Day 171, Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Last night was even colder than the previous night. I couldn’t even have the tip of my nose out of the sleeping bag comfortably. I know that people sleep completely balled up inside their sleeping bags, but there’s still something in me that thinks there’s got to be a slight suffocation risk there. For that reason I always like to feel the cold air as I breathe in. Overly careful? Foolishly worried? Who knows.
I decided that this morning was as good a time as any to take care of some washing that needed to get done, washing both of clothes and of my red-stained cooler. The combined efforts delayed my departure from Mather Campground until nearly 1pm.
By the time I left, the weather had warmed up to t-shirt temps which was a welcome change. Back in Zion Canyon, Bob recommended that I stay at Dead Horse Ranch after leaving the Grand Canyon, and it was a great recommendation. $12 gets a tent site, free showers, and hot water in the bathroom and dish washing sinks (most campgrounds I’ve stayed at only have hot water in the pay showers.). I roasted a few hot dogs on a campfire that my neighbors had lit and sat and talked with them for a while before turning in at the early hour of 8. The camp host told me it’s supposed to get quite cold tonight and I wanted to get as much sleep in before the dropping temps started to keep me awake.