Tuesday, April 09, 2013 – 22.5 km

The wind worsened overnight, shifting so that it was blowing directly into the side of my tent. I was worried – not extremely worried, but worried – so I leaned against the wall to support it. In Oracle, I had received an email from my father saying that the weather was going to become cooler and windy and he supposed I would have to pay more attention to how I oriented my tent. I only thought ‘whatever’ because coolness and wind are usually good in Arizona. Couldn’t you have elaborated, Dad? Or at least directed me to your weather report, which was apparently far better than mine?

I heard a sound that I initially thought was ripping seams, but it was rain. Can you tell that this is my first backpacking trip? The sound was making me sleepy so I decided to listen to Disturbed as tent holding-up music, but the dramatic lyrics made me start laughing. I would be creeped out if I came across a tent in a storm and someone was sitting inside in the dark, laughing. That’s the type of person who might have packed in a meat cleaver, or a particularly prickly piece of cactus.

Finally the rain took a break, the wind taking a break with it. I managed to get to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, it was raining again, and I sat in my tent until it stopped. I began walking late and the wind was strong and the clouds looked bad in all directions and the scenery was soul-draining and I was tired and cranky. At least the terrain was flat, so I could automaton along an ugly power line.

In the afternoon, I cheered up during a section of trail where plants were blooming with large gorgeous flowers.

Finally I reached an area sheltered by flowering bushes. No wind! I dried my tent and lit my Esbit with only the normal amount of swearing. A decent end to the day.