The lonely day. Today was the first day we hiked alone. It was the first day we did not see any other hikers from the time we woke up until we set up camp. It was also the first day we hiked without the sun beating down on us.

We broke camp a little earlier than usual and intended to beat the heat of the day. With the heat from yesterday being so intense, we wanted to get in as many miles as possible during the early hours of the day. However, to our surprise, we were met with overcast skies. A first for us on the Arizona Trail and a welcome change.

With the intensity of the sun minimized, the temperature around ten degrees cooler than the day before, and a breeze in the air we cruised along the trail. Throughout the day we meandered from dirt trail to old roads yet again. At this point it seemed as if the theme of this section of the trail would be road walking.

As the end of the day finally approached we found ourselves hiking nearly two miles farther than planned. It was not only a nice surprise, but a confidence boost as well. All made possible by the continued use of lower elevation trail and dirt roads.