This morning, while in Beatty, I got up around 5am. The sun was still well behind the mountains but there was enough starlight that I could actually see the ground. Decided to go for a little run. There are steep short mountains surrounding Beatty, one of which was right across from my little camp.
So off I go - slowly with the dim light. Just cruising along, slow jog and all of a sudden the boulders start jumping up and RUNNING!!! The light was so dim, all I could make out were vague shapes of large things moving - fortunately AWAY from me! Took a few seconds to realize I had stumbled onto a small herd of wild burros who had been sleeping, minding their own business, in the bottom of the canyon I was running through. Hard to see who was more surprised, they or I, at the unexpected sight of the other. There were seven in the little herd.
Next headed to Rhyolite, the little ghost town outside of Beatty. The wind was blowing so hard that probably half of my camera shots were "missed" because a gust would literally knock me aside. Made packing the tent this morning an event worth buying tickets too... Finally just stuffed the dang thing in the trunk.... Angela
