Start: Lower Scorpion Campground
Stop: Gila Alternate mile 60.1
Today’s Miles: 18.4
Total CDT miles: 210.3
I think I hit the majority of all the different feelings today. Pure awe, excitement, happiness, pure misery and pain, and several others in between.
The night sky was so unbelievably beautiful last night. Once I finally fell asleep, I slept hard. I woke up to both Special K and Pebbles being mostly packed and starting to walk out of camp. It was 6:25. Lord have mercy.
I quickly packed and started walking to where they went: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. I left camp at 6:45. Pretty quick, especially for me! Not even half way down the road to the dwellings, Special K was walking back towards me. Odd.
“They don’t open until 9am,” she calls over to me. Hmm. So glad I rushed then. She hiked out, I continued walking and saw Pebbles sitting on a bench outside the gift shop/dwellings entrance.
We both quickly agreed that we’d wait for the cliff dwellings to open, because we’ve never been here before and who knows if we’ll ever make it back. The trail isn’t going anywhere and we’re here now. So, I sat down next to him and we hung out until they opened. Just before the rangers started rolling in, along with other guests coming too, I saw 2 javelinas behind the building. Pretty cool!
I went into the gift shop when it opened and looked around.. and got my “national monument” stamp to send home. Then, we followed the trail to the cliff dwellings once the ranger opened it up. It was really cool to see how the people native to this land lived-how they created their homes into the rocky cliffs. We got to walk through the simple rooms and imagine what it would be like to live up there, with views for miles and safety within the rocks.
We got back to the visitors center and gift shop before 10am, used the bathroom, filled up water, and said our goodbyes to the sweet ranger standing out front. By 10am, it was already so hot-with the high getting up to 91 degrees! We had to walk down the main road, join the High Route, which meant climbing up and across hot, exposed grasslands (the grasses were dried out and brown), only to start making our way down into the canyon to rejoin the Gila Alternate Low Route.
The trail that connects the high route with the low route is called “Little Bear Canyon” and it was beautiful. It’s a slot canyon with the huge canyon walls jutting up all around, casting shade.. thank the good lord! The creek running down the middle was low enough that our feet never got wet. Before we knew it, it was spitting us out at the Gila River and the trail for the low route along the river itself.
We spotting some flat spots to eat our lunch and hide in the shade. My feet were SORE already from carrying so much food, eating lunch meant getting to lighten the load. However, when we finished and I picked my pack up to get ready to go, I pulled a muscle in my back that immediately brought tears to my eyes. I had my pack on my back, afraid to move or breathe for fear of that pain shooting through my back again.
After a couple minutes of feeling paralyzed, I decided to start walking, as there’s really not anything else to do. If I needed help of some sort, I’d still have to hike out of this canyon. So, I followed behind Pebbles, my back throbbing and snagging with every breath. The views were so stunning, but I couldn’t truly enjoy it with my pain and fear constantly rearing its head.
We must have crossed back and forth over the river more than 60 times! It was different from yesterday though-these views were dramatic. Yesterday was beautiful and serene, these were out of this world! The canyon walls looked to be a thousand feet high, and we’re passing practically right on it. They rose up out of the water like magic. There were still meadows and forests and lush greenery, but it felt much more condensed-less wide open space, if that makes sense.
As the afternoon wore on, my back pain and my feet pain were competing. I was so physically exhausted, I started to stumble more. I even took a tumble into the water, for my first fall on trail. Hey-I made it 17 days without falling-that’s gotta be some kind of record!
We were hiking towards a specific area to camp, and nothing was looking too great on the way there. The trail was a mess, and the river crossings only seemed to get more difficult in my exhaustion and pain. At some point, very close to where we thought we were headed to camp, I spot a trail of switchbacks heading up and away from the river. There was a small forest of trees on this high outlook, and I decided that was going to be it for me.
Pebbles and I toted our water up the switchbacks, and only after getting up there and deciding where to camp did we realize that this isn’t the place we were aiming for. Whatever. I was committed. Pebbles recommended we cowboy camp again, and honestly, it’s perfect, because I don’t think I could bend to put up my tent. My back is hurting THAT BAD. I’m pretty concerned.
So, we’re lying here, under a perfect night sky. I’ve already seen 2 shooting stars and maybe a StarLink satellite. It’s so astounding how truly gorgeous nature is. I know I’m hurting, but I still feel so lucky to be able to witness everything I’ve gotten to see today. These stars. The cliff dwellings, the sheer size of these canyon walls. The river. Just. Wow.
Anyway. Prayers for an ok back in the morning. Time to let these ibuprofen kick in and get some sleep, if I can! Goodnight yall.