Heard but not seen
Today just before leaving for the wolves the laptop wouldn’t fire up, even when charging the battery from the power bank. I think the battery has frozen. I’ll have to take it down to Namche and open it up when I get a chance to go down. I’ll be seriously disappointed if I can’t get it working because then all my plans to edit and write can’t be done until I get back to LA. That would be pretty depressing for me since it’s what keeps me busy. I’m pretty sure I’ll get it working.
Today was another hard trek to get to where I left my drone bag yesterday. I trekked all the way up the glacier, got to a dead end where a giant land slide prevented me from getting where I needed to go. I had to back track to where I could cut across to the west side. Of course the clouds came in and I got a little disoriented which cost me about 3 hours. I eventually got to where I was going to camp. I left my bags then trekked another mile up the valley to find water.
It was nighttime and I had to use my headlamp. While trekking the clouds cleared and the night lit up with the mountains covered in snow. I wish their was a camera that could capture what I saw; it was absolutely incredibly beautiful. I can’t say I’ve seen too many beautiful sights like that, it literally took my breathe away. Then it got even better; the one peak is shaped like an upright spoon, so the cloud hits the peak and rolls back on itself like a giant surfing wave. The moon was rising behind it and it was a picture I will never ever forget. I enjoyed this incredible spectacle of nature so much while trekking to get water, that many times I tripped looking at the view instead of looking where I was walking. It’s a memory that will never leave me and to know I was the only one out there enjoying it made it even more special, other than the wolves of course.
When I got back to my camp, I tried to make a fire but the yak poop was too wet. I pulled out my gas cooker and for some reason it wouldn’t light. Fortunately, I had some matches, by then I didn’t realize it but by trying to use the auto light on the gas cooker it had leaked liquid gas on the ground. When it came time to light the match, there was an explosion under me, it was pretty cool actually and pretty warm. I threw in some water, pasta and instant soup and just let it brew, I forgot to bring salt and pepper so I knew it was going to be pretty bland.
While cooking and fumbling around for the necessary equipment I suddenly heard wolves howl, it was exhilarating. There must have been at least 5 wolves probably about a mile away. I was so excited I pinched a nerve in my back trying to get out of the hole I was in to get out into the open. Of course, I wouldn't know until morning the extent of the damage I had done to my back. Still, it was well worth the trouble having heard them, knowing I was on the right trail. Ironically if I had been able to make a fire I probably would not have been able to hear the wolves, fortune was in my favor yet again. https://www.facebook.com/ryan.s.davy/videos/10156472288390846
It sounded like one of the pack members returned to the pack and got a good greeting, probably after a hunt. I howled back but there was no reply, they had probably gone into a den but at least I would know where to look in the morning. It was pretty exciting. It was a fairly long night, I was warm enough but woke up with a really bad back ache. I suspect it was a combination of the tumble I took in the glacier the previous day carrying that heavy backpack and the excitement of hearing the wolves. No matter which way I turned, it hurt. The nights are long out here but even longer when restless, regardless, I constantly have to remind myself that I am in the Himalayas tracking wolves. And that's enough to lift any adventurer’s spirits.
First light I tracked the area that I had heard the wolf howls coming from and didn’t find a single track. I suspect the sound came from the other side of the river but I wasn’t going to go through that glacier again without exploring the higher ground that I had come here for. It was a hard day, my body felt sore and tired. I’ve been tracking non-stop since I arrived in the Himalayas and I’m growing a little tired of looking at the ground for footprints, I want to see a real animal. I managed to get a drone shot, howled into oblivion again until my voice box jumped out of my throat and then I made my way back to my camp, demoralized. At least I know where they’re not. I was really sure they would be up there but now that I think of it, I guess I didn’t know that the locals had pulled all the Yaks to lower ground, so there really is no food for them up there. Anyway, at least tomorrow once I’ve crossed the glacier I can try find where those wolf howls were coming from, if I can find fresh tracks I’ll follow them.
On a side note, I would kill for a hot plate of Mac & cheese, a latte and a hot bath. I guess I shouldn't think about those things. I keep having to remind myself that as a boy, this is what I dreamed of, it’s what adventures are made of. It’s going to be another 2 months before I can get any of those luxuries so there's really no point in torturing myself thinking about them, but man, a hot smooth latte or a chai tea, oh my gosh stop!!!
