Silver city was super rad. Big mt bike and outdoorsy town. Alec’s place is a stopover for hikers and bikers rolling through.

Coulda sucked me in for days but the Gila River Canyon was pulling hard so I hiked out. I don’t make it 10 minutes outta town before someone offers me a beer from a front lawn.

Big shoutout to Matt who gives me my first beer on the trail. He works in the outdoors industry so I can finally nerd out about gear.

In a day, I’m climbing over a pass and meet Crazy Joe in the most unlikely place to expect trail magic. He’s camping for a year out of his Jeep. He gives me more beer and we discuss locking rear differentials, street kids in Chico, and 12,000 ft passes on the continental divide. Beers are welcomed after 2000ft climbs.

Tuft of mountain lion hair or thru hiker dread locks? Dunno… But now I know what one of those things smells like. Not lovin it.

I drop down into the much anticipated Gila River Canyon. After desert hiking for 180 miles this place is an oasis. It’s hard to describe the feeling of seeing running water after a week of drinking out of hot caches and cow troughs.

Remember when you were a kid and you’d walk up a creek for what felt like miles and miles (but it’d only be like 400 meters)? Well it’s kinda like that, except we’re walking the Gila River for 55 miles.

In the middle is Doc Campbell’s outpost where I have a package. My next resupply is in 140 miles. Someone asks me if I have enough food… “I hope so!”

The only real food at docs is homemade ice cream, so I’m pretty experienced here. Won’t have a problem getting calories.

I’m staying at a hot springs campground, they’re not open for the season yet so I’m the only one here so I’ve made camp in a lawn chair next to a hot pool.

Hit 190 miles in the last week so I’m gonna sit here in my hot spring with a beer watching the turmoil in the clouds and the pines swaying in the Gila wind.

Onward to Pie Town. No updates for a bit.

Update: I think I might have a lactose intolerance…

5/13

I walk in and out of desert washes slowly climbing up to 7000 feet into the Gila. I run into a guy who took the day off in Lordsburg to heal his feet. He’s wearing those kinds of boots someone at REI will sell to you for $200 so you can go hiking in Big Sur.

I walk into the Gila National Forest where I walk underneath shade for the first time in 100 miles. I get my first climb up to Burro peak and after 3000+ plus miles on trail I finally finally finally see my first mountain lion! It darts into the bushes and I think for a second of going after it with my camera
but then I remembered that I was a human and it was a lion.

It moves silently without brushing any branches. What an elusive creature. I thought for sure I’d see one in Tilden or behind Chez Panisse, but no dice until now.

(grabbed water here but didn’t have to drink it)

The days are long so even with breaks I hit 34 miles. I’ll slow down in the Gila River canyon.

Last night I went to bed and I saw some cows in the distance. I wake up at 1:30 a.m. and they’re all around me. I shine my light to scare them off but that just sets off a cacophony of moos and what I
now like to call “cow screams” I’m pissed I can’t join the conversation because it seems there’s some drama going on. It is Friday night after all. This goes on for 30 minutes.

I’m in Silver City. Apparently there’s a house in town that lets hikers use their shower. Just show up at the door and say Alec sent you. Could be a trap.

Onward to Doc Campbell’s and some hot springs! Need some R&R.