Day 21: 4.7
My shoes started falling apart drastically over the last two days through the Superstition Mountains. A giant hole formed on the left side of my left shoe and a smaller hole formed on the right side of that shoe. I can also see a hole starting in my right shoe. I kept watching the holes get bigger and bigger and wondering when my foot would come out. The worst thing is that the tread seems to have completely worn away, as if someone ran sandpaper across the sole of my shoe. I keep slipping and falling on the road. I have shoes waiting for me in Pine, which is 110 miles away via the most rugged section of this trail. The only thing I can think about is if my shoes will make it that far.
There are no easy exits from this section of trail after crossing Highway 87, which is about 40 miles away. I decide to buy some shoes on Amazon and ship them to the Amazon parcel lockers in Payson. If my shoes get really bad when I get to the highway, I can do a 32-mile hitch into town. And if they don’t, Amazon will simply take the package back in 3 days with a full refund.
Last night I repacked my resupply box into my backpack and was immediately struck by fear that my backpack was too heavy and too big for me. Trail angel Scott picked up my resupply box and joked, “Did you send yourself some rocks?” I’m sure it was a dad joke he’s used on many hikers, but I have a lot of worry and embarrassment about how big my backpack looks or how heavy it is. The weight of these worries and shame often feels heavier than my own backpack. This will be a five day resupply and my fear is that I will be too hungry. I know I pack my fears. I also know that I am working to intentionally unpack these feelings that I have tied to my pack.
So yeah, on day 21 my anxiety manifests as fear of passing the next section because my shoes are falling apart and my backpack is too much.
Scott drops me off at the marina at 7am. I put my backpack on my back and start walking. The first 3 miles are relatively flat and with each step my fears slowly leave me. My backpack is not too much for me. I am strong, capable and confident. I can carry all the food I need for this stretch without problems. Shoes, on the other hand, continue to worry me.
Up and up and up: 6000′ into the Four Peaks Wilderness. I LOVE FOUR PEAKS! I used to watch them from Phoenix in the early aughts and dreamed of climbing them one day. They are too technical to climb, but getting so close to them along the AZT is quite rewarding. I continue to get closer and closer and my love and enthusiasm for this adventurous life continues to grow. Back in Phoenix in 2007, I never thought about backpacking alone… I just looked at the mountains in awe. And now I feel comfortable traveling with just the backpack and I still look at them in amazement.
There is a water tank about 1/3 of the way up. I stop to drink a liter and am surprised to find cold soft drinks in a cooler. Thanks Scott and Gila mom! I also have a surprise job interview for a contract closer to Portland. I had been texting the hiring manager on the way up and told him he could talk on the phone once he got to the cache. He offered me the job! Court!
Now I had to make a decision: carry enough water for 12 miles and a dry camp OR carry enough water for 12 miles and camp next to the next water source. I chose the latter and it was going to be a very difficult day getting there. I was moving very slowly up the mountain. I finally arrived at camp at 6:45 pm. It was the same camp I was at in 2024 where I endured a snow storm! It was such a scary night and I’m so happy I was able to sleep here again and make up for it with a more positive experience. Ten minutes after arriving, Bare Paw suddenly appears! I hadn’t seen him in 2 days since I left Superior before him. We had a great time catching up and eating dinner late into the night.
Day 22: 4.8
I wake up with the decision to go to Payson and get my shoes. I had heard stories of two hikers who sprained their ankles so badly on the last stretch that they had to end their hike. With how much I’ve slipped and fallen, I don’t need an accident to happen. The next section is hilly and isolated and if I get hurt it could have serious consequences. However, once I get cell service, I discover that my shoes will not be delivered today as promised. They are delayed until Friday. I spend the next 18 miles agonizing over what to do next.
About 5 miles into the day, I come across an incredible magical trail. Handstand had sprained her ankle and now she and Tripod drive a truck and make magic on the trails while helping their hiker friends Jolly, Sonic and Milkman. I stop and sit on the floor and am immediately handed a fresh plate of blueberry pancakes made with fresh blueberries. I couldn’t believe what I saw. They were delicious and washed down with some freshly brewed coffee made with real ground coffee!
It was an 11 mile hike on gravel road and then most of it was downhill. I kept slipping frequently and fell once.
I also had two terrible water sources today. The first smelled and tasted like sulfur; Even after adding a flavor packet, it still tasted like sulfur. The next one looked good but made my tongue and lips numb. I didn’t want to keep drinking it, but I didn’t have any other water. I took very small sips and when I got to the next fountain I threw it away and drank fresh water. I have no idea what was in that disgusting water, but I was really scared that my mouth was numb.
When I was 1.5 miles from the highway, I decided to text a tracker angel I was staying with in 2024. She lives near the highway to Payson, but it’s a little hard to get to her house. He said it was 30 minutes from the trail heading back north from Phoenix. It couldn’t have been a more perfect time and at that moment I decided to go to Payson and wait until Friday to get my shoes. Clearly my current shoes are not working well and my safety is at risk. I also developed shin pain that woke me up in the middle of the night and continued with today’s walk. Maybe a zero is exactly what I need.
I said goodbye to Bare Paw and was sad not to see him again on this trip. It’s been fun walking around him and camping with him. It was so fun to see this family again after 2 years. They have three children and many animals on their property. We had burritos for dinner and I got to ride his ATV to take the dogs for a run.
I’m so glad I went out of my way a bit to take care of my needs. I’ve been so focused on putting in the miles and completing the course in six weeks that I wasn’t really listening to the fact that my body needed some rest in addition to new shoes!
Day 23: 4.9
I catch a ride with Lacey to Payson, where she works. He drops me off at my favorite cafe in town and I drink locally roasted coffee for a couple of hours. Then I start walking 0.7 miles to Walmart to buy some vegetables and a woman stops and asks if I want a ride. I wasn’t even trying to hitchhike. He climbed the PCT and likes to contribute to the community when he can. I find a park with a picnic table to eat my salad and strawberries.
It’s only 12:30, but I’m wondering if I can check into a hotel room and ditch my backpack. I walk to the Payson Inn, get a discounted rate on a room, and they let me check in right away. There was also a kitten in the office that I could pet. Today is going very well!
After dropping off my backpack, I decide to walk to the public library which is 1.5 miles away (I’m glad I didn’t have to carry my backpack so far). I have a lot of tasks to do on the Internet and a real computer will make it much easier. I update this blog and I can write much faster than on my phone. I also do all the onboarding tasks for the two jobs I have now. I feel like I need to keep them both for a while in case something happens to either of them. Nothing is ever guaranteed in the travel nurse industry. I feel guilty for doing this, but I keep reminding myself that hospitals can cancel your contract at any time without reason and without notice. If they can do that to me, then I should be able to cancel a contract too. I would at least give a few weeks’ notice.
Then I head to my favorite restaurant and get a delicious veggie burger and fries. When I ask the waitress about dessert, she looks at me a little sideways. I whisper to her if I should go somewhere else and she nods and recommends a local ice cream shop that makes homemade ice cream from a local dairy farm. Yo 
He had a giant bowl of delicious ice cream there and appreciated his honesty.
I think it was a well-deserved zero almost exactly halfway through the course. I feel refreshed and ready to get back on the trail tomorrow, after getting my new shoes!
Creatures I’ve seen in the last 2 days and 40.8 miles
11 people, 1 rattlesnake, 1 snake, 1 squirrel and 22 lizards. There is a new cactus that looks like another species of hedgehog but it had RED flowers. 
Water sources I drank from
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