Thursday, March 15 (Heidi)

Trail Miles: 23.1
Daily Miles: 15
Starting Elevation: 8564
Camp Elevation: 5193

We give up on our night at about 0600, and pack everything up in a heavy foggy mist. Everything has stayed dry, except for the tent, which gets stuffed wet into its sack. We use our pack covers and McKenna wears her poncho. My puffy coat is adequate for keeping me warm and dry since it's not a downpour. We discover we're actually in a cloud, and after a couple miles we break out into the sunshine and stop for breakfast, readjust boots, and take pack covers off, readying ourselves for a long descent off Miller Peak.

The climb down is an almost 12 mile descent, with little relief in the way of level or even uphill, but I eventually realize I have more energy, so we must be below 7000 feet. My knees and shins are not happy, but everything holds together, which is all I ask.

Lunchbreak is sitting among the pines on the side of the trail to have yummy PB&J, a huge pick-me- up as far as energy.

After a long day with sore feet, we are only a couple miles from Parker Creek, our  destination for  tonight, when we are overtaken by Ryman who is also planning on camping at Parker. We learn he left the Mexican border at 9:00 this morning (!), covering the distance it had taken us two entire days to travel. He's trying to get to Patagonia by tomorrow to meet up with friends who are waiting for him.

We arrive at Parker Creek to find him already set up, as well as a bikepacker, who tells us there's plenty of water and plenty of sites. And there are. We set up down stream and after a quick meal of Thai curry chicken (yes, as good as it sounds) we settle in for a really good night's sleep, to the soft lullaby of the creek nearby.