Day 10: I didn’t really want to get going this morning. The sunburn on the back of my knees was bothering me and I also felt pretty crumpled. But above all, dirty: 6 days without a shower. Nevertheless, I pulled myself together to at least walk to the campground less than 10 miles away, from where you could probably hitch a ride all the way to Tucson. That would have been my last chance to get to Tucson again.

Tucson stop – or not?

So I also tried to hitchhike to Tucson. However, after 15 or 20 minutes, I honestly lost the desire to keep standing on the road and giving the thumbs up. So I went back to the drum circle of other hikers and sat on the ground for a few more minutes. Then I set off in the direction of Mount Lemon. After 26 km I reached Hutches Pool.
The path there had been long, warm and very rocky, but beautiful. Unfortunately, I hadn’t taken enough videos in the last few days.

Here I was able to wash myself properly for the first time in days and although the water was cold, or maybe because of it, it felt really good. The clean feeling gave me new energy and I continued.
I wanted to break the 32 km mark today so that the ascent to Mount Lemon tomorrow wouldn’t be quite so long and torturous. As everyone says.

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Day 11: Today we set off early to make the ascent to Mount Lemon, which was really beautiful, but also damn exhausting. Many other hikers complained about the trail, but I really liked it, even though it was very demanding.

It was very rocky all the way and a bit exposed at the beginning, until it ended in a beautiful green forest. There was still some snow here and a few trees were lying across the path, but the small town of Summerhaven was already very close.

Summerhaven is a small tourist magnet in the middle of the mountains. I treated myself to a fresh apple, an ice cream and a beer and then it was off out of the crowded village again, as the actual stay in the town is not planned until Oracle.
I was able to find a room there for $50 a night using my cell phone. So I drove a few more kilometers closer to the city.

The last section of the Oracle Ridge Trail was particularly strenuous. It was hot and the path was full of loose rubble. Shortly afterwards, the trail turned into a dirt road, which was also full of rubble.

After 32 km and 1800 meters of elevation gain, it was time to call it a day.

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Day 12: As today was planned as a rest day in the city, I only had to ride the 22 km to the next highway. I had booked a room at a Trailangel for $50 a night and had to go to the post office to pick up my groceries. In addition, every battery I had with me was exhausted.

The 200 mile maker on the Arizona Trail

The trail today was much easier than the day before. Only the heat got to me at some point. There was delicious water from a huge blue tank on the side of the trail, the 200-mile mark was cracked, as well as ice cream and delicious food in the town – in other words, a day full of highlights.

Oracle is a cute little town in which you can also cover quite a few extra miles. The post office is at one end of town, the accommodation somewhere in the middle and the restaurants at the opposite end. It’s a 20-minute walk from your accommodation to the shops.

If you’re planning to go out for dinner in the evening, you should bear in mind that you’ll be walking along the street without street lighting or a kerb. I would have liked to have had my headlamp with me.

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