Thanks, Mark for calling that one out…  we were certainly all wondering…  And note that it’s a Red-Tailed Hawk, not a Red-Tail Hawk…  The learning curve just never quite flattens out in the Trail-verse…

And thanks Gabe, for opening your mouth and bringing us all down again.  While we can’t be sure who is talking in the first panel, let’s assume that it’s Gabe- Mr. “Never met a half-full glass I didn’t call half-empty.”  “We can’t climb out!”  “The walls are concave!”  Must’ve gone to the Luke Skywalker School of Fine Whine…

Well, now we know why we were introduced to Mark’s free-climbing skills- too bad ye olde climbing pick was lost to the cave and the cave-in(s)…  Or, in a great moment of non-continuity, Mark will pull the pick out of his back-side and start the climb out!

Ha!  About a month ago to you and me, but minutes in Trail-time, I suggested that a sinkhole might be their salvation…  And Carina, the trained cave-ologist whose job it is to notice such things and call them out accurately, has done just that!

And even Mark is surprised by this turn of events…  the man who has seen darn near everything…

I am enjoying your comments- and glad that you are maintaining enthusiasm for the story line while I appeared to be flagging a bit…  Call it Trail-fatigue… I guess everyone might get it from time to time, especially on a very long hike…  but yes- I agree- the possibilities are endless now that we have more to work with- but soft- is that a skeleton in the aft seat??  It was only slightly apparent yesterday but now there is definitely something or should I say some-ONE there…

Quick pivot to a Netflix recommendation – Chasing Monsters– a 12 episode, somewhat binge-worthy show featuring a guy who likes to fish for MONSTERS…  all over the freakin’ planet!  It’s produced in Canada, the host/protagonist is Cyril Chauquet, and apparently is also known as the Fishing Adventurer…  and involved in a show call Wild Catch…  Anyway, the reason I bring him up is that he reminds me of Mark Trail in that he knows a lot of people… or at least pretends to, and this is what launches him into all these different situations.  The main difference is that Cyril is more James Bond-like that Trail could ever be- actually has a drink now and then and speaks, by my count, four languages,  isn’t afraid to get “in bed” with his quarry, and always kisses his catch before releasing it back into the water…  Last night I saw him catch a giant Snook, just like Rusty did…

Meanwhile, above the ground, we see a relic of WWI, the unfortunate result of an amateur bi-plane excursion, or maybe it’s the lost remains of Amelia Earhart.  That’s the problem with single engine planes- a single point of failure- with no back-up!  But Seriously, what is the raptor standing on in panel one? Certainly not the wing, unless the bird is massive in proportion… and can hook its feet around the leading and trailing edge of the wing… but then in panel two, everything falls back to normal?  huh…

So, while we wait for something interesting to happen, here’s a shout-out to my Dear Mother, as today is her Birthday!!

We are reminded that the cave ceiling is opening up to the sky.  I think we established that on Saturday… The suspense in not killing me, in fact I am about to pull out the Tedium-Meter® and take a look at it.  I am sure it’s pegging again…

So… moving right along.  Or not… We have established exactly nothing new here… it’s like going on vacation and taking too many shots of the scenery- mountains… yep, more mountains… Oh. Look.  Mountains again…

…makes me happy…

Well, this is a bit of a tease- let’s see what Mark has up his sleeve that will get them to the surface…  then the adventure begins- no water, no vehicle, Gabe’s phone probably soaked or ruined…

It appears that they have been on this little adventure what?  a day?  Over how many weeks of comic strip time?  Yikes.  They were getting ready to do to bat-work (remember the bats??) when the coyotes (Jefe and Jose) transferred their cargo and spotted Mark and company and blew them to smithereens…

Carina looks like she’s about to levitate…

The triumph of hope over experience at the very least… Carina is not looking forward to leaving the cave, though… the lighting is VERY flattering on her, when we compare her to the “handsome” woman we first met…now almost Kardashian-like in her qualities…  I wonder if she gets into Twitter-fights in her spare time…  Good Lord, no wonder Donald Trump is leading all the polls…

Well, this would certainly be an anti-climax… to simply walk out of the cave system after so many trials have befallen our party… But let’s really hope that it is!  They need the warm, arid desert air to dry off their undies lest they start to come down with a bout of cave-rot…  OK, waaay too much info there…