Cacti, Heat, and Tired Legs – Day 4

This was definitely my most tiring day so far, but it also had a lot of real beauty.

• 18 Miles to trail camp around mile 73

Getting Started

The group was slower getting started today, wanting to dry their tents in the sun before setting off. Other hikers coming by said they had frost on their tents after camping higher up. As a result of drying equipment, we started off one by one. I ended up hiking almost entirely alone today and got very tired.

Tired Legs

The stretch after lunch began a 32 mile stretch that can potentially have no water, so I carried 7+ liters. And while temperatures weren’t hot, they were definitely warm. The trail was also along the edge of a mountain where I had to be careful with footing or risk going over the edge. My legs were not happy. I stowed my guitar and used my hiking poles for stability, and that seemed to help.

Later on, eating a snack and drinking some of my precious water helped a bit. But I was still exhausted when I finally got to camp a little after 5PM.

Flowering Cacti

I saw some really pretty flowering cacti today. The blooms are almost iridescent. Now I’m curious to identify different types of cacti.

Windy Camp

My tent pitch was a challenge this evening. I got to camp around 5:00. The spot is right at the edge of a store downhill and unprotected from the wind. I used all my stakes and a bunch of rocks to try to stabilize the tent. At least it is warm this evening. And I now know that my tent can remain standing in some pretty strong wind.

After dinner and breakfast, I have another 5 liters left for the remaining twenty-some miles.