July 11th

A shorter day today in a different area. I left around 8 to the Palasades trail just outside Red Lodge.

Those are the Palasades up there. It was an hr and ten of up hill road walking to get to the trail head just below them. Then, to my surprise the trail did not go up into them but traversed round on the right hand side. I had done the hard work just getting there! An hour or so on very easy trail thru the woods and wild flowers followed.

Eventually decamped at these ranch gates

And the start of another long road walk back to town.

No animals on the trail, but by the roadside just outside town there was a very tame deer.

And in town, just opposite my hotel, a wild turkey (by the garbage cans.

The walk back into town was all in the sun and it was hot so I was pretty dehydrated when I arrived. A large can of iced tea and a milk shake put me right again.

I was going to lounge by the town swimming pool this afternoon but it was closed. It would not have been for long as another thunderstorm has just blown into town.

Fit bit stats (to 4pm) 21.5 k, 1100 ft vertical, 26000 steps, 4400 caps.