Tag: Gila Cliff Dwellings

Into the Gila Wild, Day Two

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Waiting for the Sun

Sunrise is officially at 6:45 a.m., but the sun doesn’t begin to penetrate the bottom of the canyon where we are camped until considerably later. It’s cold, and we are more reluctant to emerge from the warmth of our sleeping bags than normal. Without ever leaving their cozy confines, we can tell that the temperature is even colder now than when we went to bed last night. We unzip our bags just enough to pull our cold hiking clothes in, hoping that this will help take away some of the chill before putting them on. After a few more minutes of playing possum, we give up and get dressed as fast as possible. Our quick movements help generate a little body heat. (more…)

Into the Gila Wild, Day One

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After tackling 490 miles on the Colorado Trail this past summer, it’s been an awfully sedentary fall for the two of us, and we’ve been itching to hit the trail again and taste the freedom of the outdoors. With a week off over Thanksgiving, we were looking for a backpacking destination in the US that would offer a challenging multi-day experience and still be warm enough for camping in late November. Our first choice was the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Trail, a classic hike that’s still on our bucket list, but, unfortunately, we were too late this year to secure a permit. Where else would work? (more…)