Follow Strider's Rambles

Day 133

We slept in slightly so that we were taking down our tents as the sun rose rather than at first light. Our first water source was 2.4 miles away and we didn’t want to arrive too early and be cold while filtering. Part way there, I was waiting for Top Shelf when I heard a shot. I put on my pack cover; it’s bright yellow and I told Doug (who tried to give us a yellow vest) that I’d put it on for the first day of deer hunting.

From a saddle, we descended a use trail 0.3 miles down a ravine and found a trough brimming with clear water. My BeFree filter bladder had two new punctures, side by side, and I put my thumb over them to stop the leak while I filtered water. It’s so odd, I did not get any bladder punctures on the AT, PCT, or AZT. However, this bladder already has one puncture which Quick Draw patched for me.

For both Top Shelf and I, it was a dreamy day where we hiked along vibing hard with the desert. Reminiscent of the PCT, the trail traversed hillsides and ridges all day. The views were spectacular, even though they were occasionally filled by large swathes of burned forest. Considering that it was early November, it felt wonderful to be hiking in warm sunshine. I love desert hiking!

Near the Lookout Mountain trailhead, we found a trick tank filled by 5” of rain water with only a scattering of dead bugs and small amount of algae. We ate an early lunch and filtered water. Two different pickups drove along the adjacent forest road and stopped briefly at the trailhead before returning the way they came; likely scouting for deer.

In the afternoon, we saw clear pools of water in a canyon and descended to chug and collect more water. There was a slow flow amongst the pools. It’s so fun discovering water in the desert and this was a particularly lovely oasis.

As the day waned, we ascended ridges, though the climbing felt easy on what continued to be a blissful day. A faint smell of smoke wafted from a prescribed burn. I saw the smoke plume in the distance. Top Shelf pointed out squat, tiny bushes that held raspberries and we stopped to graze. We camped at the top of a ridge, our tents close in the tight space. Top Shelf left her tent fly off for ease of set-up plus star gazing.

Day 134

For several miles, the trail to Diamond Peak was cruisy, though I could see a multitude of stubs, the aspen bush or cat’s claw sawed away by a trail crew. The rest of the way to the peak and on the following ridge-line, we had to push our way through similar brush and then I really appreciated the trail crew’s efforts. At least up to the peak, the crew had flagged the route. Afterwards, it was a mess due to fire damage.

When Top Shelf and I dropped off the ridge and into a valley, the trail was crossed by downed thin trees of varying heights that we crawled under or climbed over while trying to avoid thorny bushes. I felt like a ninja warrior! We looked for water, found none, and took a lunch break. Afterwards, we found a pool of water that I’d felt strongly would be there, however I hadn’t explored far enough. I gratefully filtered the clear, delicious water, particularly as I’d nursed 0.75 liter over the nine miles that we covered that morning.

Just past the pool was the junction to Black Canyon, where the CDT was rerouted in 2019, presumedly to give trail goers reliable water. Almost immediately we encountered pools of water and further along it flowed well. The trail criss-crossed the creek, usually doing so to avoid a steep spot in the canyon wall. There were plenty of rocks in the creek so our feet remained dry on the crossings. We followed intermittent tread and chose our own route when it disappeared. There were occasional cairns, blazes, and flagging.

Near the Falls Canyon junction, there were cool rock spires and lumpy rock formations. I kept stopping to admire, take pics, and wow out loud. Top Shelf was similarly entranced. We startled a skunk and chatted about the similarities in how we entered and live our nomadic lives. After 17.2 miles – a low mileage day, yet we worked hard for most of it – we camped near the junction with Aspen Canyon. It was a relief to sit in the tent and pull prickly grass from my socks and shoes.

Day 135

It was a chilly morning with frost on the tent and vegetation. As we began a gentle ascent up Aspen Canyon, I saw a dry creek bed so I went back for water while Top Shelf continued on. With a leaking filter bladder, my hands got cold quickly and the process was slow. After one liter, I got frustrated until I recalled that I had iodine. I added the chemical to two liters then packed up and hurried after my friend. I found her waiting in a sunny spot halfway down the canyon.

The initial portion of Aspen Canyon was easy with obvious tread and cairns. The last couple miles were slow as the canyon narrowed, became choked with brush, and the cairns vanished. Eventually we climbed out to find a clear footpath where we could move with speed. I soon realized that on actual trail it was much easier to get lost in my thoughts instead of needing to be hyper alert to my surroundings. The terrain around us became dry and rocky. I admired the rock placement that fortified a series of switchbacks.

After lunch, we left the Aldo Leopold Wilderness and entered the Gila Wilderness. We descended ~4,000 feet over the day’s course, which brought us into a biome with cholla, agave, and blue spruce. We found water in a stream bed where deep pools were broken up by flat smooth rocks and joined by a slow trickle. Several miles later we again found water in Sapillo Creek, the surface covered in scrub oak leaves. Dusk fell while we gathered four liters each for a coming 25-30 mile dry stretch.

We decided to night hike 3ish miles to Sapillo Campground. All day we’d encountered open gates, yet we had to open & close one via headlamp light. We briefly saw an owl right before the highway crossing. Four pickups pulling ATVs passed us on the dirt road that ended in the campground. It was full of large sites with stacked wood and fire rings, no pickup tables. We chose a site near the pit toilet, which I discovered was clean and stocked with TP. Finally, a 23.5 mile day after two sub 20 ones!

Day 136

It was a quiet campground and in the morning I gladly used the pit toilet. Top Shelf’s fuel canister stopped functioning after Winston so she’s been cold soaking too. We commiserated over cold oatmeal as we updated one another on our progress through morning tasks. My rinse water slushed immediately when I poured it into my pot. After we packed up, we looked for the dumpster and pitched our bags of trash.

The trail climbed almost immediately and soon I removed my puffy. For a time, I felt like I was hiking through a cactus garden, the trail was wide and the landscape studded with prickly pear and agave. We ascended higher through a small burn area and into ponderosa forest. There were a couple groups of deer; one white-tailed doe was very curious about us and did not run off.

We ate lunch beside forest road 855. Two guys on ATVs came by, surprised to see hikers, and stopped to chat. TopShelf asked them about the water in Bear Creek and they said it was dry. There was a mostly full gallon of water stashed behind a tree so we got a liter each and I started my dinner cold soaking. Our as ent continued until we reached an overlook slightly below the summit of Black Peak. It offered a great view of the valley far below, Silver City visible at one edge.

From 2 pm onward, it was mostly descent. We saw a couple more deer and enjoyed a well maintained trail through healthy forest. At the bottom, slightly before Hwy 15, I was surprised to see a couple buckets labeled T.M. I thought there wouldn’t be trail magic on this little used section, but they were indeed filled with drinks. I drank an Arizona Green Tea and Top Shelf drank a Dr. Pepper.

Across the highway, Bear Creek was dry, though we had enough water. We put on our headlamps, went another 0.8 miles, and found flat ground under several ponderosa trees; our favorite! My gut was unhappy; bloated and I dug my third hole of the day. Afterwards it felt a little better so I followed dinner with a special desert: a packet of GF confetti sugar cookies from my sister and a handful of honey roasted peanut M&Ms from Quick Draw. 

Day 137

I had packed all my gear and was about to take down my tent when two, giant husky dogs invaded our site. They were friendly and their fur was soft. One peered in Top Shelf’s tent and the other went in my tent; I chased it out. Top Shelf returned from the woods and was flustered by their appearance. Their owners half-heartedly attempted to recall the huskies. I enjoyed the opportunity to pet a couple cute dogs.

As the day warmed, we hiked a mix of trail and dirt roads. On the latter, I saw movement and spotted two large lizards stunning themselves on a rock. Using Seek, I determined that they were Crevice Spiny Lizards. We turned off the trail onto a faint dirt road towards the Lady of Guadelupe Benedictine Monastery. In FarOut, it was listed as a water source. Before we reached it we came across a large, blue cattle trough. I climbed a fence and turned on the spigot feeding the trough from a pipe. The water was clear so we didn’t bother to filter it.

In an arroyo, 1/2 mile past the monastery junction, we found water pools and a large patch of mint. We weren’t sure the source would be flowing, hence the previous mile round trip off trail, but noted it for future hikers.  Another 3.5 miles later, we came to the south junction of the Gila Alternate. There was a soda and water cache maintained by a local trail angel named Mitch. Top Shelf and I each drank a Dr. Pepper. I rarely drink soda, yet thought “why not?” Fueled by the caffeine plus sugar, we were soon moving at 3 miles per hour along the red line to Silver City.

The last several miles into town were a paved road walk with too much traffic for our taste. As we hiked, we looked into hotel rooms and finally decided on two nights at the Murray Hotel, a historic establishment. I booked the room and we headed straight to the Silver City Co-op. We were awed by all the nutritious options and walked around in a shocked state. We each got a nori wrap, a bunch of veggies from the hot food bar, and dessert. Then who should show up but Mamacita! I thought she’d be far ahead; it turned out most of the crew that was in Pie Town when we left was now in Silver City.

In the seating area, Top Shelf and I ate while Mamacita caught us up on Toaster House drama and her injured ankle. She planned to bike to Lordsburg while her hiking partner – and beau – Charcuterie hiked there with Stew and others. Hearing that Stew was in town, I reached out and we made plans to meet up the next day. Treebeard, a hiker that I hadn’t met before, was also hanging out. After two weeks of seeing no other hikers, Top Shelf and I had a bit of trouble taking it all in. The three departed and we headed to our hotel room, only seven blocks away. Top Shelf knew the town and pointed out several establishments. Our hotel room was super cute.