The threesome set out in the usual direction with no particular destination in mind. Although they were officially off duty, they remembered the essentials for their desert mission: water, equipment to document any happenings, not-so-trusty dog, emergency contact devices, and, most of all, a yearning for Adventure.
Approximately one half hour after departure from base, they exited the transport vehicle into the blasting wind, and considered their options. The general consensus was to proceed southwest in the direction of a promising looking canyon. As they began to trek through the sage, they noted a strange quantity of whitened bones as well as the molted exoskeleton of an unusually large scorpion. Undaunted, they marched on, the pooch running excited circles round the group to see that no one strayed too far.
Soon it became apparent that a detour was in order to investigate a large rock formation. They approached cautiously, watching for snakes in the surrounding brush. The rocks were deserted aside from two skittish lizards, so the two scouts clambered to the uppermost rocks to scan the area, while the Expedition Leader entered the formation farther down and climbed through the middle. Scout One followed the Expedition Leader in descending through the center of the large compilation of rocks, while Scout Two showed the panic stricken dog how to go around when unable to follow directly.
Upon reuniting at the base of the rocks, they aimed once more for the canyon, disappointingly unable to catch two more lightening fast lizards and happily avoiding contact with a couple of mounted explorers. The group entered the canyon by hiking down the hillside above the road which passed through the gully. Once on the hidden road, Scouts One and Two ran up the steeper, opposite hillside to climb a rock overlooking the road and surrounding environs. Having posed and enjoyed the view for a moment, they descended to the trail.
Trouping along the trail, they watched for critters, having been thus far unable to catch and inspect any of those previously sighted. The canyon seemed to be devoid of whatever had caused the devastation and scattering of bones on the higher hills, but there was a sizeable population of large lizards all of whom, sadly, they also failed to capture. Reaching a three way split in the road, the party proceeded along the left trail, taking themselves farther from the safety of the transport. After making their way around and over two sets of large boulders in the trail, the path split once more. The group took the a trail that aimed back in the general direction they had come from. They followed the path until it began to wind toward the main gravel road that had brought them here, then turned off over rocks and brush heading straight for the transport.
While on this course, the Expedition Leader encountered a lilliputian horny toad reptile. He picked it up fairly easily, and the group was finally able to hold one of the scaly things. It was fairly jumpy at first, but as they stroked it and held it, it relaxed. When Scout One, who had held it last of all, at some persuasion by Scout Two, tried to release the delightful vertebrate, it clung to her hand and had to be gently prodded off.
The expeditioners were made aware of having once more entered the territory of an unknown something by seeing a large whitened bone. There were numerous crows circling the area, and one seemed to take particular interest in a landing on the fluffy back of the dog. The clueless four-legger pursued the bird’s shadow while the crow followed her from low in the air. Eventually, the dog saw the bird and frightened it away from herself upon which it took a momentary interest in the Expedition Leader before floundering away in the rough wind. Two more stops were made to inspect a dead oversized beatle and a spined plant in the bone populated area between the transport vehicle and the canyon.
The expeditionary group returned safely, turned in their report and documentary photographs and were released from further assignments for the remainder of the day. And so they bide their time until they should be called upon once more to explore and traverse the dangerous hills of wherever the Expedition Leader takes them next.
(This adventure took place near Wilson Creek out in the Owyhee Desert of southwest Idaho: Hwy 45 south out of Nampa, turn right on Hwy 78, then 3 miles to Wilson Creek Road,)