Day miles: 20.6
Trip miles: 83.4
I woke up early near my shade tree. It was nice and cool. The sun wasn’t out yet, and the moon was flowing orange, low in the sky. I had a coffee and ate some oatmeal, then packed up my stuff. I was hiking by 6ish.
The morning hiking was good. The trail disappeared a lot and I found myself off trail and walking cross country quite frequently. I kind of enjoy that aspect of the CDT – blazing my own way, but with the training wheels of the trail eventually reappearing, or using my map app to get back to it.
I caught up with Towely at a water tank. We walked together for a while as the terrain changed from dusty desert to volcanic red rock. My least favorite spots are where the trail passes through tall grass. I stick my trekking poles in front of me and tap them, hoping to ward off snakes. I’m just going to believe that works.
I was on a mission. In 2019, I took a siesta with some guys in a wash near a cattle tank. We later ran into a hiker who had looked for us in the wash, and not seeing us, had stumbled upon an old cave dwelling instead. I was so jealous that I didn’t see it! This year, I wanted to find it.
Towely said that Storm Trooper had powered by him at 4am. Towely has just been cowboy camping under the stars and not using his tent. If that were me I would jump at the slightest noise, and definitely notice someone walking by!
We found the water tank. There were some mega huge gnarly wasps there with big red wings. I pictured them impaling my body and flying away with me, hooked. I got water from the tank anyway – sometimes survival needs make fears dissipate quickly.
Next, we wandered around behind the tank and started looking for the cave. As we walked around in the rim of the wash, we got a little farther back into the canyon and a faint path appeared. We followed it and started climbing up and around some boulders. The faint path became harder to see, but it didn’t matter, because after a bit more climbing, we found a structure that was clearly made by humans.
It was almost like a beehive dome without a top. It was a cooking area, and when we walked into the entrance, there was a fireplace built into the stone. It was incredible! We found a small cave nearby, and then a much larger cave with a constructed stone wall in front of the opening father up. We had to climb up a bit to get to the smaller cave. There was a small signpost by the cave instructing people to respect the structure. I can’t imagine many people ever find it.
We then climbed higher to a lookout point and could see over the entire valley below Pyramid Peak. It truly would be a majestic place to live. I felt a little like Simba from the Lion King. The cave discovery absolutely was the highlight of this boot heel section for me.
We left the cave on a complete high. I decided to push on into Lordsburg and stay the night. It was boiling hot and tomorrow would be 99 degrees. I sweated and drank my nasty, hot sulfuric water. I saw my first roadrunner. It looked exactly like they do in the cartoons! The hiking was hilly getting to Lordsburg, and much of it was over red volcanic rock, which reflected heat back upwards.
I made it into town and split a room with Towely. We got some Gatorade from the Circle K and immediately went to McDonalds. I got a Big Mac meal. They had no ketchup in the store, which was weird. It tasted like heaven though.
I went back to the room and got cleaned up, then called Gillian. I got to FaceTime with her and her mom and sister, who are visiting her in Wilmington. They were all having a good time.
I walked over to Kranberrys restaurant with the guys, ate dinner, and ordered a sandwich to go. I originally planned to hike out in the morning, but changed my mind when I found out that we had a long water carry coming up. I decided I would sleep in, then hike out at about 5pm.
There is a windmill with water 6ish miles out of town in the hot desert basin. After that, we climb in elevation for 17-23 miles before the next water. I’ll camp at the first water source tonight and then hike early the next morning. This will also give my feet some rest. I have 4 blisters, all of which popped naturally and are in good shape. They will enjoy the morning and afternoon of rest!
Grateful for the company of fellow hikers! I’m not alone in the desert after all. Incredibly thankful to find that cave – it is the coolest thing I have ever “discovered” without being pointed to it on a hike. Everyone is worried about the trail closures, and apparently there is another fire in the Gila Wilderness up north. I am not going to worry about it. My plan is to get to Silver City, then figure out my options. If the Black Range is risky then I’ll hike the Gila. If there are closures I’ll figure something out. No point in worrying – I learned that lesson in 2019.
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