Due to the unrelenting thunderstorm and an overall lack of sleep, we got a rather late start. Anne, Daniel, and Jonathan did, however, make a delicious breakfast smorgasbord. The heat of the day only added to the collective fatigue, so we decided to prospect for pellets in the rock outcroppings surrounding our camp. After a few hours of looking with little success, Liz took refuge in the shade created by a large juniper, which was quite fortunate because she realized that the tree was used as a raptor perch and had an abundance of pellets and bones underneath. It was the perfect find; we were able to cool off a bit in the shade while simultaneously collecting bone samples. After continuing, we started to worry that little Gypsy was getting overheated. We started to get creative to make sure she kept up with us. We were all exhausted and incredibly hot when we got back to camp in the late afternoon, so we decided to pile into one of the cars, crank up the air conditioning, and drive to Smith Creek near Crystal Ball Cave. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. We all waded in the water and enjoyed cooling off. On our drive back to camp, we were lucky enough to see a golden eagle cooling itself atop a telephone pole. We ended up eating a late dinner, but we were just glad we weren't huddled under our sun canopy to try to stay dry as we had the night before.
Making breakfast at Thunder Camp. (Notice the gourmet sandwiches being made by Liz...we ate extremely well on the trip)
Looking back at Thunder Camp.
Thunder Camp.
Collecting bone samples in the shade of the juniper perch Liz found.
Liz and Anne collecting bones in some interesting rock outcroppings.
Liz carrying Gypsy in her backpack so she didn't have to walk too far in the heat.
Taking a breather in the shade.
By the time we got back to camp, Gypsy was really tired and resembled a rag doll.
Smith Creek. So refreshing.
Crystal Ball Cave above Smith Creek.
Daniel holding a horned lizard Liz caught on the way back from Smith Creek.
The beautiful backside of the horned lizard.
A golden eagle cooling itself in the shade created by the top of a telephone pole.
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