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03/22/2012
Day 4

I traveled about 22 miles today.
Patagonia to Gardner Canyon thru snow around Mt. Wrightson - gorgeous day!
Check out my current location on the map.
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Posted: 03/22/2012
Posted: 03/22/2012
Day 5 - scarce water
I walked 45794 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 21 miles today.
First warm day in the desert. Found small pool of h2o in a creekbed - whew!
Check out my current location on the map.
03/23/2012
Day 6 - Real Desert
Long, hot day across real desert! My umbrella really made it nice for me. Got to LaSevilla to camp.
I walked 55244 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 27 miles today.
Those 50k steps really wore out my feet!
Short Friday Hike
Taking a short day today - only about 7 miles just to the Saguaro N.P. Boundary since we must cross NP in 1 day. So, if you checked the map that's why we had no progress in a.m.
Check out my current location on the map.
Day 7 - Saguaro

My umbrella is amazing to keep me cool out here.
One week done tonight.
I walked 15745 steps on the trail today.
I traveled about 6 miles today.
03/24/2012
Calculate my Calories

Started at 3000ft and am at Manning Camp on Mica Mtn at 8000ft, having covered about 14 miles! First person to use the calorie calculator on HikingDude.com to compute my calories and post here gets a prize. My pack & I weigh 200lb.
03/25/2012
Day 8 - Up and Over

I traveled about 20 miles today.
This is the view all the way back to Mexico from Mica Mtn. A week ago, I was by the mountains way off to the left. The high point out there is Wrightson. It was amazing today to go from flat, hot desert up to snowy pine forest and back down. A classic example of a 'sky island'.
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Posted: 03/25/2012
Posted: 03/25/2012
03/26/2012
Shelter Upgrade

Here's a big THANK YOU to Charlene at the Tucson Quilter's Market for her generosity today. She let me use one of their sewing machines to add a one foot wide bug net around the bottom of my tarp tent.
Now, I'll have more headroom to sit up and I won't have to worry about ants, scorpions, snakes and other crawlies visiting me in the night. It will also allow ventilation out on the hot desert.
I sure didn't realize how nice a day off the trail feels. I feel like I could go and pound out 25 miles right now. But, when I step out into the Tucson heat, I get over that feeling real quick. :-) You should have seen the wonderful roast beef my friend cooked for dinner last night. That hiker hunger I've heard about seems to have caught up with me. I had a Big Mac and fries for lunch and could have had another. But, instead I bought a head of lettuce and ate that along with two bananas and two kiwi fruit. Wonder what's for supper?
Hike On
Friends on the Trail

It's pretty cool how folks from all over can meet on the trail in an environment that pretty much equalizes social standings. It doesn't much matter where you're from, what you do, what hip clothes you wear, or how important you are in the 'real' world - out here you just hike and prove to yourself what you are capable of doing.
Phil is out there chugging along. I hope I run into him again after my rest in Tucson. And, I wonder what other characters will show up on the trail. Remember, if you're along the AZ Trail you can come out and join me hiking for an hour, day, or more.
Hike On
03/27/2012
Enjoying Civilization
I'll be back to hiking bright and early tomorrow, keeping my eye open for other hikers to say 'Howdy' to on the trail - maybe you'll cross my path? But, for one more evening, I'm really enjoying time to relax in a cool home, eating real food, and not worrying about how much water I need to carry or where I'll find the next small puddle.
I hit the jackpot at Albertson's grocery store today - Snickers bars were 2/$1.00 AND each one got me a monopoly game piece! So, I figure I'm practically guaranteed to win a Mustang with the 2 dozen game pieces I got. That takes care of my trip home to MN from AZ. ;-)
Now we're headed to the post office to send off my supply boxes down the trail. I've still got to find some Honey Buns which I've heard lots of thru-hikers talking about eating. I'll let you know when I track some down - probably in a Circle K or AM/PM somewhere out there.
I'm really looking forward to visiting with a couple scouting folks in Pine and Flagstaff - I hope the dates work out.
Hike On
I hit the jackpot at Albertson's grocery store today - Snickers bars were 2/$1.00 AND each one got me a monopoly game piece! So, I figure I'm practically guaranteed to win a Mustang with the 2 dozen game pieces I got. That takes care of my trip home to MN from AZ. ;-)
Now we're headed to the post office to send off my supply boxes down the trail. I've still got to find some Honey Buns which I've heard lots of thru-hikers talking about eating. I'll let you know when I track some down - probably in a Circle K or AM/PM somewhere out there.
I'm really looking forward to visiting with a couple scouting folks in Pine and Flagstaff - I hope the dates work out.
Hike On
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