I actually slept pretty well last night, except I woke up at 1am to find my tent on my face. It was pretty windy and the soil was soft, so the main stake holding the pole up had twisted around and the line came off. Once I got that fixed and went back to sleep an hour later, I slept the rest of the night through. Then I actually got out of bed early since I could hear others moving around.
I was on the trail earlier than normal and made great time. I’d taken some ibuprofen before getting out of my tent so my feet were feeling okay. I made it nine miles before lunch, then took an hour break with my feet up. There was no shade but I did the best I could with my umbrella.
After lunch, the sun seemed extra burny on the backs of my legs, so I looked down and discovered heat rash all up my calves and behind my knees. Ouch. Google tells me it should go away on its own, but all I could think about was pouring cool water on it, not possible in the dry stretch I was on.
I made it 15.9 miles to the Rodriguez Spur Truck Trail, which has a water tank and plenty of flat areas for camping. It took me a while to find a tent spot not covered in ant and snake holes though. Several people have seen rattlers nearby.
I was set up before 5:00, which was a pleasant change from rolling into camp after 7, which I’ve been doing so far on the trail. I didn’t even know what to do with myself that early, so I just lay down for a while and chatted with some other hikers before getting up to cook dinner and do a pack shakedown for someone looking to lighten their load.
My feet were a little sore for the last few miles but I think an early night will help. I rinsed my legs off the best I could, but the rash actually seems worse than it did earlier. I’m sure it is not helped by the mixture of sunscreen, sweat, and dirt usually smeared around. This is the dirtiest trail I’ve been on; dust just covers everything.
A bunch of us are getting up very early to hike the nine miles to a road to town for pie. Some are considering spending the night there too. I’d love to give my heat rash a rest but I actually have a schedule I’m trying to stick to for the first month out here so I’m not sure yet if I can swing it. I’ll see how my legs are doing tomorrow.
Thanks for the blogs! It is great to join you on your journey. The castle crew is thinking of you. xoxo
Dittos! I appreciate your posts and am journeying along with you. Hope the heat rash feels better soon. Nice pics!
Nice Spring blooms! Sorry to hear about the heat rash! Sounds like you are having a great time. 🙂 How’s the night sky where you are?
Night sky is beautiful. I was hiking at 4:30 this morning and saw tons of stars.
That was my favorite part of Arizona. The night sky was an AMAZING experience.
Keep taking care of yourself!