Stats

Start: Tuscon Wash Road – Mile 207
End: Florence Road – Mile 239
Elevation Max: 5,283
Elevation Min: 4,009
Elevation Change: 2,764 up & 3,835 down (watch died)
Average Heart Rate: 104
Walking Time: 5 hrs 26 minutes (watch died)

The Walk

The race to Kearny continues.

I woke up at 5 am today 50 miles outside of Kearny. The post office closes tomorrow at 4pm and we need to hitch 6 miles into town. Salsa needs shoes and I need a new charger.

To be safe, we want to get to the Kearny highway by 1pm tomorrow. Salsa’s duct tape shoe insoles aren’t holding up well. His shoes are falling apart and he’s surviving on a diet of vitamin I. I feel pretty good but my watch is going to die today. I must have left the charger at Colossal Cave. That was not a good stop for me.

Hiker hunger has fully kicked in and I could eat every 30 minutes. I’m constantly thinking about food and excited to eat whatever I can.

We packed up camp and headed on trail. The morning trail was flat and smooth. We had a great morning pace. I picked a new audiobook, Atlas of the Heart, a crash course on all the emotions. The first hour was interesting. My left ankle was sore for a few hours but loosened up. I actually felt pretty good.

We had lunch at a windmill that filled up a huge tank. It looked like an above ground swimming pool. The only thing I wanted to do was jump in. Or use my air mattress to float around. But we had miles to do, and I wouldn’t dirty up the water source for everyone else! I chatted with Chris from Germany for a few minutes. She was hiking the trail northbound and also headed to Kearny.

The afternoon trail was smooth and flat. I zoned out and threw my headphones in – a mix of music, Atlas of the Heart, and Wool, a fiction book. I prefer to have a fiction and non-fiction option. The wildlife was hopping. I saw a few rabbits, a Jack rabbit, chipmunk, and a snake!

The rattlesnake was taking a sun bath in the middle of the trail. It was a small snake. Salsa tapped a walking stick on the ground near its tail and woke it up. It quickly slithered off trail and into some bushes. I made a mental note for the next snake I see.

The sun was setting before I knew it. I picked a camping spot at 31 miles and was exhausted. As we walked the last tenth of a mile to camp, a huge bull stood in the middle of the trail, staring at us. This wasn’t the first time, but usually the bulls move away when I wave my hands and talk loudly at it. This bull was the stared at me for 3 minutes before finally moving off trail. He wasn’t afraid of me. And I wanted to be far away from him.

We crossed a cattle fence ahead and breathed a sigh of relief. I looked back while closing the gate and the bull was still staring at me 100 yards away. We had a good laugh and walked 200 yards to a spot flat enough to camp.

When we got to camp I was exhausted. 32 miles. 5:40 am to 6:20 pm. With only a few breaks, maybe an hour total.

10 minutes later I had my tent up and was ready for dinner. Salsa noticed the bull staring at us from across the fence. Thank god for the fence! I turned on my stove and started cooking garlic shells.

I had been hungrier than I thought today. I had to ration my food! 5 bars throughout the day, tuna packet, salami and cheese, a package of gardettos. The only thing I wanted was to sit a decently flat rock and eat dinner. But the trail had other plans.

The bull walked over. The section of fence right next to the cattle gate was laying down. Shit. I jumped up and climbed a half hill to put some distance between myself and the bull. He was sniffing my tent at the edge of our campsite. Salsa and I were waving our arms and yelling “Hey friendly Bull, Move along. Nothing for you here.” But he didn’t care. He stared at us and walked around our tents and stoves for the next 5 minutes.

Then he moved to the far edge of our campsite. I started to get excited. I really wanted my food. But he posted up on a trail sign and used it to scratch his neck. We were still talking to him, trying to shoo him away but he really didn’t care.

After another five minutes of scratching he turned and slowly walked up the trail. Never looking back. That was a weird feeling to be so powerless. We were camped in his territory and he wanted us to know.

I was relieved. I hurried down the hill to my stove. On the bright side, the garlic wheels were ready. I would have enjoyed them even if they were overcooked.

I expected the bull to show up and rummage around my tent at night. But I was too tired to care.