Daily Miles: 9.0, Total Miles: 481.5 Another two-cups of coffee morning in no particular rush. I was a bit surprised as I was getting ready that it was overcast and threatening to rain. Sure enough, as I got to Sunflower Mesa Road and joined the familiar Grand Enchantment Trail, I was forced to stop and put on my rain jacket. It drizzled the rest of the way into Alma, my final destination. When passing through on the GET, I was…

Daily Miles: 13.9, Total Miles: 472.5 The day started off easy enough following the Little Blue and then joined later by the Blue River. A couple piles of bear scat early on. After about two miles, I turned east onto Baseline Trail and the real work began. A 2,500 ft climb on a rugged, rocky and brushy trail with Maple Canyon and Maple Peak to the south and Hobo Canyon to the north. This is one way to see impressive…

Daily Miles: 16.4, Total Miles: 458.6 Definitely warmer last night with the lower elevations. Since I had no resupply planned for Blue, there was an alternative put up by Brett Tucker (MRT creator) to hike south down the Blue River and then cut back to the MRT up Ladrone Canyon. Brett commented it may be more of a wilderness setting and a shortcut to boot – OK, I was sold! I followed the Blue River downstream for about five miles,…

Daily Miles: 16.2, Total Miles: 442.2 I was a bit worried yesterday about getting back to the trail from Alpine. Hitching is always possible but I knew traffic was sparse, especially early in the morning. The only advice a few locals had was to ask around at the Bear Wallow Cafe at breakfast. So I decided to cold call a couple whose contact info I got while researching this trail and may be available for a ride to the trail….

Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 426.0 I awoke to snorting and grunting, maybe a pig farm, no wait, I’m in a motel. It was a guy(?) snoring probably four inches away, separated by paper thin walls. Got breakfast at the only restaurant open in town, Bear Wallow Cafe. “Guns Welcome” sign and other banners kind of set the scene, but the food was OK. As it turned out, Alpine was a bust as far as eateries go. All restaurants (4?)…

Daily Miles: 14.0, Total Miles: 426.0 Last night I was looking through my maps reviewing today’s route. I soon realized I was starting my hike on FR25. I had driven this forest road back in 1972, the summer after my junior year in high school. I had some time from my summer job and wanted to go camping and fishing in the White Mountains. My dad generously gave me the keys to the family car, a blue 1964 /Chevy Impala….

Daily Miles: 29.5, Total Miles: 412.0 Cold last night – my water bottles were slushy this morning. No reason to take a side trip to Big Lake so headed out on the Indian Springs Trail. I got good water at Spillman Spring, a unique piped spring into hollowed out logs. Quite a bit of downfall on the trail, remnants of the wildfire, but young aspen seem to be thriving. I hiked down through the Home Creek drainage and then down…

Daily Miles: 22.0, Total Miles: 382.5 I must say the prime rib from Molly Bulter Lodge went down well. The blueberry pie and ice cream was also a special treat. Worked some of it off on the walk back to the motel. A good day of hiking today, some in burn areas but mostly with forest cover. Got into some of the scenic high country of the Baldy Wilderness on the West Fork and East Fork of the Little Colorado…

Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 360.5 A lazy day at the Lazy Trout. So lazy, I hitched to breakfast at the Rendezvous Diner and post office, then hitched back, saving probably three miles. Sparse traffic however, the summer fishing and camping crowds haven’t invaded yet. As a special treat, I had a great prime rib dinner at the Molly Butler Lodge, opened in 1910. One thing that has changed from the old Greer I remember is the view of the…

Daily Miles: 20.3, Total Miles: 360.5 I had one of those moments this morning that keeps me coming back to the trail. Woke up early, got my coffee going and looked out from my tent at the big meadow in front of me. I saw a few elk grazing and within 30 minutes, there were 40+ elk having breakfast – so cool! A brisk morning in the AZ high country. I started off following the boundary fence of the White…