Miles Hiked: 28.4
AZT Progress: 374.1
This morning I had a very relaxing morning at Becky’s house getting ready to hit the trail. She made me and the other hiker she was dropping off a breakfast of egg sandwiches with coffee. I enjoyed mine with Becky, Scott, and Rosie sitting on the back porch overlooking Becky’s incredible garden. We left the house at 7:30 am. First we dropped off the other hiker named ” Happy Ending” at Mills Ridge trailhead. It felt like a very long drive up a windy dirt road very high into the mountains. Becky checked her water cache, removed the trash from the treats she left, and I strategically hid my food bag behind some bushes. I wanted to make my hike a little easier today. I would be passing by Mills Ridge Trailhead in about 9 miles and 3,000 feet of climbing. I had four days of food in my bag to get me to Pine AZ over 100 miles away so it was really heavy.
Becky dropped me off at the Vineyard Trailhead at 8:30. The drive back down the mountain went by so fast. I learned so much from Becky about the specific part of Arizona I was staying in. She is a volunteer for the Tonto national forest and she was giving a tour of some cave dwellings today after she dropped me off. She also has an extensive knowledge about Arizona native plants even though her and Scott have only lived in Tonto basin for four years. She told me that the Saguaros I saw near Roosevelt were the last that I would see heading north and that they mark the northern edge of the Sonoran desert which I am leaving behind. Climbing out of the trailhead the trail went very steep up a hillside covered in Palo Verde plants and cactus. There was no shade at all. I made it to Mills Ridge in three hours, took a short break and weighed my pack down with my food bag again. It didn’t feel as bad as I was expecting maybe because I already got so much of the climb out of the way. Shortly after Mills ridge I entered four peaks wilderness area and the trail continued to climb steeply. Luckily there were lots of water sources everywhere and I took many breaks including one with another hiker named “Baguette”. I hiked alone the whole day except for chatting with Baguette at two different break spots.
A podcast made the time go by as the trail hugged the side of the mountain and I could see the jagged four peaks above me. The trail was particularly overgrown today and my legs got very scratched up. As the sun was setting I joined a dirt road for the last almost ten miles of the day. The road followed the ridge of the mountains and I had an awesome view of sunset. My pace quickened as darkness fell and once again I saw what I believe was another mountain cat. I could see it’s eyes and the outline of its head. Of course. I yelled and made noise all the way to camp. It was getting cold and I could see my breath in the air. With only a mile to go and laser focused on my quick pace and footing on the slippery dirt road, I fell and twisted my left knee very hard. I heard some disgusting yet familiar sounds of the ligaments twisting and it was immediately swollen. I’ve torn the ACL and meniscus on this knee twice now and it’s been pretty unstable on this hike as I don’t have an ACL currently opting to go without a repair. This fall really scared me with the way it sounded and swelled up immediately. I just kept moving because I knew it was the best and my only option. I was happy to see two other tents set up at little pine flat where I planned on camping especially after seeing another cat. I set up camp quickly as it was absolutely freezing outside. I wiggled my knee around in my sleeping bag over night worried I would wake up very stiff.
Happy Trails!
-Early Bird
Des Hikes Thru 