Tue Nov 1^st: Stopped in the town of Garrison and spoke to the kindergarteners about Kenya and my hike. I made them plastic bag balls to keep and then continued onwards, stopping early to camp beside a beautiful lake with a rocky beach. Made a fire, the first one since leaving California . It has been so windy and dry that I hadn’t had any good opportunities to safely have a fire. Plenty of driftwood and plenty of water. After eating I took some of the heated rocks and put them in my sleeping bag where they’ll stay warm almost the whole night. Venus is so bright, it reflects on the lake looking like a boats headlight. Mars has risen. What a glorious evening!

Wed Nov 2^nd: Very windy and dusty. Lots of people are looking out for me, the sheriff pulled over to see if I needed a ride, as well as a man who is commuting from town every day. He honks and waves every day and told me if I need anything to let him know and he’ll stop when he sees me. Last night I used a bivy sac over my sleeping bag and no tent. My feet still got wet because of the dampness trapped in it, I haven’t been able to get it fully dried. The wind is making simple tasks difficult. I am in a ditch to try and get away from the wind so I can write. As I walked the wind caused me to stumble often and has really made me feel much more tired than usual. I could hardly eat dinner, the wind would blow the food off my spoon.

Thur Nov 3^rd: Nice day, walked across a very long valley. Went by a cow camp and watched the cowboys loading up cattle to take them over the pass – I suppose to their winter range. Gorgeous sunset, just as I came over the summit I looked behind me and saw all I had walked over the last day. Ahead of me the next valley was bathed in rose light while the clouds shone a fiery pink.

Fri Nov 4^th: Saw a herd of antelope! Took out my binoculars and watched them for awhile. Just as the sun was setting I reached the top of the range and got to watch a spectacular sunset play across the next range and valley in between. The vivid colors cannot be captured on film. It reminds me of a painting in the St.Louis art museum – one of the romantic rose colored landscapes. The same cowboys from yesterday shuttled back and forth as they moved their cattle from the valley. Today my body feels really good, feet not too sore for the 3^rd 20 plus miler in a row. Feet get tired much quicker pounding on the road than on trails.

Sat Nov 5^th:  Night hiked last night, led by the glow of the stars and the occasional car passing by. Woke early and watched the stars fade as the sun brightened the land. It is neat to see what the land looks like after walking in the dark for a couple of miles. Listened and watched as long trains pulled in and out of town.  Hiked a quick 9 miles into Milford and allowed myself the luxury of eating at a restaurant. With my big appetite I need to be careful how I spend money on food. It is better to go to the grocery store and buy more food, but it is so nice to have a warm meal that consists of more than adding pasta or rice to boiling water. I feel so blessed, no matter how much we try and “rough it” in our country, it is nothing compared to the way so many people in the world struggle for their basic necessities. As I walk day after day I often think of the children and adults who also walk all day, but they aren’t walking for personal enjoyment or for their health or to lose weight. They are walking to survive. To get water , collect firewood, or to herd cattle. I cannot walk away from those who are struggling to survive, this is why I am walking for them. Once in town I went to the Post office and found out that a package I am expecting has not arrived. What to do? It is Sat, should I wait until Mon? Watched as some people from town hung Christmas decorations and lights from the top of the roof and all around the grounds of the library. The Christmas spirit has joyfully seeped into me. I am soaking up the atmosphere, watching the life that surrounds me, contentedly leaning against a giant tree. The library is a relaxing space, cozy and comfortable like a reading den. I just need a glass of wine and I would fall into a sleepy slumber.

Sat Nov 19^th: Where has the time gone!? To make a long story short, I stayed in Milford for two weeks working at a local motel that desperately needed help. I am getting to be quite the housekeeper, but I prefer housekeeping to consist of stuffing my sleeping bag and tent in a stuff sack and sleeping under the stars. As I leave Milford I am taking a route that goes thru the mountains instead of around them. I met two men with cloth baskets strapped over their shoulders swinging tennis rackets at the sage, they took me by surprise, as I had no clue to what they were doing. They were gathering seed to reseed fire damaged areas. Woke up in the middle of the night because I was too warm… my body is doing a good job of staying warm. Also it helps that I gained at least 5 pounds in Milford .

Sun Nov 20^th:  I made it to the town of Beaver and saw a friend from Milford , was invited to stay in Beaver but decided to continue hiking. I have begun waking up at 5 AM to be able to have more daylight to hike in. By the time I get hiking it is just light enough to see my surroundings. I am bundled from the cold and relish the moment the sun shines over the horizon upon me.

Mon Nov 21^st: I need to rearrange my routine. It is too cold in the morning to prepare the humus I eat for lunch, it freezes in my pot as I mix it up. Also my water in the platypus tube freezes until the sun directly shines on it. Since it is colder I am cooking just outside the tents vestibule, normally I cook further from my tent. Now the steam enters my tent and creates frost, I must dry my tent out at lunchtime. Since it is colder I must use more fuel and food, so far I have been able to sleep through the nights staying warm (fingers get cold). Today I have been following a gravel road that turned into a dirt road and has now disappeared into the sagebrush. Am following cow trails and am fighting my way thru tumbleweeds, I am calling it swashbuckling…the word seems to describe the action of my walking/scrambling. I lost my camera, backtracked it, and found it where I had jumped over a fence. I missed the spring I was supposed to fill up at, very low on water so I went to bed without supper.

Thur Nov 24^th: Happy Thanksgiving!

Fri Nov 25^th: Woke at 5 AM , ate cookies for breakfast and am hiking with the stars shining, it is VERY cold! A car pulled over and I was offered a ride, graciously refused and explained how I am walking all the way across the country. Have entered Red Rocks area, before the sun came up I passed a closed for the season souvenir shop, I wished it was open so I could wrap my frozen fingers around a steaming cup of hot tea or hot choc. It teased me because it had a sign for free coffee, unable to wait a couple months for it to open I continued onwards. I kept walking and when the sun peeked out over the top of the canyon I smiled and sang with joy. Sunrays are so warming!

Sat Nov 26^th: Walked to Tropic and met George, he helped me put out water drops along the road for the upcoming section. I feel so lucky to have so many people help make this walk a reality.

Sun Nov 27^th: Snowed last night and my sleeping bag got wet. Hiked into Cannonville, my pen to write with is not working too well, I need to keep warming it with my breath so that the ink flows. I got to town and found the only business open, a Laundromat at the KOA. I have no quarters and am unable to use the machines. I went on a quest to find someone to exchange the bills for coins, knocked on doors, no luck. Luckily there was a couple outside on their porch that saw me and invited me in. They dried my wet laundry for me, fed me breakfast and let me use their computer and phone. How am I ever able to repay people back who give so much hospitality to a stranger? I may be unable to pay them back, but I do continue trying to show generosity and compassion to others I meet and pass the good deeds on. I was even given a baggie of granola bars, toothpaste and lotion. All I needed to get in town was granola bars, yet everything was closed and I still received granola bars. Continued hiking, windy and cold. This cold weather is making cooking difficult, as soon as I pour water in the pot it starts to freeze. I have muscle cramps from the cold. As I was walking a man pulled over (Crockett) to ask if I wanted a ride, he has a ranch in the next town and told me to get hold of him if I need anything.

Mon Nov 28^th : Found my water drop frozen solid at 2PM .  I’ll be using streams and iodine now that there is more runoff from the melting snow.

Tue Nov 29^th : Crossed a stream and broke thru. My shoes are soaked but the sun is up so it is not too cold. Just about every town I go to I meet someone who gives me their phone number to call them if I need anything. I got into Escalante and walked to Crocketts ranch, the man who I met on the road. Did some sewing, looked over maps and learned about the area. There are some neat white rock outcroppings just outside his house, they were once sand dunes and contain the oldest animal burrow ever found. Crockett was a medic in Vietnam and expertly sewed my pack for me, my frame was poking thru the bottom and I didn’t have a strong enough needle for the repair. I decided to get off the road now that my water drops are frozen and back onto a trail, Crockett is an expert at reconstructing historic trails and has told me off a trail to use.

Wed Nov 30^th : Met Crocketts neighbor, she showed me some 1000-year-old pictographs that were drawn on the canyon wall and helped me find the trailhead. We agreed that if she did not hear from me in 3 days, the time I should be able to make it to the next town, she would send a search party. It is great to be on a trail again, following the rock cairns is fun! The trail is not easily distinguished which adds to the adventure.