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Howdy! Last time you heard from me I was sick as a dog, and I’m here to tell you: Yardsale is back in the game! So, let’s get into the last 112 miles of fun.
Gila Mama’s desert oasis
First of all, if you haven’t read my last blog post, go do that now. For some backstory, I got norovirus real bad at Roosevelt Lake Marina, and was up all night making trips to and from the porta potty. Failed to mention in my last post, at one point I tried to sleep in the toilet, and woke up to my head banging the wall. Long story short, it was a long night with minimal sleep. As the sun rose, I had a really bad fever, and ended up in my puffy and sleeping bag in the 90° heat.
Me dying at RLM
Peg Leg reached out to a local trail angel in Tonto Basin, and soon enough I was in a mini van on the way to Rosie’s place. After my unpleasant experience in Superior, I was unsure about staying with trail angels, but after arriving and talking briefly with Scott and Becky (Gila Mama), I knew I was in good hands. Scott took us to a private studio, (the infirmary) tucked away in the 6 acres of beautiful garden that they call home. Later in the day, Bryson showed up, having also gotten sick at RLM. I spent the next four days recovering, eating bananas, saltines, and applesauce, until my stomach could handle normal food. I felt myself feel stronger every day, but I knew I had to get back on trail in order to recover fully. Peg Leg and I departed Rosie’s place, eager to get back on trail and make up lost time. Bryson decided to throw in the towel, as he was bored of the mundane aspects of thru hiking (totally fair) and the next day he hitchhiked to Sedona. We played taps, just as they do when a runner quits the Barkley Marathon, and gave hugs goodbye. I’m gonna miss you.
Getting our edge back
Gila Mama dropped us off at Roosevelt Lake, and before the dust on the road had settled, Peg Leg was throwing up.
Ah shit, here we go again.
She decided she wanted to tough it out on trail, and we hiked into the sunset, excited to be back on trail, and rejuvenated by the scenery.
The following day we hiked over a marathon. The heat wave we experienced during my noro spell had passed, and blessed with daytime highs in the 60s, the miles seemed to come easy to me. I had a friendly run in with a gang of coatimundi, and they fascinated me. I was experiencing so much gratitude to be outdoors again, doing what I love, and feeling better day by day. Often times thru hikers get jaded to views, always focusing on what’s next, rather than soaking in the present. I was enjoying the little things again, deciding to give them the time. I noticed butterflies and bees landing on cactus and wildflowers around me. The birds chirping every morning and evening. The silence of the night, the stillness of the desert. It felt good to be back.
The worlds greatest hitch
Let me set the scene: Two hikers, desperate for McDonald’s breakfast. A hitch, unlikely but possible, 20some miles into town. McDonald’s, right across from a dispensary. Will they find a way?
Peg Leg and I decided to attempt to hitch into Payson in time for McDonald’s breakfast. I know what you’re thinking, weren’t we just in town? We were, however, since my stomach was all fucked up I couldn’t enjoy the town food. And hell, I think I earned some McDonald’s after battling off that disgusting virus. We arrived at highway 87, hopeful for a hitch. Luckily for us, an 18 wheeler quickly noticed two dirty hikers (us) on the side of the road and decided to pull over. Alas, we were going to McDonald’s! He introduced himself to us. Michael, from Montana, who was transporting 67,000lbs of rebar. He told us he wasn’t supposed to pick up people, but that we looked harmless. We spent the next 45 minutes driving a cool 30mph on the freeway, due to Michael’s heavy load, chatting about our life on the trail, his life on the road, and everything in between.
Once we arrived at McDonald’s, he dropped us off and we wished each other luck on our travels, before Peg Leg and I giddily ran into the McDonald’s, hoping to order breakfast before they stopped serving it.
We spent the morning running errands, and packed out burritos as we headed back to trail, catching a ride with a trail angel after sticking our thumbs out for only 3 minutes.
Once we arrived back at the road where we had hitched into town from, it was too hot to hike. We had miscalculated when to head into town, and because of this, returned to trail in the heat of the day. With it being too hot to get miles, we spent the afternoon lounging by a creek, listening to the birds and enjoying our burritos. Peg Leg squirmed as fish ate the dead skin off of her feet. 
We finished the day, having hiked less than 20 miles, but content and happy with our decision to enjoy some town food. 
Moving and Grooving
With Pine in our sights, and the weather on our side, we hauled ass, trying to see how far our little legs could take us. I made it 30 miles, ending the day hiking in the dark, not for necessity but rather because I didn’t want to stop moving. With a dying phone, dead battery bank, and nearly dead Garmin I used the rest of my headlamp battery and slept near the trail, passing out under the stars with a breakfast special in Pine calling my name. It felt so good to move my body, and be back pushing myself to my limits.
Breakfast Special!
With my phone on 5% and no way to charge it, I had set an alarm for 5:15, as a wake up call to get moving! The diner in Pine runs a breakfast special, but it ends at 9am. 10 miles away from Pine, I was worried I wouldn’t make it in time. I quickly found myself running down the trail, with an empty food bag and nearly empty stomach. My legs ached, my stomach gurgled. All I could think of was food. Eggs, pancakes, hash browns, and bottomless coffee awaited me just 10 miles down the trail. I skipped water sources, held in the urge to stop to use the bathroom. These things seemed like precious time spent poorly. I made it in time, arriving at the diner in just 2 hours and 35 minutes. I jumped with joy at the sight of the cafe, and slid into a booth, sweat dripping from my face. I had moved at nearly 4mph, which was a big jump from my usual 2.5-3mph pace. I was proud of myself. This was such a turn around from being hardly able to bike 2 miles just a week prior.
Peg Leg arrived 45 minutes later, also making the cutoff for the world’s greatest breakfast special. She ate, as I charged my devices up and chatted with my mom. After, we headed to the post office where I picked up my new shoes, the warmer layers, and my stove that I had bumped up trail to myself. I swapped out my shoes, now on my 3rd pair of this hike. I resealed the box, deciding to send my layers and stove home for good. From here on out, I would be stove-less and thermal-less. 
This trail eats shoes
This seems to have become a common topic of discussion for me, so let’s make it brief. After nearly 300 miles, my Topo Mtn Racer 3s are nearly blown out. One of the shoes has stripped the lace holes 4x on one side, so I spent the last few days walking with them only half tied. This is a really strange place for the shoes to fall apart, and I tend to tie my shoes tight but it doesn’t help when the fabric around the lace holes seem to be made of tissue paper. These shoes haven’t lasted to my standard, but still lasted 3x as long as the Altra Olympus 5’s I started the trail with. I guess you guys can be the judges, here are some pics of the shoes:
We resupplied at the expensive Ponderosa Market, spending $85 on 3.5 days of food.
(Subtle foreshadowing) I was planning on doing a 4.5 day food carry into flagstaff, but with my EBT for the month nearly out, along with my funds for my hike, I found myself sacrificing in the one spot a hiker should never sacrifice. Food.
Winter Wonderland?
Word on the street was that a big storm was coming in the evening, bringing rain to Pine and snow to the rim. Having hiked this trail without a shelter, I was a little skeptical of how my Tyvek burrito would work in the snow. When a local at the Pine museum directed us to Cia, a trail angel in the town, we decided to give her a call. A couple hours later, we were in a warm cabin, charging our devices and taking a much needed shower. We spent the evening talking to Cia about her life in the military, politics, adventures, and gear. She is an avid backpacker and hiker, having herself hiked the Arizona Trail years ago. Talking about the state of the country and politics, it was very refreshing for me to meet a local who shared ideals and views, and we bonded over common ideas.
That night, the rain turned to snow, and we awoke to a fresh dusting on the ground, and signs of heavy snowfall up on the rim! Cia offered to let us stay with her for another day, but we knew it was time to keep moving, and we were excited to see what the trail would look like in this unexpected winter weather. With worries of not having enough food, and cold nights ahead, I left Pine eager, but nervous, for what lay ahead.
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-Yardsale
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