Day 27. Fun Desert Hiking

Mile 482 – Stealth To Mile 506 – Stealth

This is simultaneously a beautiful and also hot, dry section. Even though the fall air temperature during the day is not that high, the long climbs with no shade are tough. Our backpacks are heavy with large quantities of water. The stunning scenery is enough, though, to distract from all of that.

The longer you look, the more mountains you can see

The AZT association constructed a rainwater collection system along this stretch to break up what would otherwise be a brutal dry section. Still, water options are limited. We carried enough from the rainwater cache to make it to the next town, since the only other option in between is the Gila river which we only want to use in an emergency.

We’ve been hiking every day for about four weeks now and we’re both starting to feel a bit weary. Perhaps it is time for a rest day. We started talking about the possibility of a zero in the next town.