Got Water In Shadow Of Mount Wichita

I rolled by a couple new half mile markers today on the Circle Trail before I came to the MILE 13.5 marker in the shadow of Mount Wichita.

Well, not actually in the shadow.

That would only happen if somehow the sun managed to move itself a bit to the north of the mountain, which I do not think it does, even at the highest point of the solstice.

Speaking of which, summer is just about done for the year, with the autumnal equinox arriving in a few days, also known as the start of fall.

And then in three short months the winter solstice arrives. Is that what it's called? I'm drawing a blank trying to draw that information, for certain, from my ever more crowded old-fashioned cranium located date storage device.

Just Googled using my handy new-fashioned data retrieval device and have confirmed December 21 is the winter solstice, as in the start of winter.

Back to summer, as in today, as you can see Mount Wichita has greened up just in time for fall, losing its dire drab drought inflicted summer coloring with an early reveal of its fall foliage.

Come winter I am hoping we get a good snow pack this year, thus allowing the chair lifts to operate on Mount Wichita.

I can not remember the last time I went skiing, and Google is of no use to me in retrieving that particular data.

I almost forgot to mention, the helpful message on the MILE 13.5 marker is...

"GOT Water?"

and...

"Don't forget to stop long enough to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated."

Ironically, when I stopped at this marker, the first thing I did was reach for my water bottle, before reading the sign advising me to do so...