Azt Map Miles 329.2
Miles Hiked 319.4
Elevation 5,373
Miles Hiked Today 8.5
It was really cold this morning. At least freezing if not colder. Dawn and I took off together about 6:45 AM. Our plan to stay with a trail angel was falling apart. Shannon, the trail angel, told me she lived three miles outside of Pine, Arizona and that was not good. Furthermore, she never gave me a phone number. How was I supposed to call her? The nail in the coffin was when she said she would not be available to let us in her house until after 5 PM. We decided to make alternate plans.
The hike was the same as yesterday – up and down. It warmed up fast, and I had to shed some clothes layers. Dawn was already pulling further away, so I stopped to take off my coat and change hats while she quickly hiked out of sight.
The hike went okay until I met Moon Juice head on. Yes, I got turned around and was hiking northbound. I changed direction and went to the point of my error. The problem wa a missed a trail cairn. The error cost me ten minutes each way. At least it wasn’t longer!
To ease my pain (going backward), the trail started getting easier. I reached the Pine Trailhead, which is just outside of Pine, Arizona at 11:45 AM. I hurried to That Brewery to say goodbye to Dawn and Moon Juice, but the restaurant was closed. With no idea where they may have gone, that was that. The post office was my next stop to get my resupply and then I hitchhiked to Payson, AZ. Dawn had mentioned the Quality Inn in Payson as being a good place to stay, so that’s where I got a room for two nights. Now it’s time to rest and get ready for the next part of the trail.
