Dodging Bullets...

One expression we won't be using any time soon in the back country is "We dodged a bullet that time." The first time P said this, we were camped in the high country of Mono Pass, and major thunderstorms had passed us by for the last four hours. Only one lonely little cloud remained in the sky when he made this remark to M.

That cloud dumped forty-five minutes of hail on our camp, and made it look like a snowstorm.

So on this last trip, we were camped in the upper reaches of Cloud Canyon and the clouds were thundering all around us. The good news? No rain in our camp. "Looks like we dodged a bullet." M said to P as the cloud cleared during the twilight hours.

And yes, at four in the morning the clouds had gathered again, and dumped rain on us.

We're not looking to dodge any more bullets!