Side Trails & Old Trails

When I woke up the next morning, I literally did not want to move. I dragged myself out of my sleeping bag and on stiff legs hobbled to the campsite bathrooms.

You know – a toilet is a very nice thing to have when it’s not something you have readily accessible to you everyday. Just sayin’

On my short jaunt back to my tent I saw Larry the caretaker was up and having coffee. So I stopped to say hi. He got me a cuppa and I admired the dozens of hummingbirds flitting around his feeders.

Finishing my coffee I wished him a good day and went back to my tent. I took a couple pics of what I have in my hipbelt pocket while packing up, and a tan progression pic as well.

headlamp, sunscreen, chapstick, Starfish stamper, wallet, & Samsung tag

tan progression!

I was thinking about the big uphill I had in front of me – and how my right knee was screaming at me. Last time I hiked this trail I road walked up to Mt. Lemmon/Summerhaven. And the views were unfathomable.

roadwalkin’ to Lemmon

I decided rather than hike the 20 miles and 6k elevation on trail I would road walk 16 miles again. Listening to your body especially at the beginning of a loooong hike is imperative for you to make it to the end. Considering I have 2,800 miles left on this walkabout, I know I made the right choice.

When I was near Summerhaven which is the cute little town at the top of the mountain I saw a side trail off the road that led back to the AZT and I hopped on it.

The Marshall Gulch Trail was beautiful and I’m so glad I got to experience it!

The first thing I did when I rolled into town was pop into the General Store. I knew I had some letters waiting for me (yay mail!!!) and I had an serious craving for a cream soda. When the clerk handed me a STACK of letters secured with a rubber band I CRIED.

lil letters of love

My bestie had the students she teaches all write me a letter. I had 10 letters of love and hope filled with sunbeams and drawings to fill my half empty cup.

I had been asking for a sign that morning to show me I was where I was supposed to be, and that was just the start. It was followed by a beautiful conversation I had with a sweet soul named Angela on the Beyond Bread patio as I was eating quiche and a fresh salad. Followed by another cozy encounter with a trio of lovely humans as I was eating a giant cookie from the Cookie Cabin.

My. Heart. Overflowed. I am precisely where I should be.

It was starting to get dark and I had heard rumors you could sleep IN the post office in town. So after a quick resupply at the General Store for the next few days, I headed over.

It wasn’t long before an adorable brown recluse popped out of the woodwork runningboards to introduce himself and I quickly gathered my things and changed venues to the bathrooms at the community center across the street.
I gotta say. The bathrooms were much cleaner than the post office. I got cozy in the handicapped stall, put my buff over my eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning I woke up, brushed my teeth at a sink like a civilized human, washed my hands and face, and packed up.

This year the AZT has for some reason rerouted the trail a bit to the west out of town, but you can still take the old route. Which I did.

It was a really beautiful, and quiet hiking day. Lots of rollercoaster, up-and-down action, but most importantly it wasn’t triple digits. AND I passed this milestone: 

mile 200 bby!

I was toying with the idea of rolling in and out of Oracle, AZ that afternoon when I got to the highway crossing for a quick shower at a trail angel’s, but alas it was not to be. I did however roll thru the High Jinks Ranch on my way there and it was so cool! It’s Buffalo Bill’s as in the Wild West Showman Buffalo Bill’s homestead! Even cooler – the ranch leaves the faucet on for us hikers to get water. A lil tip of my hat to the ghost of Buffalo Bill for some of his water rights.

Buffalo Bill’s High Jinks Ranch

Buffalo Bill’s water rights

I got to the underpass crossing & water cache just at sunset. Where I discovered a tent and met a fellow thru-hiker: Bubblehead.

I set up camp, had a giant bean and cheese burrito for my dinner and fell asleep to the sound of occasional traffic driving overhead.

Never stop exploring. Embrace the suck. I. Believe. In. YOU. kk ily <3

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