Feb 25: I awoke early this morning, finished packing my things and ate leftovers from the night before out of a cup. As I checked out I met a man who said he was hiking the trail with his wife and was a day behind me. He seemed like a very nice guy and I hope I get to meet up with him and his wife again. Next, I stopped in The Patagonia market for a big 44 ounce Dr. Pepper (one of my true joys in life). I walked along the highway sipping my soda and listening to music. I spotted a man hiking and we sat down for a chat. Old and wrinkly, the man went by the name "Woodchuck". He was about as crazy as they come, and even took the liberty of showing me some owl feathers he had stripped off a carcass. I then took a turn off the highway and the road quickly turned into dirt. Knowing I would be walking along this road for miles I decided to make some phone calls while I still had service. I talked to one of my sisters, Shandi, for a few minutes but she was busy. I then called my friend Sam and we talked for over 3 hours. The terrain began getting more mountainous and my service became shaky so I had to go. I hiked alone for a bit and came across another large bull who didn't want to be messed with. After walking around him I sat by a brook for a while eating veggie chips. The first car I had seen in hours drove up to me and offered me a ride. My feet were killing me so I agreed. I hopped in the bed of the truck, partially because I didn't know the guys, partially because I stank. There was a large statue of saint Francis in the back, which was pretty scary when it started rolling. I talked to the men through the little window in between us and found out one of them was the owner of the pizza place I had eaten at the night before. They were both very friendly and the owner said if I was ever back in town to swing by for one on the house. After 2 miles the guys dropped me off at a trailhead and I was off. It was straight up right off the bat and pretty nasty, as I climbed higher I got better service and used it to call my other sister, Casie. She helped take my mind off the pain in my legs and talked to me until I went over a saddle and lost service. I then went into "Bear Spring" which had some of the nicest camping spots and bluest water I've ever seen. Large greenish blue cliff faces shot up around me as I hiked. I was planning to spend the night there but I wanted to call Gracie, my girlfriend, that night so I kept moving. I then rounded a large mountain and saw an entire pack of coatimundi running through the tall grass. Once they spotted me they all darted for the hills. I walked a little past dark because I couldn't find a camping spot for some time. Once I finally found a spot and made camp I got to FaceTime Gracie for a while which was a real treat because I missed her a ton. That night was a little windy but I had a decent night of sleep.
Feb 26: Right after I got up and packed my gear met a large group of hikers, probably 11 or so, all over the age of 50. Their cars were nowhere to be found and I spent the day wondering where on earth they had come from. The next few miles were all on dirt roads, which makes the hiking feel easier, though it's all probably more of a placebo effect than anything. I can faintly remember listening to the new J Cole album on repeat, to my own surprise I was really enjoying it (rap is not generally my thing). Getting bored of my music and Harry Potter audiobook, I called my sister Shandi for a while but lost connection in the miles of rolling grassy hills. After I ended the call my headphones stopped working. My life quickly became the stuff of nightmare. I hadn't realized how much I was depending on my headphones for my day to day. My music, my podcasts, my audiobooks and my ability to make phone calls were all lost. All of those things help me keep my cool when I began to feel alone and assisted in taking my mind off the pain throughout my body. I am a very social person and the complete solidarity quickly got to me. The next few miles were brutal. I made it to a place called Kentucky Camp, a little old mining camp. I would love to go back there some day. While there the winds quickly picked up and it became unbearably cold, pair this with how lonely I felt and I was about ready to call it quits right then and there. I left the camp freezing and lonely and though I knew it would suck up my battery I called my girlfriend, I needed some sort of company. We talked for a bit and she helped calm me down. Pretty soon after my headphones magically started working again. I called my friend Ani, who I haven't talked to in a while, so we had quite a bit to talk about. I was miles ahead of schedule and made camp pretty early because there was a storm coming. I saw a solo male coatimundi at the cow tank I was staying near. We just made eye contact for a while as he sat in a tree. Part raccoon, part fox and with the tail of a lemur they look like a lab experiment gone wrong. That night was just awful. I staked my tent into the ground and the wind took my tent off the stakes. It felt like the storm would carry my tent away, with me still in it. I made sure I was in a valley to get out of the bulk of the storm so I couldn't imagine what it would be like uphill. All in all, not my best night of sleep.
Feb 28: This day is drawing a bit of a blank to me. I remember it was a long day, over 20 miles, but that's about all. I originally planned for 2 shorter days but I was feeling fine and being a day ahead meant an extra day back home. I was really into an artist named Jon Bellion that day. It was very windy and cold that day. I met a man I had seen near Patagonia a week or so before who went by the trail name Waldo (remember that name, I see him quite a few more times). For those of you who don't know what trail names are, a lot of hikers go by aliases such as Waldo, Hedgehog or Woodchuck. Generally, a trail name should be given to you by another hiker so I have yet to get mine. Anyway, I and Waldo talked for a bit and he told me there was a nice campsite around a half mile down after a gate. Fast forward a few miles down, I finally find the gate, but no campground! I make camp in a small wash and got surprisingly good sleep that night.
March 1: Now a lot of people ask me what sort of animals I'm most scared of or the animal I'm most afraid of meeting on the trail. It's not a bear, there's not a whole lot of them. It's not a snake, they give me a warning. It's bees. Bees, from the devils, own twisted creation. One sting may be fine but I wouldn't stand a chance against a swarm. I can't run away and I even if I hit them with all the bear spray I've got and I still would not be safe. So, I camped next to a beehive. I didn't realize it while I made camp because once the cold hits they decrease their activity. Once morning came and it warmed back up all I could hear was buzzing. I kept my little door closed for as long as I could and then high-tailed it out of there when I had the chance. I took a little break from hiking at some large ponds, a nice little break. I then met a man and his very shy dog. The man didn't seem too talkative so I kept moving. I had set up a meeting point with one of my teachers, Mr. Westbay, where the trail crossed AZ 83. I got there a bit early and took a load off under a tree and almost feel asleep during the 10 minutes I was waiting. I was having him meet me to exchange my 40-pound bag for a small camelback, so I could book it to a trail head a few miles down the road where my dad would pick me up to spend a few days at home. He came and presented me with the food of the gods, a steak bowl from Chipotle. As I devoured my bowl he gave me some cards that teachers and some students had made for me, all giving me words of motivation. After about a half hour Mr. Westbay headed off with my bag and I don't think I've ever felt more gratitude in my life. I was hoping that after I had dropped my pack I could fly by the next few miles but boy was I wrong. My feet KILLED and I was practically hobbling the next few miles. My slow pace gave me time to finish Harry Potter so that was a plus. Even with that set back I made it to the trailhead long before I was planning to. My dad picked my up at the trailhead in Vail and we went into A and W for dinner before going home
March 2-4: Zero days, a little R and R
