Monday November 20, 36.4km/22.6mi

North Maricopa Mountains Wilderness (183.5/1580ft) to N of Rainbow Wash (206.1/1060ft) (AZ)

I’m awake at 5:15 to cook breakfast, which I usually never do. But this week I’m only allowed to eat soft foods, so I made oatmeal for breakfast.

The first 15 minutes of hiking were by headlamp, and then the morning light arrived in the desert.

It’s a little cold, so I hike with a warm hat until 8:30, when it finally warms up. It also helps to be walking in a wide sunny valley, instead of a shaded cold wash.

We take a break at a trailhead, which has a toilet and picnic tables! I love finding random picnic tables in the mountains.

We hike for a few miles along an old road, until we reach a guzzler. The next water is only an hour away, so I grab only one liter. There is a fun little xc section next, with a scrambly pass with rocks.

It was short but fun, and reminded me a bit of the Hayduke from this spring. We make it to the next water source, and enjoy a lunch break in the shade of a little Palo Verde tree. There are more dirt roads after lunch, and I see a little critter that’s trying to cross the road.

Gross. A good reminder of why we sleep in tents! After a few more hours of hiking on roads, we finally left the Sonoran Desert National Monument, which we had been hiking in this entire section. There is a fun little xc section….

… which leads to one more little dirt road.

After the sun sets, and the twilight time of 5:45 approaches, we keep our eye out for camping spots.

We easily find some flat spots on a hilltop, and spend a few minutes clearing rocks out of the way. These days feel like they are getting easier!