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| Now at Cottonwood camp, Paul and Marshall filter water from
the creek before setting off for the Redwall climb. Cottonwood creek begins at a
spring about a mile from this spot. The trail parallels the creek and, in stretches,
crisscrosses it. The first sight of water in the creek brings welcome relief.
It is always thrilling to be in a desert, running low on water, and nearing the spot where
rumor has it there should be enough to refill. But on this trip, the relief is short
lived, as the water we were so excited to see, disappears underground leaving a dry bed
for us to worry over. Fortunately, about half a mile from where the water goes subterranean, it reappears again, first as a trickle, then in a rush. The last camping spot on the Cottonwood trail is the best, in part because there is plenty of water, now filtered through an additional half mile of sand. |