Vance started hiking at 6:00 am and I left at 7:30. Rod passed me at 9:30, and I came across Vance around 11:00.
That was the last I saw of Rod.
It was a beautiful hike, and the first day it really felt like we were in the desert. Wildflowers, cacti, and birds covered the trail.
Water became very limited. I filled up at some questionable looking cow streams. I say cow streams because they smell and taste like cow poop. Apparently my water filter can only do so much. Even my raspberry lemonade powder couldn’t mask it.
I stopped a lot to take it all in. The sun was brutal, but the scenery unlike anything I’d seen before.
I came across a Gila monster and little horned lizard.
When I got to the agreed upon meeting spot, Rod was no where to be seen. I happened to have service, and saw a message that he was ten miles ahead of us. I figured that would happen eventually.
That night was full of mooing cows, and that morning we were woken by the strangest sounding birds – they could have been mistaken for hyenas.
