[Day 9] The Gila

After a tumultuous 13 miles of bushwhacking, ungraded climbing, hopping downed trees, hiking up weathering volcanic rock creeks, and a passing through the remnants of burn areas, I finally made it to the Gila River.

The Gila is a 650-mile tributary of the Colorado River with headwaters in the Black Range of New Mexico— where runs the official Continental Divide. It flows through Arizona coming to a confluence with the Colorado near Yuma. Part of the Gila served as the border between Mexico and the US prior to the Gadsden Purchase.

This section doesn’t have much a trail. The river valley leads the way, and I cross the river where I see fit — usually when walled out by the valley cliffs to the river. I crossed the river a dozen or so times today, with the highest crossing being above my abdomen. Keeping your backpack above waterline is critical at crossings. For one, it’s best to avoid soaking critical gear like your sleeping bag. Even if you are using a waterproof bag liner, it’s best not to risk it. When submerged, a backpack may provide a significant buoyancy force and added drag, making even a low current risky for sucking a hiker downstream.

This low route has been gorgeous and well worth the trek through the less-groomed trail. I made a little over 2 mph to the Gila River and similar speed while on the river over 20 miles on the day. There’s a lot of obstacle avoidance and navigation on the riverside.

Tomorrow, I’ll roll into Doc Campbell’s Post to resupply. The east, middle, and west forks of the Gila split after Doc’s, and I’ll follow a low route along the middle fork. The volume of water should be significantly less, but that’s not to say the valley might be more aggressively slotted.

As per usual, I’m cowboy camped under a sycamore in a nice sandy spot only about 50 feet from the river. I‘ll pull on my wet socks and shoes and continue riverside in the morning.

Signing off,

Zeppelin