Twig Adventures

October 29th, 2019Mm 540.1 to mm 572.8Distance in miles: 32.70600-1740 Voices rang out in the darkness. I woke instantly and saw 2 headlights bobbing along the trail. I checked the time…it was 2:30 am. With perfect clarity, I realized this must be the trail runner that was going for the women’s supported FKT—fastest known time on the AZT. A friend was running with her and they glided past me, not knowing I was camped there. My tent was especially hidden, in the small wash and camouflaged. It’s funny that at such an hour, in my foggy state, the scenario didn’t even strike me as unusual. This was precisely why I never pitched my tent on the trail. I expect people[…]

October 28th, 2019Mm 507 to mm 540.1Distance in miles: 33.10600-1730 I woke up a lot during the night because the wind was rustling my tent. But I didn’t mind because the view out my window was so lovely. I just gazed at the stars and fell back asleep. It was so warm that I couldn’t even put my feet inside my quilt’s footbox at first. It’s nice to be this warm. While packing in the morning, I was able to take off almost all my layers. The early morning was very pleasant but I worried that I would be suffering from the heat later on. One consolation was that I’d be following the Gila River for about 15 miles, so[…]

October 27th, 2019HWY 60 Picket Post Trailhead mm 487.5 to mm 507Distance in miles: 19.51130-1800 I woke with lots to do still. I needed to go grocery shopping for resupplies, but the store didn’t open until 9 am. MJ made me an omelette and I had more of her delicious fresh bread. She also gave me some of her homemade granola to take away. MJ is a mom, grandma, and even a great grandma and she just loves caring for people. Al did his part by resupplying the nearby water caches. Today he was off early in his jeep to deliver water to FR4, which had been out of water for some time, making for a 21 mile water-less stretch[…]

October 26th, 2019Mm 456.8 to HWY 60 mm 487.5Distance in miles: 30.70605-1730 I sleep great and woke to a steep climb out of the valley. I went over another ridge and dropped into a smaller valley and wash. As per usual, all the prickly plants were grabbing at my legs and hanging from above to gouge my face. I did a lot of acrobatics to avoid them, plus a lot of cursing. I start to feel a little anxiety about all the overgrowth. The trail just felt claustrophobic. I couldn’t go 15 seconds without something raking me. My skirt already had numerous rips and my legs were pretty scratched. My foot was swollen where the cactus spine pierced my skin[…]

October 25th, 2019Mm 425.3 to mm 456.8Distance in miles: 31.50605-1800 A cold wind blew all night and I had to really button down my quilt to keep out the drafts. I couldn’t believe it was so hot just a few days ago. I began hiking the trail just in time for the morning ethereal light, enjoying a fresh new day. After about an hour, I came around a bend and saw a furry black figure ambling down the trail in front of me. It was a black bear. I went into stealth mode, hoping to get a little closer, but at the next vantage point, it was gone. I realized that I was upwind, so it must have smelled me[…]

October 24th, 2019HWY 87 mm 402 to mm 425.3Distance in miles: 23.30950-1730 I really didn’t want to get back on the trail for some reason. I think it was because I enjoyed resting and relaxing at Jon and Laurel’s place so much the year before. At that point, I was done with the PCT. Now, I was still facing 400 miles of not so easy trail through the desert. I was kind of ready to be done with hiking this season. It had been a long year. At least this day brought cool winds and a forecasted high of only 80 degrees. The next few days were supposed to be even cooler, so that was good. Jon drove me back[…]

Day 16: October 22nd, 2019Mazatzal Ridge mm 381.3 to HWY 87 mm 402Distance in miles: 20.70605-1300 I slept well overnight but the wind picked up, making some noise. I was glad I didn’t camp at the more exposed site. The horizon was just getting light as I continued walking along the ridge. The glow seemed otherworldly. A few miles down the trail, I meet a SOBO couple, Cowboy and Aurora. They were cooking breakfast and we chatted for a bit. Like me, they were meeting someone at HWY 87 and getting off trail for a few days (Cowboy’s mom lived in Phoenix). The trail eventually wound down from the ridge and through a few creeks and canyons. I passed the[…]

October 21st, 2019East Verde River mm 350.2 to Mazatzal Ridge mm 381.3Distance in miles: 31.10615-1810 It was so cold when I woke. The elevation was only 3300′ but moist air settled into the valley overnight. There was even a tiny bit of condensation on my tent. I warmed up quickly as I begin to climb. A distance of 31 miles was to add up to over 10,000′ in elevation gain, according to my app. I thought I was up for the challenge. I was headed into the Mazatzal mountains, a range that is notoriously rugged and remote. The trail wound up to the ridges and did a roller-coaster effect as it went from peak to peak. I actually enjoy all[…]

October 20th, 2019Pine Trailhead mm 327.5 to East Verde River mm 350.2Distance in miles: 22.70900-1700 I woke to the sound of the rooster crowing. It was a good reminder that I had yet to mess with the chickens. Feeling inspired, I crept outside and into the coop. It was still early, so I easily picked one of the hens off the roost. She was very sweet and seemed to enjoy the warmth of my arms, falling asleep. She was a fantail, similar to my favorite chicken that I had growing up. They are tiny, about the size of a pigeon. About this time, Calypso the cattle dog noticed my transgressions and was freaking out, pacing back and forth outside the[…]

October 19th, 2019East Verde River mm 308.9 to Pine Trailhead mm 327.5Distance in miles: 18.60600-1200 It was another town day. But first I needed to hike some miles along the bottom edge of the Mogollon rim. I left the Verde River headwaters as soon as I started, but crossed many more small streams along the way. People were camping near several of the streams, including what looked like a boy scout troop. I could see why this was suddenly such a popular trail…water makes all the difference. As I would in and out of the watersheds, the vegetation changed drastically. Mostly I was hiking through a dry scrub mix of juniper and mazanita. It finally started to look more like[…]