30 Miles on the Middle Fork Gila River

May 23-26, 2024

Day Three: Down the Middle Fork

We got on the trail about 9:30 and reached the confluence around noon. I was sore and shuffling along like an old woman (that I am), wondering if I should have bailed at Little Bear Canyon.

We took a break to eat, stretch and pop a couple of Tylenols, and afterwards I felt much better. We resumed our downstream trek, marveling at how the landscape continued to change.

South of the confluence, the canyon is broader and the walls recede. Dark and tortured rhyolite gives way to smooth and bubbly volcanic tuff.

Trees are shorter and scarcer as the big pines give way to willows, juniper and piñon interspersed with Fremont cottonwoods and Arizona sycamores.

The cliffs were riddled with what appeared to be cliff dwellings. Were they really that numerous?

Zooming in often revealed broken down walls and blackened ceilings.

There were very few campsites in this section. We had planned to hike at least six miles, but logged 8.5 before we finally found the perfect spot, in a grove of junipers at a bend in the river.

Bath night!

Yahoo! Daily Mileage: 8.5

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