Day 8: April 1, 2023
AZT mile 95.3 to 119.1
Hiked today: 23.8 miles / 38.3 km
AZT ascents today: 553m , descents: 963m
AZT hiked to date: 14.9%

With another fine but very cold morning we set out at first climbing over foothills, then down to the desert floor. With the days starting to warm up there is green grass appearing and today we can see green leafy foliage on what were bare brown prickly cactus stalks. As well, with the onset of spring, the wildflowers are opening – Red and bright yellow poppies and white daisies along with many other flowers that we can’t identify are starting to form a pretty border along by the trail.

On the mostly level ground we made good progress but the long days of hiking in the hot desert are starting to take their toll on our feet. Both OG and Ros have blisters appearing and unfortunately we have very little water to keep our bodies (and feet) clean.

Around midday we were approaching our next water source which was a muddy pond of water for the cows. We rounded the corner and could hear loud music coming from some ATVs parked nearby. A group of people were talking and dancing around and when we approached, tired and dusty, they cheered and formed an arch for us to walk under! After passing through I (Ros) watched Rob and Gary take their turn and noticed that the people had guns in holsters! Anyway, we relaxed in a small pieces of shade and double filtered the murky water and ate lunch without any trouble.

The Arizona Trail is open to hikers but also to horses and bikes but not to motorised vehixles. We have previously passed people on horseback but today were passed by more than a dozen cyclists.

It was a long dusty walk this afternoon and we were relieved to finally pitch our tents at a trailhead and cook up some ramen ( 2 minute noodles) for dinner.