The trail is a lollipop loop, beginning with a gentle ascent along the scenic ridge before it turns northwest into the shaded forest. We were finally hiking in aspens! I had been wanting to breathe the smell of aspens and finally got my wish, only to discover, sadly, that most of the groves around Cloudcroft are suffering from brown spot virus, a virus that causes the leaves to turn brown prematurely. In severe cases the leaves go from green to brown and never explode in bright yellows. The virus is spread through the roots and is impossible to treat.
This trail, like the Trestle trail, also provided benches along the way. There were plenty of people, young and old, taking advantage of them. Zeke got to meet a few dogs, including a Saint Bernard the owners warned us was in heat. Zeke is neutered, but he still has his instincts. That dog also left a turd on the trail and I know it was the Saint Bernard because the circumference was larger than most dogs. (Come on people, pick up after your dogs when on the trail!)
We used one to rest on during the half-mile mark, talking to passers by including an Air Force family that had moved from Homestead, FL to Holloman Air force base outside Alamogordo in July. The couple's four-year-old daughter bravely tackled the Osha loop twice! The bench was near a meadow that we all imagined was used by elk early in the morning.
We got a good sense of autumn on this trail. Red maples added the reds to the aspen's yellows. The afternoon sun shone through the taller pines, adding diffusion to my photos. I also discovered other trails that branch off the Osha loop. The Pine trail diverts north for a bit before it joins a forest road, and there are other unmarked trails that lead back into the residential area of Cloudcroft, trails used by the locals who want these unmarked trails to remain "secret." I will allow the locals this privilege, as we have those trails in the Huachucas, too.
The trail is thus a loop trail cut along a hillside that veers around the hill before joining an old logging trail before rejoining the loop. I can see why this is popular as it's a short distance, offers some ascent, is mostly shaded and also offers a viewpoint. It's got a little bit of everything.
We all agreed that our dinner tonight would be at the campsite. We had enough food to eat and we weren't in the mood for another disappointment. I stopped in town to use the wifi at the coffeeshop, which turned out to be 40 minutes, before joining Nina and Holly back at the campground. They were betting that I had stopped by the brewpub!
We had another fireside chat, sharing moments of our childhood, both good and bad. This is how true friendship is created, by sharing private fears and joys that may risk judgemental reactions by strangers. Holly and Nina think I am an extrovert because I come up to strangers in the street or in the campground to strike up a conversation, but I also consider myself an introvert. I talk to strangers because it does break the ice, lessens any fears, and if the stranger's initial intent was to do me harm, he may feel caught off guard and not risk harming me.
We were up again until 10:30again, and I stayed by the dying embers until 11:10pm. Distant lightning in the east made us wonder if we would get more rain again, but instead this time the rain stayed to the east. The cloud cover, however, kept the night warmth close to the ground, giving us an overnight low of 55F.
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