MRT Day 15: Highline Trail to Christopher Creek

Daily Miles: 17.8, Total Miles: 193.7

We got an early start for a pretty big day to Christopher Creek as planned. We both had less than a liter of water this morning so we hightailed it the six miles to Tonto Creek. The trail tread was much better today but a lot of up and down going in and out of canyons.

At Tonto Creek, we met a birdwatcher who warned that this creek water wouldn’t be his first choice. Too much waste effluent from the upstream fish hatchery. He recommended hiking another one mile to Dick Williams Creek. Good advice – nice little babbling brook with clear water and little animal impact.

We continued on the rollercoaster trail with great views of the rim just above us, made even more enjoyable by more forest and shade. Pretty Horton Creek was another highlight and good lunch spot.

A warmer day combined with the sneaky total vertical made the next eight miles a bit grueling. Our respective music playlists helped lessen the pain. We finally made the long descent to Christopher Creek and found the creek crossing area closed to camping. We walked upstream a short distance and found a nice creek spot.

We both plunged our heads into the cold stream, washed our limbs and soaked our feet – what relief!