The night was brutally dusty. The wind wasn’t all too terrible — maybe 20mph gusts — but it left a layer of red dirt on everything: tent, clothes, quilt, sleep pad, face, nostrils.
My water still manages to taste slightly of burn, and I’m guessing the flavor is stuck in my filter. I realized that my water filter likely froze one of the past nights, as I completely forgot to throw it into my sleeping bag. With hollow fiber membrane filters, the expansion of freezing widens the micro-pores allowing bacteria to squeeze through. Until I can acquire a new filter, I’ll be lightly treating everything with bleach — maybe I’ll get risky and skip purification altogether.
| 🗓️ Date | October 31st |
| ⇢ Mileage | 16.7 |
| 📍 Trip Mileage | 335.6 |
| ⛅️ Weather | Sunny 60°F |
| 🏞️ Trail Conditions | Nice trail; some highway into and about town |
The trail weaved in and out of the canyons of the Mogollon Rim until reaching the trailhead into Pine. The views looking south promised a new landscape ahead.
I walked into Pine, and I executed upon my first order of business: lunch. THAT Brewery served up a heaping of elk chili nachos. I followed that up with a blueberry cobbler.
Next, I resupplied at the rocket town mart, shipped home a couple ditties at the post office, and laundered my socks at the laundromat. My socks had crisped with dirt, sweat, skin, and other byproducts of fermentation, so much so I barely got my feet into their rigid form this morning.
After laundry, it was already 5pm. I headed towards dinner at the brewery, and I mulled over a dinner of tacos, pretzel, and smoked meat platter. Most of it was eaten on the spot. I loitered, charged my phone, and prepped for an exit.
Into the dark, I walked my way to a camp only a mile or two out of town. This short day of chores shows promise for my healing heel blisters and sensitive ankle.
On to Roosevelt Lake.
Signing off,
Zeppelin
“Freak on a Leash”
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