Azt Map Miles 401.0
Miles Hiked 390.7
Elevation 3,442 feet
Miles Hiked Today 13.2
Well, the “not good” campsite I picked last night lived up to my prognosis. Later that night the wind picked up and it started to rain. Two tent stakes pulled out in the wind, which left half the tent falling inward. I stayed in my warm sleeping bag and ignored it. However, it did complicate packing up in the morning.
Just as I finished breaking down camp, the two kids who claimed the campsite I really wanted the day before passed by. There’s an advantage to being a slow hiker. I won’t have to see them again.
This day I will reach highway 87, which leads into Payson. I have to decide whether to go into Payson to have my leg looked at or wait three days until I get to Globe.
The ups and downs were still on the trail; although the trail got wider. There also were noticeably fewer rocks in some sections. I was sure to reach my destination, highway 87, by 5 PM. When I did, I found another “not good” campsite about a mile from the road. I was now one mile past the halfway point of the Arizona Trail.
During the evening, I looked at the two alternatives for having my leg examined. Instead of moving on to Globe, AZ, I decided to go into Payson for the leg examination and x-ray. If I went to Globe, I would reach it late Friday and probably miss the medical services I needed. So, it’s off to Payson in the morning.
