444.4-460.6 windy but warm night. Walking at 6:20 and happy to be getting to Pine. New shoes! Got to Pine around 2 o’clock. Hikers we hadn’t seen for days all converged on the trail to Pine. Doc, Stone, Satori, Soda and Ice. Been walking on various kinds of rocks, lots of rocks for about three days. The ankles and knees need a break. Caylie still nursing the Burns. Taking a zero in Pine.
424.4-444.4 last nights storm and we got a lot of rain, which is in froze. In the morning the tent was a big popsicle. We got to LF ranch around 2 o’clock in the afternoon and got our 1-day resupply. Enough to get us to Pine. Hiked another 5 miles. About 60 more miles to playing tomorrow. Soda and Ice are camped nearby. Everyone looking forward to Pine tomorrow.
406.0-424.4 hiking this morning at seven. Second day in Mazatzal wilderness. First part of the day high in the mountains-very beautiful! We started a long discussion about mid day. About 2 o’clock we encountered Doc. He had just encountered a Mtn lion with for cubs. A very dangerous situation. He safely back out of it and waited for us to arrive. Together the three of us walked back up the trail watching for the mountain lion mother and the Cubs. This time there were no signs of any.
The afternoon in the Mazatzal wilderness was not much fun. Very rocky with Manzanitas and thorny bushes in the trail and on both sides. Got very scratched up. Again. Stopped early near a wash. Waiting in the tent for a storm to hit. Can see it off in the distance. Winds are strong and we can see the storm coming towards us.
385.1-406.0 for some mysterious reason we awoke with lots of condensation in the tent and damp sleeping bags. In the desert. Later we ran into Doc and he had the same experience. Weird. Hiking at 7:00. Most of today was moderate with plenty of streams. We hiked into the Mazatzal wilderness area, leaving four peaks behind. It is truly gorgeous! And we crossed the 400 mile mark today, halfway point. 
The mountains are remarkable. Our tent is pitched on a narrow ledge. The light in the western sky is fading and the always starry Arizona night is emerging. I love trail life.
365.3-385.1 and uneven full day. Certainly the easiest 20 miles so far. We dropped if you thousand feet in elevation and walked on a forest service road for about 12 miles. Did walk up on the Trailside rattlesnake, keeping it real.
The picture is a glass beer bottle in the desert. It is melted. Wear your sunscreen. 
345.3-365.3 our ride got us back to the marina and we were hiking by 730. The climb in the four peaks wilderness was long and steep, climbing over 6000 feet. But the air was cool and the views were spectacular. An awesome day of hiking! We had two good water sources today-we are camped at the second one-a gorgeous clear mountain stream.
342.2-345.3 rain started rolling in around 2 AM. We were sheltered from the wind, but it rained until 8 AM. We discovered during the night we have a hole in the tent floor when we found a puddle in the tent. Many things got wet. We stayed in the tent until the rain stopped then hiked down to the Roosevelt lake marina to get a resupply box. The sun came out around 10 AM So we spread out the tent, sleeping gear, and clothes to dry out. But instead of warming, as forecast, it’s stormed all day, raining, blowing and hailing. Considering the weather and the recent leg wound we decided to bail to a hotel in Tonto Basin. Back on the trail in the morning. Coming up… Four peaks.
I am attaching to this post several pictures which Caylie took over the last few days.
320.7-342.2 we are camped about 3.3 miles from Roosevelt lake marina, the place we mailed a resupply box. It would be great to have made it there is a storm is expected tonight, but we ran out of gas. Most of the day we were in the superstition Mountains. Incredibly beautiful. Hiked up into Pine forests laced with streams. The day also included five short but steep climbs. Caylie saw aJavelina. Bad accident in camp this evening as Caylie accidentally spilled boiling water on her ankle and foot.
Julie from the hotel took us out to the trail. We were hiking at 7:30. Today was a long and then suddenly steep climb into the superstition Mountains. We are back in the mountains with cold clear creeks everywhere. The climb today was a joyful experience. I enjoyed it very much. Also the temperature has dropped so we were hiking in The 80s at the hottest part of the day. We are now camped by the creek. Many things aligned for me today. I wrenched my ankle and pulled a muscle back on Mica mountain, so I’ve been hiking in pain for over a week. But it is getting better finally. Also a bite or a cactus staying in the soul of my left foot is getting better after a week of pain. And I got some Claritin yesterday. something in Arizona has been killing me for about a week. All much better today. And cooler weather! And water!
289.8-301.1 did an easy 10 miles to highway 60 and got a ride into superior Arizona. Staying overnight at the Copper Mountain Motel, a dive. It’s a mining town past its prime. We will resupply and head out for Roosevelt in the morning. The temperatures dropped dramatically starting tomorrow, with highs dropping out of the 90s down into the 60s over the next few days. That should make things easier. Doing town Chores now.
Crossed over 300 miles today!
Mando 