It’s quite the climb back down from Manhattan. By the time you make it back into the valley, you realize the sun is going to set in a few more hours. You take a moment to appreciate the sun-rays and shadows cast from one of the only patches of clouds around. Seems a few of them occasionally do make it across the Sierra Nevadas… but there’s probably no rain coming from that rag-tag lot anytime today.

Ahead is a fork in the road where the one you’re on continues following this valley, more or less Northward (maybe even under those clouds; one can only hope). It might be a little more boring route to take, but you know you’ll cover a lot more ground by following the valley.

The sign by the trail off to your left, though, is what really caught your eye. It’s handmade out of wood and looks pretty weathered, saying only “ELDORADO – 200“.

That’s apparently Westward and up into those mountains.  Slower going, but it sounds pretty compelling. The hills are green compared to this desert floor and who knows, maybe there’s water falling down one of those little canyons?