Day 9, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni to Coconino Rim Road

I did see a few animals. The first were Abert's squirrels. I failed to photograph them, just as I did when I tried to take a picture of the rare Kaibab squirrel. 

Unlike the rock squirrel I saw in the Grand Canyon, Abert's squirrels and Kaibab squirrels have been camera-shy. They stay faraway and only climb on the far side of trees.

Kaibab squirrels are only found on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, particularly near Jacob Lake. Abert's squirrels are found throughout much of Arizona, New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. Both are tassel-eared, but instead of a white tail and black belly, Abert's squirrels have a mixed-gray tail and white underside.

For a moment, I mistook the other animals I passed on the trail. I thought they were the elk I heard earlier. I had to get closer before realizing they were cows.

Another thing I noticed while walking this morning was large piles of brush. These were part of an operation that reduces the risk of a wildfire by clearing downed tree branches and stacking them in compact clumps.

Often called slash piles, they are left to dry for six months or more before they are burned in controlled conditions, usually in winter or early spring. 

Slash piles do not eliminate the likelihood of a wildfire, but when the piles are removed, the benefits outweigh the effort. The size and severity of a fire can be significantly reduced.

After 2.3 miles, I arrived at Upper 10X tank, the first water source of the day. Before collecting water, I ate my breakfast, a raisin cinnamon bagel with peanut butter.

The trail crossed miles and miles of the same flat terrain with a scattering of trees. I was glad to find a few animals during this tedious stretch of trail. Even the challenge of filtering bad water provided a small diversion.

The monotony was unexpectedly broken at 10 a.m. when I met another hiker. He told me his trail name was Area 52, and he had hiked many long trails. He was planning a yo-yo hike of the PCT and hoped to set an FKT (fastest known time) for that. 

Area 52 wasn’t thru-hiking the AZT today, and was only out for a day hike. He said he recently met Emma, the daughter of Hush and Side View, but hadn't met any other hikers.

About a mile up the trail, I found a gallon water jug that was almost full. It was at a trail junction with a note that said the water was for public use.

Though I wouldn't have taken any if it had been cached for an individual, I was grateful to take a liter. My chocolate milk water could be saved for later.

Did I mention that the scenery never seemed to change?

I didn’t stop again until almost noon. So far, I had walked less than eight miles in 5.5 hours, a ridiculously slow pace for easy trail conditions. But I was feeling more tired than usual. I hoped eating lunch would boost my low energy. 

Just as I was finishing my lunch, Area 52 came by again. He told me he was camped near Grandview Lookout Tower, and if I needed water, I should look for him there. 

Considering the water situation for the next several miles, this offer sounded ideal.

When I left, the trail remained as flat and boring as before, with one slight variation. Now the trees were burnt.
 
The farther I walked, the more I could feel the energy draining from my body, and I couldn't understand why. The elevation was no longer a problem. The temperature was warm but not especially hot. I was trying to regularly drink water with electrolytes and eat snacks.

I stopped a couple of times in the afternoon to take a sit-down break and eat a snack bar, hoping that would restore some energy.

It didn’t.

The only reason I could pin on why I was feeling so run down was the tedious terrain. Thankfully, I found another small highlight when I turned to look back to the north. I caught a view of the Grand Canyon.

I didn’t need to climb the tower to see it after all.

For the whole day, I only saw wildflowers once. They were showy goldeneyes, and showy they were.

I should qualify this identification to say I think they were showy goldeneyes. Thousands of similar yellow wildflower varieties can be found around the world. There are so many that they’re sometimes lumped into a group called "doggone yellow composite."

The next water source was a wildlife tank, and I arrived there a few minutes before 5 p.m. Reaching the trough was a little challenging because it was surrounded by a fence. Also, I had pretty much spent all of my energy by then.

The tank was about 1/10th of a mile from the trail. Instead of chocolate brown, the water was delightfully clear, with only a hint of green.

After collecting and filtering a couple of liters, I decided to walk to Coconino Rim Road (Forest Service Road 310), which followed a route parallel to the trail and was much closer to the tank. The FarOut app showed the road was an alternate route.

I followed the road for a half mile until I found a spot to set up my tent.

For dinner, I added the egg Area 52 gave me to a Mexican rice side dish. While waiting for the rice to cook, I checked FarOut to see what the water situation ahead looked like. The next source was about 4.5 miles away. The one after that will be 18.5 miles farther. 

I am not looking forward to tomorrow.