Gila Wilderness Loop-Day 6
Another 5 a.m. wake-up for the group. Packing up for the last time, we had breakfast and were on our way by 6:30. Following the well-worn trail along the West Fork as it rose and fell, we moved quickly to stay warm. The canyon morphed into a wide valley as we descended toward the trailhead at the Gila Cliff Dwellings Nat’l Monument.
The forest gave way to grassland, and we crossed the river several times as it meandered through this bottomland. The sun was on the rise, which helped warm us on the way and gave the scene a soft yellow glow.
We forded our last ford, walked the last bit of trail, and finally arrived at the trailhead. We stood for a photo and then hiked the half mile down the road to the car at TJ Corral. Cappuccino’s electronic key worked to open and start the car, even though it had taken a dunk when she fell in the river, so our luck held to the end.
What a great trip with Slinky and Cappuccino. We had nearly perfect weather, pretty smooth going, great scenery, no major injuries, the Hummingbird Fire was never an immediate problem, and Cappuccino found her shoes! All and all, an excellent trip.
That does it for the Gila Wilderness Loop trip. I will update the blog next week as I get ready for the Santa Fe to Taos trail starting on June 5th.
Until next week, safe travels and happy trails…
Had a wonderful time reading about your trip. So great to see the three of you amid gorgeous scenery.
Sue! Thanks! We had a great time, great weather, great friends, and a stunning place to backpack in. Take care…
SlowBro!
Always love catching up with your journeys through your writings. You really do capture the days and nights on trail in such a way. I truly appreciate that you share it here for us to read.
Happy Hiking!!
MtnGoat 🐐
MtnGoat!
Great to hear from you! And thanks for your kind words. Hope all is well with you and HipBone. I’m gearing up to start the Santa Fe to Taos (SF2T) trail in about two weeks, which will be more challenging than my Gila trip. Should be interesting. Take care and happy trails.
All’s well that ends well – Billy S. Sounds like a wonderful time with good friends. While we are at Hannah’s 60th high school (intro blog Thursday), you’ll again be in the Land of Enchantment. I am so pleased with folks who do what they can do when they are physically able and not just talk about it. I love having a daily dose of SlowBro!’s adventures.
Thanks Dan. One of the best things you an I and our spouses have done for our heath is walking. Short trips or long, it doesn’t matter. Getting that 30 min to an hour of exercise to ability several times a week is the cheapest heath insurance you can get. And the medical literature backs it up.