The winds howled all night, whipping my tent panels like a flag atop a flagpole. I tossed and turned through it, but the night went fairly quick. That means I got some amount of unconsciousness, right?
The morning was cold, probably in the low 30°F’s but felt like the 20°F’s with the wind chill. The wind did not let up all day. The constant blustery presence in the treetops sort of leaves a disconcerting feeling at times. Then, occasionally, the unapologetic wind blasts through the lower canopy of foliage. The need for a second layer was the debate for the day — my jacket came on and off every few miles.
| 🗓️ Date | October 28th |
| ⇢ Mileage | 25.2 |
| 📍 Trip Mileage | 268.8 |
| ⛅️ Weather | Chilly high of 45°F with constant winds |
| 🏞️ Trail Conditions | Old railroad bed weaving through the foliage of fall |
After a short walk on Mormon Lake Road, I reconnected with trail via Forest Road 132, diverting yesterday because of the many miles of controlled burn. Trail followed the remains of a railroad bed, once built by logging companies to haul lumber. Only the occasional rotting tie or rusted steel spike remained.
Trail arced around Mormon Lake, Arizona’s largest natural lake… or, at least it was. The lakebed is now dry with a distant mud splotch at its heart. The trees never gave me a good view of the dust bowl, but the community of Mormon Lake tempted me to visit for a shower and the saloon.
But, I notably came out to Arizona to get away from showers and saloons, so I walked on. It continues to be the same Colorado Plateau as before the Grand Canyon: dry forests of juniper and ponderosa, though the aspens have been traded for what I believe to be ash trees.
Though today was a rougher day, I had 27 miles in the plans. That was, until, I came across Moonjuice, and his wife, niece, and nephew hosting trail magic around a campfire. Moonjuice, an alumni of the AZT and CT, wildly had a mutual acquaintance through Noodle, whom I met on the CDT. The world is much smaller than imagined, especially true for long distance hiking. They treated me to hot dogs, sodas, macaroni salad, and fresh fruit. I was their sole hiker for the day, so I made sure to give them a good amount of time.
After the company and a warm fire for a couple hours, I headed off into the night high on Coke — the drink, that is. I made work of another five miles before pitching the tent.
Signing off,
Zeppelin
“Freak on a Leash”
Leave a Reply