{"id":1672,"date":"2024-05-02T18:15:37","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T18:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2024-06-07T20:28:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T20:28:03","slug":"5-2-2024-silver-city-to-gila-hot-springs-157-223-miles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/5-2-2024-silver-city-to-gila-hot-springs-157-223-miles\/","title":{"rendered":"5\/2\/2024: Silver City to Gila Hot Springs (157 \u2013 223 miles)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe are going to try the red line and blue line so we can climb some peaks,\u201d said a thru-hiker when I was packing my resupply at the Silver City post office. I told him that I would do the pink line aka the Gila Alternative. The red line is the official CDT and the resupply is challenging if you stay on it for the entire way to Pie Town. Many people take the Gila alternative for an easier resupply and an option to soak at Gila hot springs. I looked at the map again. I figured that the red and blue line route eventually merge into the pink line. If I do the red and blue, I could climb peaks and still get to the resupply and soak in hot springs. It\u2019s a bit longer but I changed my plan and decided to do the red and blue line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">After a quiet and solo walk, I settled that evening at Bear Creek. It was the first time I could camp near the natural stream. So wonderful to wash myself at the end of the day. Before going to sleep, I filled up 8 liters of water, knowing that there might be no water for the next day and a half. I fell asleep thinking that it would be heavy and it was worth it for the peaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The next morning, I left the camp early. I love walking before dawn, watching the sky turning bright and sunrise from the trail. The trail was on the west side of the ridge so for the majority of my hike up to Twin Sisters was in the shade. When I arrived at the spot where a social trail led up to the top of the North Sister, I dropped my pack and started walking towards the peak. The mountains here reminded me of the North Cascades. It\u2019s steep! I made it to the top and sat on a tiny rock to take it all in. I could see the peak of South Sister across the saddle. On my way down, I walked across the saddle to go up to the South Sister as well. Then I saw a steep gap to get down to the bottom of the saddle. I looked around and figured that I had to down-climb the 5th-class slab. I turned around thinking I could do it but I better not. At that moment, I saw a pair of peregrine falcons flying towards me then turned around and disappeared. A good sign I thought \u2013 they represent both strength and vulnerability. I am strong and vulnerable. They can coexist.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-5.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-5-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-5-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-5-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-5-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The peak of North Sister from the saddle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-1-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-1-1-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fresh bear scat on the trail!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">For the rest of the day, I climbed two more peaks: Black Peak and Signature Peak. Both had buildings on top of the mountain so they weren\u2019t my favorite but I still enjoyed the challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0974.jpg?w=1170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1834\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fire lookout on top of Signature Peak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1835\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0975-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I saw a fire (smoke in the middle of the photo) and thought it was too early for that!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Then I thought a bigger challenge was coming. For the next 60 miles, I\u2019ll travel a deep canyon of the middle fork of the Gila River. I know there are many crossings to navigate toward upstream. Perhaps it\u2019s good to accept vulnerability as a short person. If it makes sense I told myself it\u2019s okay to wait for someone tall to do the crossing with me to be safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The Gila alternative requires crossing the river back and forth over 200 times. Not only it is time-consuming but also it\u2019s nerve-racking since river crossing is probably the most dangerous thing that I would do in the wilderness. Plus my height and weight make it more susceptible to dangerous situations since taller and heavier people are, the better and safer in crossings. Someone who is 6\u20192\u201d may cross the river at their knee height whereas I will probably get water to my quads. Plus, I\u2019ll be doing this solo.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-3-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Entering the Gila River canyon in the early morning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-2-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-2-1-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-2-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-2-1-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A sign of beaver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-5.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-5.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-5.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-5.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-5.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-5.jpg?w=1793&amp;ssl=1 1793w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">So when I began, I tried to stay on high ground as much as I could to avoid crossing. That involved lots of loose rock scrambling and bushwhacking. I was down to a mile-an-hour pace. This is part of the adventure and at that point, it\u2019s all off-trail traveling. After a few high-ground traveling and river crossing, I sat down to take a break. I saw a guy whom I met last two days in a row walking up toward me and said, \u201cMiho!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I was relieved to see someone who was tall! Sheehan is 6&#8217;2&#8243; and he offered to hike with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">For the rest of the day, it went so much faster and easier. We took turns to navigate the terrain and discussed the best places to cross. Sheehan was considered and said, \u201cYou make the call where to cross and I can go first to see how deep it is or I can spot you.\u201d He also mentioned the hot springs on the side of the river. When we found it, we were so excited but when I got in first I said, \u201cOh my god it\u2019s so hot that I cannot sit directly on the bottom!\u201d We put a rock under our butt and sat there uncomfortably. I decided to name these hot springs as the butt-burning hot springs. Sheehan has an old soul and is easy to be around. We crossed the river back and forth, stopping for beautiful scenery. He called for the day early and I kept going. When I got to my camp, I thought what an awesome day I had! A challenging, pleasant, and sketchy day with a wonderful companion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-1-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_6487327-1-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The next morning, I hiked to the mud hot springs after crossing some deep water. I was completely soaked and when I arrived, I was shivering. I jumped in to get warm and appreciated nature&#8217;s gift that gave me warmth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-3-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-3-1-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-4-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_123927839-4-1-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Soaking in the mud hot springs on the side of the Gila River after cold early morning river crossings was a blessing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I made it to Gila Hot Springs campground in the late morning. I was getting closer to the campground, when Augie, a campground host, found me and said, \u201cHop on!\u201d He gave me a ride in his ATV to the camp and told me that he used to live in Lander, Wyoming. \u201cLander? Do you know NOLS? I used to work for them.\u201d What a small world! He and I connected, especially when we talked about our connection to our culture and the mountains. I haven\u2019t met a single CDT hiker of color and meeting him and sharing some common experiences as BIPOC was healing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?resize=1170%2C878&amp;ssl=1 1170w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/image_40041759-4-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Augie and I on his ATV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Soon, Sheehan showed up. I said, \u201cI\u2019ll be camping there and if you want to join me, I don\u2019t mind.\u201d A few minutes later, I saw him walking towards me with a big smile and said, \u201cI\u2019m coming over and camp with you!\u201d As we unpack our resupply, he shared a poem that his friend gave him before he left. It touched me deeply because it was about being true to yourself and walking this life and planet with humbleness. It spoke to my value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">As we were hanging out, Augie came over and said, \u201cI\u2019m going to make some squash tonight. Would you be interested in it? I always have more food than I could eat. I\u2019ll ring a bell. When you hear it, come on over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Being vulnerable and accepting help opened up a wonderful friendship with Sheehan. Augie is offering a fresh meal, a gesture of kindness and connection. 21 miles of many crossings of the river was a lot and yet so little for this much learning.\u00a0It\u2019s perfect. It\u2019s magical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">All it\u2019s missing is soaking in the hot springs. It\u2019s still pretty hot. After a meal and when the stars paint the sky, it\u2019ll be the time. The time for taking deep breaths and soaking all that the universe is offering me in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Appreciation:<\/strong> Jake and Barb for giving me a ride to the trailhead, Bear Creek for providing me with fresh clear water, Sheehan for his company and meaningful conversations as well as crossing the river together, and Augie for such a warm welcome to Gila Hot Springs campground and inviting us to fresh meal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Best learning: <\/strong>Being brave and vulnerable are two sides of the same coin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Challenges:<\/strong> Limited water source on the red and blue line, carrying 8 liters of water (over 16 LB) on peak ascent day, bushwhacking, scrambling on loose rocks, traversing rock face with a pack and crossing the river, some crossings were above my chest that I swam twice<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Disappointment:<\/strong> Butt-burning hot springs! Both Sheehan and I did some sketchy rock moves to get there for that butt-burning experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Exciting moments:<\/strong> A view from the top of North Sister, seeing small patches of first snow at 9,000 feet on the north face of Black Peak, meeting and spending time with Sheehan, a comical swim I ended up doing in the supporting presence of Sheehan, mud hot springs and Gila Hot Springs campgrounds with Augie!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe are going to try the red line and blue line so we can climb some peaks,\u201d said a thru-hiker when I was packing my resupply at the Silver City post office. I told him that I would do the pink line aka the Gila Alternative. The red line is the official CDT and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1677,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cdt","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5\/2\/2024: Silver City to Gila Hot Springs (157 \u2013 223 miles) - triple crown of full circle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/5-2-2024-silver-city-to-gila-hot-springs-157-223-miles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5\/2\/2024: Silver City to Gila Hot Springs (157 \u2013 223 miles) - triple crown of full circle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cWe are going to try the red line and blue line so we can climb some peaks,\u201d said a thru-hiker when I was packing my resupply at the Silver City post office. 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