Across the Desert Floor

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• Day; 3
• Start:  45
• End:  70
• Miles:  25
• Hours:  10
• High temp:  89
• Low temp:  53
• People met:  2

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An iffy water source, but pretty

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 The sun is just cresting the mountains as I start my hiking day. The soil here is soft with few rocks, so footfalls are preserved as a trail. What a nice treat for the morning, an easy trail to follow so I can make some miles. The morning cool air is rapidly warming and the pleasant breezes of the last two days are nonexistent, but the sun is at my back and the trail is flat. 

So nice to have a trail to follow

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There are many sections of this trail that are navigation only, cross country, no trails or posts to help.  I have two apps to help me, Guthook's CDT Hiker and Topo Maps app. I also have maps and compass. So the navigation sections are doable, but certainly not as easy as a trail. 

There are a few water sources that have filterable water, I do have enough from the cashe to carry me through, so there is no need to stop. 

There is a moss under the surface 

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Wild flowers are popping up, they are typically in small clumps, so it's necessary to keep a lookout for them. 

Yellow, purple and white

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As the sun reaches is peak I make it the 12 miles to the water cashe. I'm not empty, but I do not to top off my supply. The heat is growing in intensity as I ready my pack. I hike with the chrome dome the rest of the day. Ahead lies a great expanse of real desert, barren and unforgiving. 

I've got to cross to and go around Pyramid Peak

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Some of this section has signs to help guide and some just leaves it up to me to get there. I must say this is a challenge just to cross by walking, throw in 89* temps, barbed wire fences and it becomes even more fun. 

Getting closer, Pyramid Peak middle left

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Barbed wire fences are frequent and most do not have a gate or stiles for hikers.  I drop my pack on the other side then squeeze trough the wire or crawl under the bottom. Needless to say when ever I come upon one I'm not thrilled. 

I've got to crawl under this one

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Whenever I can find shade I stop to rest and get my shoes off. Cooling my feet makes a big difference in performance  At 1900 I compete 25 miles, leaving just 15 to Lordsburg tomorrow.  

As I lay in my tent typing this update, there is a grumbling-growling sound coming from an animal. I have no idea what it is, but I recognize it as male territorial sounds. Now I am slightly concerned that I'm going to have to fend off some desert badger or something. The sound is getting closer so I get out to see what it is. Just a young bull grazing on the other side of the wash. He is just letting me know he is moving into my grazing area. After he passed me he stops his noise. Nightfall now everything is quiet.