Day 7: Hi, I'm Rod and I Like to Party
May 22, 2023
Campsite to Hwy 180 JCT
2.9 miles
Sleeping in this morning meant sleeping until the late hour of 6:30. We leasurely got up and had breakfast before walking towards Hwy 180 along the forest road to get a hitch into town. It was hard leaving camp knowing this meant the end of our hike. There was still so much to look forward to in the coming days. I took one long last look a the snow capped Humphrey's Peak before turning around and walking the other way. It's hard not to feel a little choked up.
While I'm dissapointed, I don't really feel defeated. If we were thru hiking the AZT and had weeks/months instead of days, we would have been back on trail within a few days and continued on, so while I'm bummed to have missed out on the last four days of the hike, I can take solace in knowing it was just rotten circumstances. Unseasonal rain combined with a lack of miles on our feet probably combined to cause Glowworm's blisters (and whatever rash I have). It sucks but that's just how it goes. We still had a great time and got to see an amazing part of the continent that's been dear to my heart.
We got to the highway and stuck our thumbs out to try to hitch a ride into town. I wrote on my white trash bag that I use to line my pack, "INJURED FLAGSTAFF". It took less than 30 minutes to get a ride. A kind indigenous women picked us up on her way from the Grand Canyon where she works on her way home in eastern Arizona. It was weird moving so quickly the landscape. It's something that always catches me off guard when out in the bush.
She dropped us off in downtown Flagstaff where we stopped in a park to get our bearings and find our way to the hotel. Still with our ragged packs on the ground, greasy hair, and clothes stiff with salt and dirt, a shirtless dude came over and introduced himself as Justin. "Hey do you guys party?" We gave eachother a "what the fuck" expression and replied, "no". "Well do you guys know where the drug addicts are? Like the meth heads?" "No," we replied, giving each other the same expression along with a wry smile. Then he just walked away and went into a nearby bike shop. Apparently we look like druggies. Thanks?
We hobbled to our hotel and had a much needed shower, did some laundry, and napped. We then went to a local brewery for supper and had Sonoran Poutine, a fusion of the classic Canadian dish but instead of gravy it has hatch green chili, a regional delicacy. Soooo good.
It's here where I'll end my journal. It's been so nice to get back on the trail and be reminded of that feeling I do often long for. It feeds my soul. Even when things don't work out the way I hoped, it's still well worth it. And it's the challenge that attracts. If it were a 100% guaranteed success rate, it would be less hard. And as Jimmy Dugan says in A League of Their Own, "the hard is what makes it great." For now we'll enjoy an unexpected real vacation and spend our time in Flagstaff relaxing and enjoying this cool town.
Slàinte Mhath,
Gummies
