3 Highlights:
• Hot springs dip mid-hike
• People sharing food like we’re a charity case: fruits, bars, burgers… you name it
• Seeing the cliff dwellings where Native Americans lived in the 1300s
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 26 km
• Starting point: Gila 83
• Ending point: Gila 57
• Weather conditions: Hot
Reflections (Challenges, Insights, Musings):
So, here’s how my day went. I wake up sweating at 2 a.m. because I made the genius decision to sleep in a puffy jacket. After shedding some layers, I listened to a podcast half-awake until 6 a.m., which, let me tell you, did not set me up for peak performance. But whatever, off we went.
We hit a hot spring around 13 km in, and let me tell you, it was glorious. Just the right amount of warm. Hung out for 20 minutes, soaking like kings. Then, onto the visitor center for snacks and coffee—or so we thought. They didn’t sell a thing. But hey, they handed us a pity cookie, so that’s something. They also mentioned that Doc Campbell’s, where our food was supposed to be, was closed. We didn’t believe them, so we took the 5 km trek over there anyway. And, of course, they were right.
While we were sulking outside, a car stopped, and the driver handed us fruits, beer, and jerky—like we were a couple of starving college kids. Not that I’m complaining; I’ll take it.
Doc Campbell’s didn’t open for another five hours. So there we were, no food, just peanut butter, and sad WiFi to keep us company. Eventually, Semper Dry showed up with five beers he’d been hauling for two days. That’s commitment, people. We ended up touring the nearby cliff dwellings—ancient apartments built by Native Americans in the 1300s. Very cool, but honestly, it looked uncomfortable. I’ll stick with my tent, thanks.
Finally, a bag of food appeared out of nowhere: burgers, fruits, and bars. We devoured it. At 5 p.m., I got my food bag from Doc Campbell’s, grabbed pizza for everyone, downed ice cream and a liter of milk—regret immediately set in.
We took off at 6 p.m., hiked 7 km, and I was grateful for every step after that food frenzy. Tomorrow’s a long day if I want to make the post office by Saturday. Good night.
