October 25th, 2024
Mile Marker: 2867.1
Miles Hiked: 20
We started off the day by sleeping in until almost 8 AM. Sometimes when taking a zero I feel like it makes me more tired the next day. It’s as if when stopping, suddenly my body floods with exhaustion, needing rest. It works so much better when I just keep moving for thru hiking.
Around 9 we met with Akela and Karma for our last breakfast and time together. Akela and Karma were going to hitch a different way to get to Lordesburg faster and finish on the 28th.
It was a joyous breakfast, reminiscing on the beginning of trail and telling different stories about enduring the snow in Glacier and how this felt so long ago.
We all talked about how it will be hard to get together like this in the future but I’m hopeful we can make it happen. I know Journey, Aster, Whatever, and I would love to make a trip to Belgium to visit Akela and Karma. It’ll happen I’m sure.
We went back to our hotel, gave hugs and best wishes to Akela and Karma then headed out.
As us three were walking down the road to hitch out, a man in a camper van rolled down his window and hollered to us, asking if we needed a ride.
I shouted back “Yes!” And he pointed down the street as he turned into a parking lot.
I asked how he knew we needed a ride and he said, “It’s October” as if he is used to us hikers needing a ride around this time as Sobos come through.
We hopped in the back and he offered us sodas and Gatorade. He was from Alaska and moved to the area a year ago or so. He said it’s nice weather and cheap to live but that the job market was so-so.
We got out on a gravel road and he brought his elderly dog out of the van and let her roam around as he wished us well and waved us goodbye. He then shouted “You’re almost there!” which made us all smile, that we were.
We continued down the gravel road and started our day.
It was hot when we got out of the van and it was going to be a hot day, in the 80s. I didn’t want to complain though because I will take this any day over the cold.
We cruised for 5 ish miles to our first and only water source of the day, a cow trough, as per usual.
The water was cold and had a ton of floaties but it seemed to be okay, maybe a little taste of “cow tang” as Mr. Robot taught us in Montana.
We hiked through sand and had tougher terrain than we expected but I think we were all just tired from a zero and the sun, moving slower than 3 miles per hour.
We also had to fill up on water for the rest of day and night. I took almost 5 liters and my traps would holler at me every 3 miles or so making me take more shorter breaks than usual.
We found ourselves actually on trail today which was surprising but enjoyable. It seemed as if we had been on roads a lot more recently.
I finished the Comfort Crisis book and then listened to a few podcasts. The miles seemed to slowly go by.
Around 6:30 we realized we would be hiking into the night as the campsite showed 3 more miles away.
We got up from break and I was out front. It was darker and I crossed a road and followed the trail as we had been doing.
When I looked at my FarOut map, it showed me off trail. Ugh! I was clearly on the marked trail but it seemed as if the app had not been updated. It was getting dark and I wasn’t sure if Aster and Whatever would be taking the trail I was on or the road, which meant we could get really separated. I knew where we were headed though so I stayed level, I knew what I was doing.
Once I merged back to the trail on FarOut, I waited around, not sure if they were ahead or behind but figured I’d wait a little. Thankfully, within 5 or so minutes I see them coming down the road.
We then hike on for 3 more miles and came to an area that had zero camping options and was really rocky. Sigh. Tonight was the first night I really felt ready and okay to be done with trail. I was so over not being able to have decent camping or know of a place to camp.
We continued on for 1.3 miles and found an open patchy field with grass and sand. We weren’t sure if this is where the comments were referring to but figured it was good enough. Its slanted downward but I put my rain gear under my sleeping pad to try and keep me from sliding down. Hopefully it works.
I also had a huge moth sit in front of me while cooking my dinner tonight. It initially was attracted to my headlamp but once I turned it red, it just sat near my stove like we were pals.
Thankfully it’s not cold this evening and will be in the 50s tonight so not too bad at all, yay!
A long day, but almost done. Wild.
Goodnight!
Iz and Oz
Izzy + Ozzy 