Gila Wilderness Loop-Day 5
It was 5:30 a.m. and I was loading up my pack when Cappuccino walked over from her hammock in stocking feet.
“I have a small issue,” she said evenly.
“What is the small issue?” I queried.
“My shoes are gone. I put them under my hammock last night and they are not there this morning,“ she said with a hint of distress in her voice.
I thought –you have a big problem-, but tried to calmly reassure her and followed her back to the scene of the crime to look for them. We alerted Slinky on the way.
We assumed that some animal(s) had taken them. I had a doe try to take mine on the PCT, so I knew such a thing can happen. I believe they take them for the salt from sweat that is in the shoe. Whatever the reason, the shoes were gone.
We started to look for them near her hammock. There was a slope up to a ridge on her side of camp, and she found one shoe about 25 feet southeast from her hammock, jammed up against a log. We wandered around in that area for a while, but found nothing else. We decided to sweep the area in an organized fashion. We formed a line standing about 15 feet apart and started walking a grid looking for the lost shoe. As I reached the end of the first sweep high on the slope by a rocky outcrop, I found the second missing shoe. This was over a hundred feet northeast of her hammock. In the opposite direction from the first shoe. It is unclear what was trying to steal the shoes, but they/it moved them pretty far.
Everyone sighed in relief as the scenario of a hike out nearly 14 miles without or with only one shoe was a daunting thought. With both shoes secured, we returned to our usual morning routine.
After packing up and having breakfast, we headed out. Walking along and through the West Fork’s wide valley was beautiful. The slopes were graced with stands of ponderosa pines. The first 6 to 7 miles were the nicest. After that, the heat of the day made it a little less enjoyable.
We eventually got within about 3.5 miles of the car and stopped to examine a single cliff dwelling in a shallow cave along the river. Much of the stonework is still intact, and we were able to climb up and look at it.
Once back down to the river, we decided to stay nearby in the woods. It was there we had dinner and enjoyed telling stories around the empty fire ring (no fires). As the light faded in the west, we removed to our shelters for the night.
OMG about Cap’s shoes! One, she certainly sleeps soundly. Two, what’s the plan for shoes this coming evening? This is like a scene out of Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild!” I love trail books especially this one. Have you read the book of two sisters hiking the Appalachian Trail barefoot! “The Barefoot Sisters Southbound by Lucy Letcher and Susan Letcher.” Another hiking saga gem. I won’t spoil what they did when they reached Springer Mountain in Georgia.
What’s your best guess what critter absconded with her hiking shoes?
Cappy’s shoes were tied together and tossed over the ridgeline of her hammock. They were still there the next morning. Yay! I have mixed feelings about Cheryl’s book, but she absolutely nailed the parts about the trail. I’ll have to checkout the Barefoot Sisters. As to the animal, I think it was pretty small like a porcupine, or raccoon, because both shoes were found by a low barrier, like it was being dragged along and then couldn’t get it over the log or rock shelf, but there were no bite marks or gnawing on either shoe.
When we next get together let’s talk about your thoughts on Wild! I got to say I loved Reese Witherspoon in the film!
Agreed- Reese did a great job.