The Dark Side of the Shrub

As the title suggests, the first few surveys have been kind of rough. I swear I haven't been walking under ladders or whatever, but I've got a feeling I'm followed by a hundred little missteps.
     My first grid of the season is such a curse exemplified. I unwisely chose to attack the most remote of my sites first. I've driven my shared of forest service roads, but these tracks were perhaps the steepest, rockiest, and downright scariest bits I've ever driven. Couple that with sketchy maps and directions, and by the time I got to the site my nerves were fried. Normally I also ease into isolation, but this time it jumped me, so built up a little more anxiety. The next morning was a mixture of shrubby bits and steep hillsides, which led to a less-than-spectacular start. I did the survey well enough, didn't have any mystery birds or problems with the protocols. Driving to the next site I got another dose, ripped up a tire. Changed it in record time though.

From the cliffside of a shrubby grid, pretty if exhausting

     Since then it really hasn't been so bad. Still, definitely dominated by thick, stabby shrubs and steep hillsides. Stabby in that it easily through jeans and longjohns, leaving behind lots of little angry red scratches and pinpoints. My third grid was a decent walk-in before sunrise battling shrubs, and the rest of the grid was dogged by sulky weather and a few 45-degree scrabbles. As a brand new grid, I have the honor of naming it, but still debating their titles. "Dark Side of the Shrub," comes to mind, among "Shrub Wars: No Hope", "Return of the Shrub", "Attack of the Shrubs", "The Stabby Menace", "Revenge of the Shrub", "The Shrub Strikes Back", or "The Shrub Awakens". Looking forward to naming something "The Last Shrub". Hey, other people named their "Aspen Canyon of Hell" and "Thickets" (both of which I'm going to survey!). All our supervisors require is that is has no bird names or expletives.
     OK, I said it hasn't been so bad, and that's true. My most recent grid was a delight, after I boulder-hopped a stream and climbed out of a small canyon to get there. Mostly flat at the site and gloriously free of my unholy nemesis: desert holly.

Peter's Leap, the canyon at my nice grid

     I'm feeling sanguine again, owing to the two days I took off in St. George. Nice to be able to pick my own time off, even if we have a due date to get everything finished. Went into town to get new front tires, but also took the opportunity to research the rest of my grids, get some backcountry maps,  finish my paperwork, surf the internet, eat delicious food, sleep in a bed, take hot showers, and actually catch "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" in theaters. Saw the sights, or rather the sight, of St. George, the St. George Temple. Had a Mormon guy try to convert me, no juice. Pretty building though.

St. George Temple flocking with wedding-guests

This evening I drive into the site I put off, now that I'm rearmed with my spare tire and fresh groceries. I'm pretty sure it'll get easier (right?). To paraphrase Professor Challenger in a cheesy Lost World movie, "Science awaits! Unsheath the sword of intellect! Maybe bring a machete?"