Dates: March 5 & 6, 2020
Miles: zero! Then 300.5 – 318.9
The best trail angels I’ve run across so far live in Superior, AZ. MJ and Al are transplants from Minnesota who shuttle dirty AZT hikers around and open their home to them. Funnybone and I got a ride in from Al on the morning of March 5th and I decided to let my legs take a day off at their house.
Continue reading “Days 17 & 18: Superior Zero”
Date: March 4, 2020
Miles: 277.8 – 300.5
Cowbells clanged in the field between my tent and the river all night long, and between that and my inability to get more than a couple good hours of sleep when I’m camping by myself, I was groggy and out of sorts this morning.
Date: March 3, 2020
Miles: 251.9 – 277.8
Funnybone mentioned that he likes to sleep in, so I packed up as quietly as I could and slipped off to start walking before the sunrise.
Continue reading “Day 15: The Gila River”
Date: February 2, 2020
Miles: 223.4 – 251.9
Another day, another roller coaster of hills and washes. I walked as quietly as I could this morning so I could listen to the birds as the sunlight crept down the mountains and refracted off of the giant white clouds cruising across the sky.
Date: March 1, 2020
Miles: 198.2 – 223.4
Leaving Oracle this morning, I decided it’s time to get serious about the miles, or I’m not going to be able to finish the trail by the time Tim and the kids fly down for spring break on April 2nd. So I stuck my headphones in for the first time since I started, picked some long podcast episodes, and set out to get at least 25 miles in.
Continue reading “Day 13: Getting Serious”
Date: February 29, 2020
Miles: 183.9 – 198.2
I left Summerhaven early enough to catch the sunrise on my way out of town. I was really into watching the sun come up as I walked. So much so that I missed the turn off of the road to the trailhead and didn’t realize it for a mile. Good start to the day!
Continue reading “Day 12: Oracle”
Date: February 28, 2020
Miles: 171 – 183.9
I woke up earlier than usual and quietly packed up so I could get a move on into Summerhaven and get to the post office before it closed at 3 pm. I only had 12 miles to go so I figured I’d get there early enough to relax for the afternoon while I sorted out my resupply. What I didn’t count on was the climb I had to tackle first.
Continue reading “Day 11: Pit Stop in Summerhaven”
Date: February 27, 2020
Miles: 146.2 – 171
I usually type up rough drafts of my blog entries at night while I’m sitting on my air mattress in my quilt, warming up and waiting for drowsiness to kick in. A couple nights ago, the baffles in my air mattress started popping, and as I write this, another one just exploded and now it looks like my air mattress has a giant goiter. Arg.
Continue reading “Day 10: Pusch Ridge Wilderness”
Date: February 26, 2020
Miles: 123.8 – 146.2
Somewhere in the Rincon Valley, a rodent has lined his little nest with part of a tent guy-line, half of a shoelace, and small parts of a shoe. My shoe.
Continue reading “Day 9: Saguaro Land”
Date: February 25, 2020
Miles: 108 – 123.8
Mustachio, Medicine Man, Tech Support and I parted ways this morning. They all went to Tucson for various things, and I had no reason to tag along with them, so I kept heading North.
Continue reading “Day 8: Happy Mardi Gras”