GET 2017 Day 17, May 12, Friday.
Start Segment 13 mile 12.9 of 15.8, down from the Bellmeyer Saddle
End near Curve Spring, Segment 14 mile 17.6 on Painted Bluff Trail
Miles walked: 20.5
Here is a photo of the first of several dozen wet-foot crossings on Eagle Creek, fast water coming up to knees but rarely higher.
High walls, narrow, shifting road.
The road is hard to find at times, crossing and landing way upstream or curving back to the same side. You really do not want to loose the trail and attempt to bushwhack, as thick growths of salt cedar, willow, and mesquite make an imposing barrier.
Cattle along this riparian area were ubiquitous, the highest density I have noticed on public lands.
A variety of colored paints seemed to have been used to construct these bluffs
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After several miles of this, trail departs water and follows a dry wash for miles, with cattle paths braiding into faint trail. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
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Finally, after winding around hillsides for a while, it is time to look for a flat spot to pitch a tent in the failing light.