Average 20 miles in 90 degree heat

After the first four days were tough, we knew the job wasn’t done. It was nice to be able to sleep in a warm bed in Lordsburg, but it was sad that after doing 24 miles, we had to do 23 more the next day. Again, we did this to ourselves. The plan to reach Trail Days on foot, in 8 days, was aggressive. The day outside Lordsburg was not easy. A three-mile road hike, then hiking across a flat, sandy basin in heat that hit at 9:00am, then climbing higher than we had been so far, took its toll. On top of that, we didn’t know if we could get water at 15 miles or 23, so we had a lot of water weight on our backs. Luckily we finally got to the water at 3pm, and it was full and running. Thanks to all the ranchers who let us use their water. Another milestone was also reached: 100 miles. I made a sign out of sticks like I always did on the PCT. From there, we really gained altitude. Nothing crazy, but a lot compared to the last few days. We finally reached our campsite at 23 miles, where there was an empty water tank. Fortunately, we saw that there were few FarOut comments, so we pulled more from the channel. Many behind us didn’t and ended up camping with a liter or less. I limped into camp and felt like I couldn’t walk anymore. This is where Hornet and I learned we had blisters coming out from under our toenails.

Did I mention we saw trees?

Just a few miles before camp on day 5, we reached the miles where the trees begin! The hike on day 6 was great. Although we achieved our highest elevation, I didn’t care. I saw ponderosa pine, alligator juniper, and lookouts. The climb was tough but it reminded me of a normal day on the PCT. The elevation at our highest point that day was 8,000 feet at Burro Peak. Even better, just five miles away was Burro Mountain Homestead. The farm was amazing! It has 50 permanent residents who host potlucks, game nights and many other community events and support. They are true angels of the trails for hikers. They offered us free showers, WiFi, tents, and an activity center with games, a kitchenette, and most importantly, chairs and tables to sit on. You can also buy snacks at the camp store. There were about 20 hikers there that day! That stay was the icing on the cake of my first day with a reasonable number of kilometers.

Sunrise from BMH

Unfortunately, there are no lemur raccoons

I was happy enough to walk through the trees while still enjoying those beautiful desert sunrises and sunsets. One thing I really wanted to see was the Coati. An animal I didn’t know existed in the US until a few weeks ago; However, I will keep my eyes peeled for weeks at the slightest chance of seeing him. On day 6, we had a long water run, the longest yet, from Burro Mountain Homestead to the Saddle Rock riparian area. Walking through this area was almost otherworldly. It was a deep canyon with desert flora everywhere, rocks on both sides, and a large random concrete watering hole in a tree-filled oasis cove.

Saddle Rock Waterfront Area

Finally, day 8 was pretty easy. We camped 2 miles from the 13 mile road. When I woke up, it was 35F outside, so I started the day bloated. Leaving the store wasn’t terrible because I knew we would be arriving in town later that day. We also knew that if we walked at 3 mph (basically the maximum speed for hiking), we would get to the city in just 5 hours! I saw a bat as I walked towards the path, which was cool. I enjoyed the first half of the ride. It was still cold and I enjoyed traveling for miles on the road. A mile or two up the road we were startled by a wild Zamboni that came out of a culvert. He slept there to be closer to the town on the way. A bold approach that seems to work for him, as he loves camping with jeans. With about 6 miles left on the road, Hornet and I began to run out of patience and energy. Our feet hurt a lot, my hips burned, and the speeding cars became more numerous. I still enjoy making big trucks honk with the classic magic fist pumping arm signal I learned as a kid. Asking some trucks to honk at us made me happy.
Finally, with half a mile to spare, Hornet and I could barely make it another step as we sat on a stoop for a quick stop. We noticed the Cuban empanada place opened in a minute, so we limped over there and devoured a few before walking to the hippie coffee shop in town. We were hit in the face with culture shock. Even though the place is full of hikers and hippies, going from the trail to the city is always overwhelming for the senses.

zamboni sewer

After relaxing at the cafe for about an hour, we got $6.75 burritos from the Mi México Viejo food truck that were very good. We then checked into our Bnb where we didn’t leave for hours when it was time for dinner. We walked to the local pizzeria where a grandpa was pitching pocket weed to the locals. We brought the pizza and some garlic knots to our house and devoured them watching the survivor. Day 8 was an amazing day!

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