and then the skins on the skis follow.  I have spray adhesive but the skins are soggy and the adhesive is ineffective.  It's getting late.  I decide to make do and trudge on.

          Pulling hard against a stubborn sled that lodged itself against a tree, I hear the splintering crunch of an acutely bending pole and then with a sudden release the other pole jerking from the sled.  I watched with studied detachment as my supplies sled down the hill, to be abruptly halted by a young sapling twenty yards below.

           It is beyond easy repairs; and, its decision time:  make camp here where the trees crowd the steeply slanted slope and the snow is shallow; or, find a more suitable place and come back with he empty pack to pick up the supplies from the sled, hoping it get back to camp before the dense forest blankets me with darkness.  It is late but this site just won't work.

          Now, I know that time is constant, except, when one is running out of it.  Not knowing how far I would need to go to find a suitable campsite put a sense of urgency to my thrusting skis.  Working my way up to the ridge top where the trees were sparse and mounds of snow bosomed the darkening sky, I found my spot.  I hurriedly emptied the pack, quickly prepared the snow platform, and, headed back for the supplies.  I could ski rapidly without fear of passing the sled and not seeing it, for I had taken the pre-caution of marking the section of  tracks with the broken poles where the sled and I had parted company.  Loading up everything including the sled, I started back up.  It did not take long for the low limbs to find the sled sitting too high above my head.  Ten minutes of being buffeted by these unruly boughs convinced me to leave the sled for another time.

The sun was already brightening another part of the world and the snow was releasing its translucent light as the site came into view.  It sat high on the ridge, at it's very apex, with the stars blazing over head and a crescent moon cradling the night sky.  Exhaustion crept over my body as I nestled down to read until my eye lids like heavy iron doors closed for the night.