Kearny to the Oracle. Halloween, Heat and Patience.

Statistics:

Miles: 532.5- 589.8

Days: 28- 30

Halloween traditions.

What we do in Lithuania.

I had only seen Halloween in movies before. In Lithuania we celebrate All Hallows (All Saints’ Day) on November 1. We visit the graves of our loved ones and light candles to show respect and warmth, and at night, if you are on a hill, the cemeteries look like distant cities full of light. It’s one of my favorite days.

Spooky night in Kearny!

Since I’m in the US, I really wanted to see what Halloween was all about, so we decided to stay an extra day in Kearny with Trail Angels Jeff and Que (thanks for having us!).

As soon as the sun set, the elaborately decorated front yards lit up and boy, are some people really interested in decorating here! From inflatable pumpkins to giant human-sized skeletons, gravediggers, witches and zombies. Light shows on the walls of houses, talking projections and moving decorations.

We brought chairs out to the front patio, along with a big plate of candy for the kids and a cooler with some candy for the adults, and sat there talking while groups of trick-or-treaters appeared, from toddlers who could barely walk to teenagers who clearly put a lot of thought into their costumes. Princesses, witches, death, police officers and characters from animated movies that I didn’t know existed, which made me feel very old.

Once the candy bowl was empty, Kez and I went for a walk around the neighborhood, marveling at every corner.

What a fun night! I think I ate more sweets than in my 35 years of life combined.

Kearny Section to Oracle

There are these incredible pockets of temperature in the desert. Uphill can be very hot, then you go downhill and suddenly the temperature drops a couple of degrees, and it’s not even a big drop. We set up our store in one of those places. At night, when you are hot and sweaty, everything seems fine, but you always regret it in the morning when you have to get out of your warm sleeping bag and pick up your tent, wet from condensation.

We are going uphill and it is pleasantly warm.

«Look, there are four deer there,» Kez says.

«If anyone asks, we haven’t seen any,» I say, knowing there are hunters all over this area.

Flats and plains and patience.

I look up to the sky. An airplane traces an orange trail across the sunrise. It’s hard not to imagine myself in one of them. Normally, one wouldn’t associate air travel with comfort: lines, check-ins, cabins with compressed air that dry out the skin. But here, in the desert, it seems like the most luxurious thing in the world. Anyway, my skin is already tanned and dry as a prune; I didn’t even wash my face yesterday, trying to conserve water, because my filter is getting clogged and it took me half an hour to filter 2.5 liters. I’d rather drink it than waste it on my face, since the next water source isn’t until tomorrow.

Despite its appearance, this water filtered nice and clear.

On a plane you have padded seats, an almost perfect temperature, and they bring you snacks while you watch a movie! You don’t even need to stand up. And if you need a toilet in the middle of the night, you’ll find a flushing one just steps away. You don’t have to crawl out of your sleeping bag into the cold darkness and dig a cat hole in the hard desert floor while watching the gleam in the eyes of something that might want to eat you.

The border seems tantalizingly close, and yet it is still miles away. It’s testing my patience, because I wish I was there now. The flat terrain doesn’t help: it’s about 90°F (~30°C) and there’s little shade. You travel miles quickly, hoping to get there first (even though you know you won’t) and you feel your knees slowly baking in the sun.

It’s the mornings and afternoons when I stop thinking about the heat and start noticing the beauty: the bunnies, the lizards, the cholla cactus forests shining in the light. I know I’ll miss the trail when it’s over; Yet somehow the only thing I can think about all day is cold sparkling water with a hint of orange and the sound of ice cubes in a glass.

Oracle

We arrived in Oracle half a day earlier than planned, after walking 28 and 23 miles the previous two days, visited the local coffee shop (a must!), and settled in for the night in Ann’s super comfortable trailer.

Here’s a dog, Scooby-Doo, the Great Dane with a strong preference for women. Poor Kez is stuck doing laundry while this giant black dog prowls nearby, growling suspiciously but silently.

Tomorrow we begin to walk the last big stretch: to the town of Patagonia without stopping at zeros or neros. It should take us a little less than a week. And we’re almost there.

Things I learned along the way.

I decided to add this part to the end of my blog posts because I like to learn about the places I walk. I’m not a local, so if you notice I misunderstood or missed something, feel free to point it out in the comments.

1. Wildflowers

2. cacti

3. Both Kearny and Oracle were heavily dependent on the mining industry. Each city once housed many more people, but when the mines were relocated or closed, thousands moved away, leaving the cities to adapt economically to whatever the future held.

4. I finally found out what smells so good on the trail! It’s Wright’s Beebrush. It smells like something sweet and herbaceous, like honeysuckle mixed with mint. At least for me.

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