Day 210 (HDT 26)

Day 210 (HDT 26): 16 miles

We got a ride from an awesome trail angel named Michael back to the trail this morning. He drove pretty far out of his way to help us and was super nice. It was comforting to have a ride set up since it took us an hour and a half to get a ride into town.

Before leaving I ate 5 hot pockets and had 6 Voltages this morning, so I was feeling good. Soon after we started hiking in Buckskin Gulch, it got really muddy. And it was annoying mud. It was super slick, which made it slow going and a little risqué. I fell 5 times, none serious but the last one hurt me, just bit in my body. I slipped and snapped my trekking pole in the middle section. The whole thing is useless now and I’m gonna throw it away as soon as I see a trash can. Having 2 trekking poles would’ve been really nice in the later part of today 🙃

After reaching the Buckskin Gulch Trailhead, we continued on, now in an actual area where people that aren’t just Haydukers hike. There were some use trails around the gulch in the beginning to avoid the mud.

But after a bit we reached the start of the slot canyon area and the impossible-to-avoid water in it. We looked for a way around but soon accepted our fate, conceding that we still had 3 miles to go in the gulch and this certainly wouldn’t be the last water.

It started out pretty innocent. There was some shallow water to walk through and it was just normal silty water with mud under it. But as we went in it got a little more wild. It started to get deeper and the bottom was really slippery mud. Then, while I was in front, I stepped on what looked to be ground but ended up just being liquid covered on top by some soft soil. It was probably just normal water but seemed really gross with all the stuff in it.

We walked in this soil covered water for a while. It seemed to keep getting deeper, until one point where the water level was up to my crotch and I was not enjoying it cause now it was ice cold water. With the privilege of being 6’2”, I really don’t have to deal with water being high up on me much, so when I do, it’s a bit shocking. Also with the floating soil, sometimes it was pretty dense. I would try to walk through it and couldn’t, or it would just keep floating ahead in front of me. Sometimes I would have to push it to the side of me, or kinda chop it up and split it up.

We finally reached a deep pool and on the other side there were 2 clean people standing there. I was overjoyed cause I knew that was the last water since they were clean. It’s cool to look back on now, but I was definitely not enjoying it at the time.

Then we did a few more miles out of Wire Pass slot canyon and are camping at the Stateline Campground tonight

Song of the day: whiskey in the jar-Metallica