Rain fell from the cloudless sky as I lay awake, gazing at the twinkling stars. There had been no rain predicted, not the slightest chance of showers, and yet, within a half hour the stars were hidden behind a thick canopy of dark clouds. I fell asleep thinking it would be a passing shower. But […]
Category: Hiking Journal
Stealth Camping Sabino Canyon
Gratitude washed over me as the sun reclaimed the Santa Catalina Mountains. The persistent chill and dampness had worn on me, prompting daydreams of warmer, heavier gear. On a cold and breezy morning descent from Mt. Lemmon, my focus wasn’t on miles but on descending to Hutch’s Pool. I yearned to warm up, spread out […]
Summerhaven, Arizona
Embarking on the cold, wet, and foggy ascent along Oracle Ridge, too late in the night, I nestle into tall grass, once again seeking refuge under a perpetually damp poncho. High above the arid landscape, the town of Summerhaven faces a water shortage, a challenge underscored by the lack of monsoon rains in the larger […]
Oracle, Arizona
Resting under Oracle’s skies for three nights, beneath my poncho, amidst rain, thunder, and lightning. Javelinas stirring in the night, my mind racing, fueled by Dollar Store energy shots on the hike towards new shoes. My body urged me to seek solace in the trail. To keep moving in a dance of exercise-induced neurogenesis, while […]
Awaiting Resupply
Writing on the fly, Thumbs dancing on the phone, Battery dwindling fast, A guerrilla in the hills, Poncho-shielded, awaiting resupply. #goingnowhere
The End of my Shoes
Hiked the soles off my shoes and I didn’t realize it until after walking the white line out of Kearney. Choosing the road walk through two towns I’d never seen rather than the section of the Arizona Trail I’d already hiked. Through Winkleman and Mammoth, where my hope had been to hike Aravaipa Canyon while […]
Superior, Arizona
Under the scorching Arizona sun, I trudged into Superior for a half gallon of milk, a DIY haircut, and both a shower and laundry at the house of legendary trail angel MJ, the Purple Angel. When it came time to leave, I was less than excited to get back on the trail. The heat had […]
Hitchhiking to Roosevelt Lake
I woke up in the middle of nowhere and decided to hitchhike. Down the road to Roosevelt Lake where I could finish the leftover pizza still heavy in my pack. Cell service had been faint at best and quickly died off, contributing to the overall sense of quiet. From Roosevelt Lake I hiked up and […]
Tonto Basin, Arizona
A quick story of gluttony. I knew there was a town over the mountain that had pizza, so I ran there as fast as I could. Only I couldn’t resist the siren call of tacos at the town’s edge, plus three big gulp Cokes to get me down the road and out of the heat […]
Superstition Mountains, Arizona
I’ve been pretty dehydrated for the last few days. The farther I walk south the hotter the days and nights become. I don’t want to eat because of the heat and a liter of water isn’t getting me as far as it used to. I ran out of water with nine more miles to go […]