Follow Strider's Rambles

Day 18

Not only the vegetation had changed – cacti, manzanita, ceanothus, & scrub oak replaced the pine – so had the wildlife. I spotted two white-tailed deer where in the north I saw only mule deer. From camp, it was 1.3 miles to the clear water of Oak Spring. My mind was tired so I drank instant cold coffee while I filtered water. I sometimes deprive myself of coffee while backpacking long trails. Very happy that I decided to include it this trip.

Mid-morning I had my first trail fall, hitting on my left thigh and knee. Luckily my pants took the damage, gaining a set of tears to match those existing in my right knee area. While I took a moment to recover, I gazed fondly at my gaiters. This is my first time using them on trail. I knew gaiters would keep debris out of my shoes. I didn’t anticipate that they’d keep my feet & socks cleaner, it’s fabulous!

At Rock Creek, I ate lunch sitting on a neat granite rock in the dry stream bed. During the next four miles, I got a little thirsty and wished I had topped off my bottles at Bee Tree Tank. I underestimated how much I would drink in the heat of the day. When I excitedly reached a trough full of clear water, I drank a liter before filtering two more.

Around 5 pm, I forded the East Verde River. It was 20-30 feet wide and I got knee deep for a portion of the crossing. In my bare feet, toes squelching in river mud, I gathered water for the following 17 mile dry stretch. While my feet dried, I ate a snack and admired the sight of a river in the desert. Then I hiked two miles and, with dusk descending, discovered a campsite with a view.

Day 19

On day one, Cheez-it told Will & I that north of Pine, the only big climbs were out of the terminus and Grand Canyon. He said south of Pine, it’s a lot more up & down. Last night I looked at the 15 miles to Hopi Spring and saw that it involved 5,000 ft. of elevation gain. Yikes! So I left camp at 4:30 am, hoping to complete much of the climb before the day got hot.

Though I didn’t make it as far as I hoped before the sun rose, the shade lasted longer than I anticipated. For a time, I fretted over my pace, until I was able to let it go and enjoy the day. Highlights were a valley of tall, spindly pines, rocky outcroppings, and a rattlesnake! Taking a breather, I looked down a hillside and saw the snake wrapped on itself in a cozy, compact pile, triangular head jutting out. It was a handsome specimen.

After making two liters last eight hours, Hopi Spring was a welcome sight. A trough full of clear water with algae on the sides. I found shade beneath a bush; hydrated, filtered, and ate lunch. The next spring was only 3 miles away, what luxury! In between, I drank as much as I wanted. Chilson Spring was another trough, even clearer than the last.

The final 500 ft. climb to the Y Bar Basin trail junction was the hardest of the day because I was tired and hungry. Happily, I found a lovely campsite, tucked behind a fallen, burned tree and with a majestic view of red rocks. I started eating dinner while I set up my tent. Soon I was cozy inside, searching through my food bag for dessert. Proudly, I’d done 22.5 miles with 6,000 ft. gain.

Day 20

Two miles from camp, I walked the 1/4 mile side trail to Bear Spring. It instantly became one of my favorites! It was the ambiance: a pool of unknown depth embedded in rocks. Paul had reported a guardian rattlesnake the day before. Sadly, it did not make an appearance for me, though it may have hampered water collection.

After that, the morning was almost entirely ridge walking. I enjoyed the sweeping, majestic views. However, often the sheltered side of the ridge would be clogged with Gambel Oak & thorny Locust trees that tugged at my pants. I don’t know how people do the trail in shorts. There were also gnats… in the desert! Still the views and being up high won out.

I ate lunch at Thicket Spring. Afterwards, the trail dipped into and climbed out of washes. Unusually, I struggled with the heat and felt a little nauseous. Late afternoon I got excited and watched eagerly for the 400 mile point. Handily, it was indicated by an Arizona trail marker so at its base I built the number out of white rocks. Wow, half way!

Maybe I was worn out from the day before or I dawdled at my stops. Either way, I hit my final water source at dusk. There I was, kneeling in bushes, illuminating a slightly scummy pool with my headlamp, and scooping water into my BeFree bladder. My handy strainer stopped the scum and left clear liquid that filtered well. I gathered three liters. Then it was really dark and I did something I don’t like to do… backtracked! Only 0.2 miles to a campsite I spotted on my way to the creek.

Day 21

After seeing no one for three days, I saw several day hikers and chatted with one. Again I felt slightly nauseous so I forced myself to drink fluids, hoping it would help. At the end of the tunnel under Highway 87, I stopped in the shade to eat Fritos and two guys strolled by. One thru-hiked the AZT in 2022 and both were doing the “AZT in a Day”. A charity fundraiser where people sign up to hike trail sections all on the same day. I liked the idea.

Once south of the highway, I was in familiar territory. Last December, I did Passages 20 & 21 SoBo with my sister and our friend Amanda. I texted them to share the memory. Paul messaged me, said he got off trail at Hwy 87, headed home. He had no set terminus; I think it’s awesome he made it halfway.

At Sycamore Creek, I found only puddles and recalled how it flowed in December. There was a shallow puddle full of tiny fish, which I hope survive. The biggest puddle, with a surface film of scum, clear water underneath, was next to a delightfully large and rounded granite boulder. I definitely dawdled, lying inverted, cool rock on my back, staring upward at leaves & butterflies while I listened to a Florence song. Eventually, reluctantly, I left the shade and broke out my sun umbrella for the exposed climb.

That was when the day became my most challenging on trail. Since around or before the creek, my nausea got worse and I had intense side pains. I stopped three times on the climb, twice off to the side and once in the middle of the trail; sat or laid on the ground, drank water or perhaps ate a tiny amount of something salty, until I felt well enough to move on. I couldn’t stomach lunch.

When I finally topped the climb, I heard a person shouting. I turned onto an ATV road and a guy on a motorcycle rode up to me. He was wearing only shorts and plastic biker boots. He’d been riding in circles for hours (left behind by a friend and unsure how to find his truck) and was very thirsty. I gave him half of my water. He was determined to follow me, hoping I’d lead him toward civilization. I said I was headed towards a spot with water and maybe there’d be others with a map. I wasn’t enthused to have him follow me, he was a bit odd, perhaps simply sun fried?

So I hiked along and he zoomed ahead, waited for me, zoomed ahead again, repeat. He said it’d go faster if I’d join him on the bike and I said no way, I had to hike every step of the trail. I still felt crappy and moved slower than usual. When we were 0.5 miles from Little Pine Flat, I was debating how to ditch him if no one was there. The road had finally flattened out, and he zoomed off far ahead, out of sight.

When I spotted Little Pine, I hurried towards it and ran down the faint path to the wildlife tank, which is tricky to find unless you know it’s there. I never saw motorcycle man again. After I collected three liters, I erected my tent in a spot well away from the road.

As I wrote this, I heard a rustling and smelled a skunk.

Day 22

I slept well and never met the skunk. Perhaps I had heat illness yesterday, from a couple days of under hydrating? I was relieved to feel better, only slightly nauseous, especially with a 21.5 mile day ahead of me. In one day, I was doing what we did in two days back in December.

The nine miles to Pigeon Spring were all on ATV roads, except for a tiny downhill from the trailhead. They felt like a test run and flew past. The spring had cool, clear water and I cautiously ate a hearty snack. In December, we camped near the spring and our water froze, what a difference.

It was with excited anticipation that I followed the trail as it curved around hillsides, glimpses of Roosevelt Lake in the distance. I saw our snack and lunch spots from last year and recalled where we met one other backpacker. At 4:30 pm, I reached Mills Ridge TH. A short time later, Becky & Scott Settje and their friend Monika drove up. I was given a cold seltzer water and climbed into the air conditioned truck, off to my first trail zero.