Day 21: Gila River Canyon to Superior
Slow down. Relax more. Don’t push it. After the last stretch, I’m going to remind myself of those more. The morning in this canyon was absolutely remarkable. The light breaking through the clouds and...
Monthly Archive: March 2016
Day 20: Gila River Trailhead to Gila River Canyon
Days like yesterday will happen. Part of the challenge in completing something like this is being able to bounce back and not only keep going, but also remember why you’re on the trail to...
Day 19: Ripsey Wash Area to Gila River Trailhead
Today felt like a rough day. Not so much physically but more emotionally, a number of factors contributing to that. Firstly, I think I might have brought a bit of preparation stress to the...
Day 18: Black Hills to Ripsey Wash Area
Tonight, I find myself camped below the buzzing and zapping of massive power lines. Being unfamiliar with the area, I only knew I wanted to be near Ripsey Wash this morning, some 25-30 miles...
Day 17: Tiger Mine Trail to Black Hills
My pack feels heavier. That could be because it’s the first time since Colossal Cave that it’s been fully loaded with food and water. Or it could also be the tripod I brought along...
Day 16: Lower Oracle Ridge to Tiger Mine Trail
The day started off chilly with a colorful sunrise off to both the east and west, but I had very little time to stop and enjoy it. I was being picked up from the...
Day 15: Summerhaven to Lower Oracle Ridge
I love having the freedom and the flexibility to camp early, waiting for the sun to set in anticipation of earth’s shadow rising together with a full moon. Though it wasn’t as cold as...
Day 14: Wilderness of Rocks to Summerhaven
Sometimes you just need a break from the trail. In truth, I didn’t, but my knee did. I actually got a bit antsy sitting around Summerhaven and was eager to get back on the...
Day 13: Sycamore Creek to Wilderness of Rocks
Today was one of the best days of the trip. It was also one of the most disastrous. Put simply, "adventure is out there!" From my campsite, I had a short walk up to...
Day 12: Redington Road to Sycamore Creek
Near this time last year, I was driving down from Summerhaven on the Santa Catalina Highway having just picked up the mail drop I sent there for my thru-hike, only to have abandoned it...
Day 11: Grass Shack Campground to Reddington Road
Something definitely changed today. My body feels like it’s starting to adapt to life on the trail. I woke up to a surprisingly pleasant morning. I had expected that at the elevation of the...
Day 10: La Selvilla Campground to Grass Shack Campground
The climb up the south side of Mica Mountain was one of the more difficult parts of the trail that I remember from last year. In fact, it was one of the primary reasons...
Day 9: I-10 (nearly) to La Selvilla Campground
Today was finally the relaxing day I had been looking for, though I’m now waiting for my turn at a water spigot being used by a threatening amount of bees. Prior to heading out...
Day 8: Mulberry Canyon to I-10 (nearly)
I woke up this morning to see a bunny rabbit bouncing around the imaginary perimeter of my campsite. I felt very refreshed after a good night’s rest and was ready to have a mellow...
Day 7: Northern Foothills to Mulberry Canyon
So much for my relaxing day. While the day itself wasn’t bad at all, I wound up going much farther than anticipated. I was shooting for about 15 miles or so today, but as...
