Bushcamp to Pine
35.8 miles
Mile 460.6
Today I got another early start, setting out around 4:30 AM. It took real grit to leave the warmth of my tent, but the promise of hot food and a fluffy bed at my parents cabin got me moving.
Less than an hour into my hike I took a wrong turn at a junction, hiking nearly two miles down the mountain before realizing my mistake…whoops. By the time I’d made my way back up to the junction I’d wasted a solid two hours. Pretty damn frustrating!
Anyways, back on trail I followed a ridge line east for an hour or so before beginning a long descent down the mountain.
When I reached the the desert valley below, I crossed the knee deep East Verde River.
From there I began the steady ascent towards Pine.
The grade was gentle enough, but the trail was littered with rocks and pitted with cattle tracks, making the going rough.
From this neat sign, I joined a dirt road for a time, before banging out the last few miles on another rocky unmaintained trail.
I reached our cabin at exactly 6:00 PM, where I found my mom and dad chillaxin. For dinner my dad grilled up some choice steak cuts and veggies, and we spent the evening vegging out to a movie.
It was good times!
Cheers!
P.s. Thanks mom and dad for treating me to an epic zero day at the cabin! The food was superb, and your help cleaning my quilt was super helpful. Love y’all!