May 11 Start: Pie Town Toaster House Stop: Pie Town Toaster House 0 miles – “a zero” Total miles: 302.7 I awake early and make use of the free Wi-Fi at the rv lot. I’m glued to my phone as I upload the last six days of journals plus instagram pics. The sun slowly rises … More Day 17: The Pie Came First

Start: Valle Tio Outhouse Stop: Pie Town Toaster House 15 miles Total miles: 302.7 Beads’ alarm goes off at 5:15 am and we shuffle to life in our cozy outhouse. We emerge just before 6 am to find a thin layer of frozen white. The moon reflects off the ice crystals. We walk the road … More Day 16: An Everest and a Bunyan

Start: fs road 94 Stop: Valle Tio Outhouse Miles: 23.5 Total miles: 287.7 It’s about 25F as we pack up our gear. My water has ice crystals in it. A few snow flakes fall and accumulate on my tent. After rejoining the main trail we climb straight up a mountain towards a dark cloud. It’s … More Day 15: Outhouse Campout

Start: bursum and eckle canyon roads Stop: fs road 94 26 miles Total miles: 264.2 I forget to take a picture out my front window of the dozer parked nearby but nonetheless, foot hits road by 6:30am. It’s roads all morning, first dropping into the WIDE open valley and then climbing back into the mountains. … More Day 14: Squirrel Crossing

Start: past flying v canyon Stop: bursum and eckle canyon roads Miles: 20.2 Total miles: 238.2 I believe that hiking up the Gila River is quite an accomplishment. A test of strength and endurance. I awake to partially frozen socks and shoes which is like the cherry on the top of this challenge cake. I … More Day 13: Right Of Passage

Start: Jordan Hot Springs Stop: just past Flying V Canyon 20 miles Total miles: 218 Beads wants to leave at 6am but at 545am I hear nothing from her tent. Despite being mostly ready to pack up, I get back in my sleeping bag and wait for her rustlings. Besides, it’s still a little too … More Day 12: Gila Is For The Birds

Start: Hwy 15 Gila River Bridge Stop: Jordan Hot Springs 12 miles Total miles: 198 My tent is soaked. Every time my head touches it my animal beanie gets wet. I put dry socks on my feet but they go into my soaking wet shoes. I slog the 1 mile down the road to Doc … More Day 11: Gila Cliff Dwellings

Start: Goat Canyon Stop: Hwy 15/Doc Campbell’s Post 20 miles Total miles: 186 Overnight sprinkles leave the tent wet but luckily it’s not raining when we wake. Sunny skies soon darken as we drop 5 miles to the Gila River. Beads and I both are not thrilled at the idea of hiking in water all … More Day 10: Gila Feet

Start: Silver City Stop: Goat Canyon 26 miles Total miles: 166 On the road by 6am. Yes, more road walking. It beats down my moral and I focus on all the pain. What I really want to do is hitch. But somehow I push through. The next thing I know, a truck slows to a … More Day 9: Climbing Up To Thunderclouds

Start: somewhere along hwy 90 Stop: Silver City 7 miles Total: 140 What can I say? Got up before cars could see my stealth camp. Road walked. Found Beads, Addy and Gretchen and had breakfast. Checked into Motel 6. Explored Silver City. Spent 8 hours at the Little Toad Creek Brewery and met up with … More Day 8: Tour Of The Gila and Little Toad Creek Brews