We aimed for 25 last night. Stretched that to 31 at mid-morning snack ~11am. Clinched town at 36 at lunch ~1:00 PM. Added the extra 2.1 to Mother Road Brewery upon arrival in Flagstaff. So...a 38 mile day. Holy cow! My longest day of walking ever on my life! I had three beers and a flight (yup, Koa Class and SRF friends) and two orders of sliders plus noshing on sides. Yes, water too.

We are currently at the Radisson Downtown thanks to 44K points I was happy to burn for the four of us (Swede is taking a solo night).

During the last four days we have had snow, mud, dry, great forests and yucky, spectacular views and so so, cold morning temps and warm daytimes, passed a couple of hikers and wandered solo as a tribe, and have I mentioned the mud?!!

Mañana we will reconnect with Swede for a two day zero at the Hilton care of his points. All of us have REI visits planned, a good couple of breakfasts and more breweries planned (yup, Koa Class and SRF friends), will likely walk the Passage 33 town route on Friday so we can uber to the northern trailhead, and I’m intending to book a massage sometime in this double zero.

I also have to decide what I’m going to do for post Flagstaff. If the conditions headed up to the southern rim are mushy and muddy and just not fun, I might pass and use the time to see a few of Arizona’s other trophies. If good, however, I’ll only have to find a way from southern rim to Phoenix/Tempe by Thursday, because I’ve given myself the gift of two days and nights at a Hyatt on points before my Cincinnati friend friends arrive and then head to the PCT for five months!

Enjoy the pics.