Town Stay in Oracle

April 11, 2023 - Day 11

mile 193.3-211.3 (18 miles)

I slept terribly last night, my hips and legs kept falling asleep which has never happened to me before. I had fallen into an exhausted sleep at 8 p.m. but woke up at 10 and took 2 Aleves and a huge hit of my weed pen to fall back asleep on the hard, rocky ground. We woke up early again to get to town as soon as we could and we were both feeling the effect of the long hard day yesterday along with a bad nights sleep. We did see a pack of coatimundis shortly after leaving camp which was awesome and a mood lifter. We stopped dead in our tracks and watched in awe, they look like wild raccoon monkeys. One of them ran across the trail and the others ran through the brush on the hill above us. 

We celebrated mile 200 with a quick kiss. I was struggling after that though, it felt like the trail just kept going up and up and up and I was so tired. Put my headphones in to make it to the road walk. We walked down the hot pavement trying to find somewhere to eat but the town seemed pretty desolate at this time of day. There wasn't much to choose from anyway but everything was closed and the town seemed like a ghost town. 

We finally just picked up some ice cream and strawberries from a small market and then sat in the closest shade we could find under an overhang at an abandoned restaurant. Anne from the Airbnb called and said our fifth wheel we were staying in is ready and offered to come pick us up. The fifth wheel was super fancy and beautiful and we cranked the AC down as soon as we got there.

We both took quick showers and then Anne drove us down the road to the Mexican restaurant. We sat at a table with another hiker, a German named Michael. Then we walked across the road to the Dollar General to resupply and hitched back to Anne's with a nice couple.

I had a trail angel named Carol drive us into Tucson to go to REI so I could get some Hokas for my poor feet. I hated to waste our precious town time on errands but I knew I'd be regretting it this time tomorrow when I was limping through the desert. I decided on a pair of Speedgoats after trying a few different pairs on and Carol stopped at Olive Garden on the way back for us to pick up some take out. 

Back at the RV we ate our Olive Garden at our little table, I took another, slower shower, Hambone did our laundry, we soaked our feet in Epsom salt and watched a movie before an incredible nights sleep in the comfiest bed. Feeling so lucky to lay beside a man that I care so much about and lucky that he feels and expresses the same way about me.