[Day 13] Cruising

Today was a longer day of running the legs. I started out of Snow Lake a little before 8am. I made the maneuver of storing my socks and shoes in the vault toilet room at the lake parking to prevent freezing. I was able to pull on my wet shoes easily. I decided to swap socks since my first pair of Injinjis had holes through the big toe and tears that exposed the entire pad of my feet. By days end, my new pair of Injinjis already have a hole at the heel. I’m wondering if I need to wear these as a liner with a thicker sock over top.

I planned my day as a ramp down — 4 hours of hiking, lunch, 3 hours of hiking, break, 2 hours of hiking, break. After my 4 hour block and lunch, it turned into a near straight 5 hour block of hiking followed by a break and hour cool down hike. I’ve found day planning helps keep me intent and moving. I might plan around mileage, time, water, or features of trail. I generally do not plan or yield to hunger since I am always unconsciously, subliminally famished.

I cruised along the feeder creek of Snow Lake until I summited a hill into an open grassy plateau. Tree coverage was visible three to four miles in the distance. There was a batty side wind — the kind you can lean maybe 15° (definitely more like 5°, I exaggerate) from upright into without falling. A lean was quite necessary to walk a straight path in the rutted tire tracks of the dirt road.

The trail followed dirt road for a long time today, upwards of 26 miles. I feel strong out of the Gila. With tougher bushwhacking, trail finding, and crossings in the rearview mirror, I was zoned in to follow a path of some sort.

I finished dinner of hatch chile mac and cheese. I’m setup under a bright moon tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll begin an alternate into Pie Town that cuts off some highway walking miles and passes by a ranch offering some nice amenities.

Signing off,

Zeppelin