Sunday May 19, 6.3mi/10.1km

Hwy 260 (287.0/6600ft) to Timber Mesa Trail (293.3/6950ft) (Arizona)

Since I’m usually awake with the sun at 5:30 in my tent, I also woke up early out of habit in the motel. But I had plenty to do, including washing some gear, planning my next few town stops, and troubleshooting the glitchy Garmin app on my phone. I packed up all the food I bought from the store yesterday, it looks like it will be plenty.

I checked out the motel at 11am and walked down the street to McDonald’s where I knew I could sit for a couple hours and finish all my phone chores while I enjoyed a milkshake and a snack. Eventually by 2pm finished everything and got a short taxi ride back to the trail. (Unfortunately the bus system doesn’t run on Sundays). The first half mile was on pavement…

… But pretty soon I was leaving the developed area behind, and entered Show Low Lake Park.

Like pretty much every lake in the arid southwest, it’s a man-made lake, created by a dammed-up river.

I enjoyed walking along the lake short for a mile and then I turned off into the woods where I saw something that felt a little creepy. There was this wind chime hanging from a tree in the middle of nowhere, with no reasonable explanation for its existence.

That was quickly pushed out of my mind though, when I had to jump a short fence.

Usually the transition from civilization to wilderness involves linking together some unusual features, like powerline corridors. It’s easy navigation though!

I enjoyed a short section of cross country through some meadows.

And then pretty soon I was on a real trail, the Timber Mesa Trail.

It climbed uphill a little bit, to (unsurprisingly) the top of a Mesa.

I hiked this for a couple miles and then around 6pm I decided that was enough for today, and started to look for a camp spot amongst the trees, which were glowing in the orange setting sun.

It was a little windy all day, but it seems my tent is well protected here in the trees.