There were close to 15 cars parked nearby. Unfortunately, I’d soon figure out there were zero trash cans at the trailhead. But now that meant I was lugging a decaying banana peel along with me, and the peel was only going to get softer and smellier as the day warmed up. I’d snagged a banana from the hotel right before departing, and eaten it as soon as I got dropped off at the trail. Whew! I’d made it through without incident.Īmtrak train rolling across the desert Who is Gabe?Īs I walked the next mile or so to the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead, I silently hoped there was a trash can waiting for me in the parking area. I despite and fear snakes that much!Īt the tunnel’s far end, I emerged back into the bright daylight, and that’s when I was met by the only serpent present… a mural of a pit viper painted on the concrete’s northern opening. I was taking absolutely no chances in this dark. A normal hiker would have just put on their headlamp and hiked. This absurdly cautious technique is why it probably took me twice the typical amount time to walk through the tunnel. Only when I was sure it was safe to walk forward did I take a few hesitant steps. I used my cell phone’s flashlight to lead the way and began sweeping it back and forth across my path from one side of the concrete tunnel to the other. I really didn’t want to encounter a rattlesnake in these narrow confines. The more I thought about venomous snakes, the more I began to feel the anxiety creeping up. Was I voluntarily putting myself into jeopardy by walking in? How different was this tunnel it from an underground snake den? It was dark. Instead, I was focused on the incredibly dark tunnel, and how it immediately felt about ten degrees colder than the morning air.Īs I entered the murky abyss, I began to wonder whether this long passage had rattlesnakes resting inside it. Yet those images weren’t what held my attention. They’d tagged the underpass’s entrance with colorful paint. Several graffiti artists had been there though. Or even that they were driving directly above one of our country’s 11 National Scenic Trails. Tucked out of sight, most of them had absolutely no clue I there. Semi-trucks and passenger cars sped above me. And more directly ahead, across the flat expanse of desert, I could see the vehicle traffic on Interstate 10 steadily driving east toward New Mexico.Īfter a little over an hour after returning to the trail, I reached the concrete tunnel running under the freeway. Mountains curved into a semi-circle to my north, with Mica Mountain and Rincon Peak jutting upward toward the sky. The ground was still smooth and (mostly) free of rocks, and the overall elevation gain was negligible. The next six miles from the Sahaurita trailhead to the Gabe Zimmerman trailhead was some of the easiest hiking I’ve done sine I started the AZT. I guess you could say I’m prioritizing expediency over money on the thru-hike. All told, it was a relaxing (albeit more costly) means to get myself back to the trailhead before 8 am. My Uber driver turned out to be a really nice lady who grew up in Oregon, so we spent most of the ride chatting about our shared home state. My hotel was right on the edge of Tucson, so there were plenty of cars available. Yesterday’s fruitless experience trying to get a hitch convinced me that the easiest way back out to the trailhead would be to just grab an Uber again. But I still woke with the sun, and was ready to head down to the hotel’s breakfast buffet at dawn. Is the clamor of city noises keeping me alert and awake? The hotel air conditioning kicking off and on…the car engines starting up…the voices of neighbors in the next room? Or, is it simply the allure of the internet that beckons me to stay up past midnight watching videos?Īnd so, I didn’t fall asleep until several hours after I normally might out on the trail. Why do I always end up staying up way too late when I go into town? End: Boundary to Saguaro Natl Park (Mile 124.4).Start: Sahaurita Trailhead (Mile 104.9).
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