A Climbing Break At a Place Where the View Is Way Down.
“We stop for a break and look down below. Chris’s spirits seem to be better now, but I’m afraid it’s the ego thing again. .. "Look how far we’ve come," he says. .. "We’ve got a lot farther to go." .. Later on Chris shouts to hear his echo, and throws rocks down to see where they fall. He’s starting to get almost cocky, so I step up the equilibrium to where I breathe at a good swift rate, about one-and-a-half times our former speed. This sobers him somewhat and we keep on climbing. .. By about three in the afternoon my legs start to get rubbery and it’s time to stop. I’m not in very good shape. If you go on after that rubbery feeling you start to pull muscles and the next day is agony. “
Nearly To the Top of Cottonwood Canyon, Gallatin National Forest, MT A place that offers a place to throw rocks and a distant echo are more trail clues. It would seem reasonable that this place is soon after they complete the very steep part. This accomplishment might well have prompted a burst of bravado in Chris, hence his behavior. Arriving at the top of the steep part, would give a good place to throw rocks and test an echo. These clues are testable on site once a hypothetical trail is chosen. This N+C 16 WyPt fite the Narrator's above description.
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(Photo = Summer 2006 161 ...... ZMM Page = 200 ..... Photo Simulate WayPt = N+C 16 8830ft)