Jostling along through hills of yellow grass, brambles and the occasional cholla, it wasn't long before I saw the water at Down Under Tank. Because cows hadn't been stirring up the water far less crapping in it, the water was surprisingly clean. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, I used my gravity filter to purify it. Thanks to the storm earlier in the week, all the water sources were available in this section though with varying quality. I needed all the water I could get since it seemed as if the closer I got to Patagonia, the more the sun beat down on my head and the less shade I could find. This was especially true for the last 2.5-mile paved roadwalk into town. By the time I arrived, I was feeling weak and light-headed. In addition, my lower legs and nose were sunburnt. First thing I did was swing by the General Store, grab a Powerade, gulp it down, then slump down in front of the establishment in the shade near the ice box. No doubt about it, I was feeling low. While questioning my own desire to continue, a woman walked up and said it was unusually hot for March. I guess southern Arizona has been going through a mini-heat wave the last few days, hitting the low 90s by mid-afternoon. After the comment she asked what I was doing and we started to chat about the hike as she was curious about such an extended journey. When the conversation was finished, she insisted on buying me another Powerade and when she handed it to me, wished me well on the days to come. What can I say?! I'm continually amazed along the trails I've walked by the small acts of kindness given to me by complete strangers. How sweet it was to have a pick me up when I was feeling down. Lounging in the shade for a few moments more, it was not only my electrolytes that were replenished, but my spirit as well.
At the post office, I picked up my resupply box and sent a small box of excess gear home in order to lighten my pack. Hoping to jump start my appetite, I wandered over to the pizzeria and ordered a calzone. To my delight, it turned out to be hiker size. Very much needed seeing as how I haven't been able to eat a lot over the past couple of days. All in all, I spent over two hours in Patagonia. In at 1:40, back out at 4:00.
Headed out of town on First Avenue, which started out as pavement, but at some point turned into gravel and dirt. Weaving up into the hills as the heat of the day slowly subsided, it finally led me to the Temporal Gulch Trailhead. I walked another half mile and cowboy camped under the overarching branches of a large sycamore. Water was had from a pool in an intermittent stream near the base of a rock outcropping. Since it wasn't actually flowing and I found a dead cow nearby, filtering the water was called for. Only had half a Pop Tart for dinner because the calzone I'd had back in town had done a good job of filling me up. Quite peaceful here at dusk.
Photo 1: Canelo Hills West
Photo 2: Filtering at Down Under Tank
Photo 3: Near Red Bank Tank
Photo 4: A Bright Splash of Yellow
Distance Hiked: 26.1 Miles
No comments:
Post a Comment