Kentucky Camp with the Girls

April 4, 2023 - Day 4

Mile 64.5-83.4 (18.9 miles)

I slept so good. Never woke up once until the sky started slowly brightening with sunrise. It's always interesting to look around at your surroundings the morning after a night hike. We had somehow managed to find one flat spot under a tree free of the piles of cow manure that were surrounding us otherwise.

Drying out the quilt from the dew last night

We had a dirt road walk most of the morning and Hambone and I stopped and fooled around for a while to entertain ourselves. We had a big, hot climb where I stopped every single switchback to take a sip of water and to regain my breath. After our big climb as the day wore on it was much cooler out than usual, the absolute perfect hiking weather. I knew Wonder and Ashley had to be just ahead of us all day and if we didn't catch them we had agreed to meet up at Kentucky Camp where we'd camp for the night. Saw plenty of cattle out today. It is somewhat nerve wracking to walk past the big horned beasts, knowing that they could turn and charge you any second. Most of the time though, they turn and run the other way, eyes wild and white rimmed at our appearance. It just felt good to be hiking. My headphones in, Tyler Childers album on repeat, the warm sun on the back of my legs and my body feeling strong.

We ended up getting to camp only five minutes after Wonder and Ashley. The last few miles before we got there we hiked fast as the sun dropped. I was actually cold, my hood up, my hands pulled into my sleeves. Kentucky camp is a ghost town and former ranching site that is now owned by the U.S. Forest Service. There is a main cabin that people can now rent out to stay in and a historic building with mining equipment and informational signs. Out back there were picnic tables and a water pump where we all filled up on water before heading back 0.1 south out of the camp boundaries to set up our tents by the gate. 

Right off the bat I pulled all of my layers out and bundled up, I couldn't believe how fast the temperature was dropping. Wonder and Ashley set up their tent while I set up Hambone and I's, while he started boiling water for dinner. Us 3 girls bundled up in the two person quilt and ate our dinner. I loved having them there and wished they would be hiking the entire trail, but they are getting off near Tucson and coming back to finish SOBO in the fall. 

After dinner I dove into the tent, snuggled up to Hambone, tucking my cold feet in between his massive calves and burying my head under the covers. 

Wildlife sightings: small gerbil thing, deer