5/21

The Gila River Canyon is so lush I feel like I could be in Kauai. The hot springs are the best I’ve ever seen. We cross the river 84 times. Floods from 2013 washed out the trails so we just bounce from one sand bar to the next slowly stumbling up the river.

Waiting out a storm in a cliff dwelling.

Climbing out of the canyon and I’m on a high altitude plain on the divide 8-9000 feet.

I hope my shoes don’t turn into flip flops.

My filter is pretty much shot, leaking cow shit water all over. Gonna switch to bleach pretty soon once we get into some better water sources north of here.

I have 2 sets of maps but they often contradict each other. Sometimes the trail will just disappear and I’ll continue cross country trying to follow a line on a map. Choose your own adventure!

On Friday I sleep in til 7 with the intention of slowly rolling into Pie Town. But by noon I’m 50 miles away from the post office (which closes for the weekend in 21 hours). Well shit, I’m pretty much committed at this point. With my team double d (Dio and Danzig) in my ears I roll into the night slamming malto juice and tripping over volcanic rock. I do 44 miles and get up at 4 to hit the final 12. My snot freezes to my beard and I just keep telling myself the sun is gonna come up.

Pie town has a sweeeet hiker house and locals who wanna buy us beer so I’m gonna end up taking my first zero day after 340 miles. We have a fantastic vinyl collection. Weeeeeeee!