#8: [12-Feb-19]

#7: [18-Oct-18]

#6: [05-Dec-11]

#5: [27-Jul-07]

#4: [11-Dec-05]

#2: [26-Mar-05]

#1: [18-Nov-99]

23-Apr-2005 -- Using Shawn Fleming's narrative, I found the dirt road that leads south Friday late night, passed through the gate. The road was a bumpy ride. I found the intersection and stopped. The vegetation was quite tall but dried out and thinned. So I continued in my truck through the weeds. Most weeds were higher than my hood. I found the path heading north.

I stopped near a fenced pond. Got out and headed south to the fenceline. I followed it until it started going northeast. I forgot to bring the notes from Shawn's visit. So I found a hole in the barbed fence and headed directly toward the confluence.

On the way I was walking faster because the vegetation was much shorter. I stepped on a large rock, but felt a squishy feeling. I took two quick steps and looked back. I turned the flashlight on and found that I had stepped on a 2-ft black and white striped snake…the one animal I can't stand and will have nothing to do with is a snake. I didn't feel bad at all. I have the Indiana Jones syndrome. I made it to a dense patch of cacti, bush and desert vegetation. I found what I believe to be the same cactus as Shawn found. And I timed the hke perfectly…another successful midnight confluence with a full moon.

I brought a satellite phone in case because I was hiking alone…my Cingular phone had a full 4 bars on it in the middle of nowhere. Oh well, I still got to use it later on my trip to Southern Arizona. I took the cardinal pics. I decided to try a different way back. I turned left instead of going back to the north side of the fenceline. The south side of the fence is less dense and easier to travel. The only setback was a fence ran perpendicularly south about 3/10 mile from the truck and I couldn't get across it. So I found an opening I could squeeze through and continued back to the truck. The straight line distance from truck to confluence was 1.38 miles. It took 1:45 to go 1.59 miles and 45minutes and 1.73 miles to get back. Even with a full moon nighttime confluence hunting is still slow going over unknown terrain.