I woke up to yet again more snow this morning! I can’t believe it’s snowed on me the first two nights of this hike. I was expecting to encounter snow a maximum of two times and I’ve already hit it. I was camped at 5,300 feet, yesterday the snow didn’t reach this low. My tree shelter wasn’t successful but it was okay because my tarp was still pitched well. It just collapsed slightly under the weight of all the snow. I still stayed warm. My 10° sleeping bag is my favorite piece of gear ever and the more it saves me the more I love it. I’ve woken up with actual ice on top of my sleeping bag on the Continental Divide and still stayed cozy enough.
It was 5:30 am when I started packing up my things and hit the trail by just before 6am. Finally my true Early Bird Start. Despite all the snow I found it to be a pleasant morning and I was so happy to be up as the sun rose in the very cloudy sky. The scenery was beautiful and the trail itself surprisingly didn’t hold snow. The miles went by a lot faster today and I was so happy to be on trail. I passed a few people in their tents this morning and met two hikers named Ralph and Heart Attack who were already up packing as I walked by. This section of the Canelo Hills was a lot more farm like than the last. There were lots sof cow patties, a few cows, many gates, and some water sources for the cows that hikers are also able to use. These are in the form of slimy metal tanks or muddy earthen tanks somewhat like a very big mud puddle. Luckily I was all set on water today and still didn’t need to filter anything.
The sky was still stormy as I approached town and listened to my third episode of backpacker radio. I haven’t listened to the podcast since my last thru hike. It’s one of my favorite things to listen to as I walk on long distance trails. I like hearing the stories of people who have done different trails than I have and then I day dream about doing them someday. I was able to dry out my tarp by hanging it on a tree while I took a snack break. I arrived at the highway 82 at noon. This was the first time I saw a paved road on the whole hike so far! The Arizona Trail is pretty remote from my understanding. There haven’t been too many sections of trails that I’ve hiked without paved road crossings about every 25 miles or less. I stood on the side of the road with my thumb out for five minutes before a nice lady picked me up. We chatted the whole way to town. She is a retired teacher from Patagonia and her husband used to head the nature conservancy here. Apparently this town is a large bird sanctuary and there is a separate humming bird conservancy! I wish they were open and I had the time and energy to visit them while in town. She dropped me off at Tera Sol a hiker/biker campground 0.5 miles outside of town.
Mary checked me into the campground and gave me the lay of the land. I decided I wanted to take it easy today and spend the night. I got to work on my town chores right away. Laundry, shower, everything on the charger, sort through my food bag and the hiker box to determine food needs for the next section, give my family a call, write post cards, update my blog. All of these things can keep me busy for hours while in town. Around 4pm I finally treated myself to my first town meal at the only place open besides the taco truck. I took a campground bike to Wagon Wheel Saloon that claims to be the oldest cowboy bar in town. The vibe fit the claim, it reminded me of many of the rural western bars I’ve visited on the Continental Divide trail. I loved it. I got a Ruben sandwich with fries and an IPA from a Tucson brewery. I ate all the food on my plate so fast but got very full right before finishing. The true hiker hunger hasn’t hit yet. I chatted with a few locals before I got back on my bike to head to the store to grab some electrolytes and a protein drink for the night.
Back at Tera Sol I got my campsite set up and spent even more time working on my blog. I caught up on the weather and trail updates ahead. It looks like the snow situation ahead isn’t great at all and many people are delaying their summits of Mount Lemon. I am taking this as an opportunity to slow my hike a bit more than I had anticipated but it’s probably smart to do anyways.
Happy Trails!
-Early Bird
Des Hikes Thru 