When I removed my buff from my eyes the next morning, the sun was already up. I could see the lake twinkling in the distance and I knew I needed to be in the water stat.
cowboy camping at Roosevelt Lake
After packing up my sleeping bag and stashing my pack in the hiker shed, I popped into the Marina store for a breakfast delicacy.
I’m usually a healthy eater, but I was feeling like a treat so I left with a sweet tea (no cream soda – sad day!) and a double chocolate ice cream sandwich.
I knew I was taking my life in my hands with the ice cream sandwich decision, but I’ll quote one of my favorite silly movies here: “sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit” (if you haven’t seen ‘Fired Up’ and you need a laugh, it’s absolutely hysterical)
Funnily enough, IRL (in real life) I can eat cheese, ice cream, queso, no problem. But the moment – THE MOMENT I hit a hiking trail I suddenly become instantaneously lactose intolerant. If anyone knows the reason as to why – I’m all ears.
After my brekky delicacy I started off towards the marina proper to take a long overdue swim in a lake – and got a call from Spud that he was at the hiker shed and G-Snail was due any minute. I did a 180° and headed back to ask them how those last few miles were. Spud of course with a straight face told me it was lovely and I totally missed out. To which I looked over my aviators at him and said “I would rather hike out of Roosevelt twice than hike that stretch IN, any day of the week.” And it’s true.
I then set off once more for my swim, and can now add Arizona to my skinny dipping in every state bucket list; I found a little fishing dock with a couple land-locked old boats that I had all to myself and it was glorious. A layer of salt left my body on the surface of the water when I slid in – it is seriously hot out here on the AZT right now.
a {relatively} clean Starfish
My friends, Chelsea & Gma Onie who live in Globe, AZ met us for lunch at the marina restaurant and it did my heart a world of good to see them. They also graciously took us all the way to the Globe Walmart so the boys could resupply for this next long stretch to Pine, AZ. I was getting off trail for my first official zero day (a day off – zero miles hiked) about 40 miles up trail so I was okay with 2 days of food in my pack.
sweet gma Onie
We said goodbye to Chelsea & Gma Onie in the marina parking lot and set off about an hour before sunset to start the roadwalk & climb out of Roosevelt Lake, our goal being 10 miles or so.
It’s fun to walk over the big bridge in the area. A little history about Roosevelt Lake – it’s the largest lake or reservoir located entirely within the state of Arizona & was completed & dedicated by Teddy Roosevelt in the spring of 1911.
Then the climbing started. And it’s really not too terrible at least for the first 2k feet of uphill. I had fun, and it’s the first time I’ve night hiked on this trail where I wasn’t alone. I could see Spud’s headlamp ahead of me by about ¼ mile and G-Snail’s behind me about the same and and it was quite the cozy hiking scene.
We were about a mile from our camping spot/water cache when we all caught up to each other with Spud in the lead, when he suddenly stopped and said “did you see that?!” Well. It was dark so both G-Snail and I said no. He said there was a pygmy owl of some sort that was on the side of the trail that took off and he showed us pictures of what he managed to take.
When I tell you only a third grader would have been able to identify what exactly it was he had a photo of, I am not exaggerating.
I started giggling and Could. Not. Stop. I pointed out it looked like a child’s crayon creation for a refrigerator and then suddenly we were all laughing. Hysterically. Hiking uphill and laughing like a bunch of lunatics.
This is what hysteria, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and adrenal fatigue looks like.
(I will say to Spud’s credit we all saw one of the dirt baby pygmy owls shortly after this ridiculous scene so he is justified in his sighting of one/failure to properly photograph one)
When we got to the trailhead we all collapsed onto our respective ground cloths & sleeping pads/bags. Shoveled dinner into our mouths, and with very little conversation promptly passed. TF. OUT.
Never stop exploring. Embrace the suck. I. Believe. In. YOU. kk ily <3
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