Day 26 was the only “zero day” I allowed myself on the trail. We only stayed at an Airbnb or went shopping. We cooked our own meals and put our feet up.
Day 27: We left the Airbnb as late as possible and headed back towards the trail. We met other hikers at the trailhead. Including Sandals who was hiking with us for 2 nights. It was less rocky than we were used to on the plateau. The trail was beautiful and varied. Rock formations, red sand and the knowledge that the next few days to Flagstaff would be rather easy was like music to our ears.
We camped by a small river where fishing was prohibited. This seemed strange to me, as I hadn’t seen a single fish in the water we were drinking.
Day 28: We arrived at the top of the plateau and from then on it was a bit muddy and there was snow, but almost all the elevation gain was done. There was a knee-deep river crossing in freezing water later in the day and a campsite that was still shooting. Fortunately, we were able to use the toilets and garbage cans on site. There was also drinking water. After a long day of hiking, we pitched our tent on the side of a dirt road. It was so damp and cold that my sleeping bag and tent were wet the next morning. The outer tent even had a layer of ice on the inside.
Day 29: The whole day was very wet, it was muddy everywhere and most of the trail was more of a river than a hiking trail. But that was also the most eventful part of the day. The initial joy that the trail was now easier gave way to sheer boredom. I missed the sharp stones under my feet and the meters of altitude. The mp3 player was used more and more often. The landscape wasn’t ugly, but it wasn’t particularly varied either and there were no beautiful views.
Day 30: Today we headed to Mormon Lake as quickly as possible. We wanted to buy a few groceries for the next few days in the small store on the largest natural lake in Arizona. My parents also visited us and treated the 3 of us to some trail magic with beer and food.
With our bellies full, we then followed the road around the lake instead of the trail. We wanted to take in one more viewpoint before heading back up the trail via a campsite.
The viewpoint was rather disappointing, but to be honest I didn’t feel like I was missing anything on the trail.
Day 31: The day started as the last one ended. In a beautiful but boring spruce forest. It wasn’t until we were quite close to Flagstaff that the trail became beautiful and the spruce forest was interspersed with impressive rocks. We hiked as far as we could towards the city and spent the night on a small hill from where we could see the city lights.
Day 32: We were so close to Flagstaff that we were able to have breakfast in town in the morning. We looked around town, had coffee, picked up Aspen’s package and checked into the hotel. Aspen then took advantage of my shower and washed her clothes before setting off without us. She wanted to meet other friends on the trail who were a little further ahead. Plus, her schedule was a little tighter than mine. So Katie and I had to say goodbye to Aspen.
I went to the outdoor store to replace my broken gear, bought food for several days of hiking and invited my parents to dinner at a brewery in the evening, where they served vegan burgers. Flagstaff is also known for its many small local breweries.
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