The trail weaves through the hills, going around Picket post mountain, instead of the summit. I’m a little disappointed, but not really. I can always come back for that. This is more about the larger trail. The views of the peak are spectacular, but after a while, the rolling hills begin to seem repetitive. As Picket Post fades into the background, the hills are a new combination of yellow and green. Though the hills go up and down, I have Mary’s Christmas treats. I come across a hiker box with 8,000 gallons of water, lots of treats, and a tent stake. Shnikies. An extra tent stake is exactly what I needed. Trail angels are my favorite people. On the road nearby, hipster golf carts run by. Hunters looking for Elk. There’s a quite a climb coming, and the trail turns into a ridge walk along the side of a mountain. Some turns are lush with green grass, some are yellow rock, and others are red rock. I will walk, I mean have walked, 500 miles
Today is a special day: I hit 500 miles, right around one of those nice Arizona Trail gates. 500 miles. I’ve walked 500 miles. It’s almost a rite I’ve passed. No one can say I’m not a thru hiker anymore. This is easily the most beautiful rock landscape since the Grand Canyon; it looks a lot like the north rim, except there’s no people, anywhere. It’s getting dark. The ridge walk is nice, but I can’t camp here. As I often do, I pray for a nice campsite.
For an open space that feels good.
Sometimes I get it.
Sometimes I don’t. This time, I do. It’s almost perfect. About 100 feet away, there’s a view unlike I’ve ever seen. I bet I could actually see Mexico from here. 100s of miles laid out before me, at least. Something about this area feels exposed though. I wonder what’s past that turn. I question whether it’s a good idea to push farther. I do it. Turn. Turn. I ask, is this a good idea? In general? Or just for tonight. This is exactly what it looked like. No filters. Sunset it coming. It’s almost here. And then I find a great spot. Is it better than before? I don’t know. But I feel good about it. Darkness is coming soon, though. I think...I think I’ll cowboy camp again. Lay down the tent as a ground sheet. Cook some dinner. Yeah. This is great.
