MRT Day 13: Just Below the Rim

Daily Miles: 15.6, Total Miles: 160.3

Mrs. Haze dropped off Mini-Me and I at the Pine TH bright and early. The storm system hasn’t entirely left but so much better than yesterday.

Mini-Me and I got to yakking so much I missed an AZT turn shortly after mile 1. We hiked almost a mile in the wrong trail before realizing my mistake. Mini-Me is not impressed with my navigational skills thus far.

We hiked on the shared AZT/MRT all day with cool, mostly overcast skies. It sprinkled off and on all day. Just had to hug a big alligator juniper tree for a few minutes on one hard rain. The trail climbed about halfway up to the Rim then largely contoured except for dipping into and out of drainages. We had lunch at Bray Creek.

We found a nice campsite adjacent to Chase Creek. A nearby sign stated, “closed to fishing in efforts to re-establish Gila Trout”.

Neither one of us made it too long before nodding off. Despite several calls from Mini-Me for me to stop snoring, it was probably my best sleep so far on the MRT. He made some comment about the tents being much further apart tomorrow night.