Rub your eye don't rub your eye.

Day OneTwentyEight, October 28, 21 Miles
At Mile 2497, Poptart 900/1000
Damn skunk.
No hurry this morning, instead we went back up to Doc Campbell's store. My appetite has returned. Relentlessly. Unfortunately this is far from a good 'town stop' for that. Thunder got yelled at for not microwaving his burrito the correct way. It was pretty funny. I was too nervous to microwave my own, fear of the wrath, my hunger eventually won. Sunny, cold morning. Went the Gila proper route instead of the road walk. Very glad we did. The trail was great and the Gila valley was a continuation of the awesomeness we've had over the previous few days. Had low expectations for this lower section of the Gila but it's been as nice as the Middle Fork. River is a little wider and deeper, as you would expect after the confluation (I know conflation is the word but confluation sounds better so yeah) of the west, eat and middle forks. Appears as though the trail receives many footsteps but all is quiet in the early autumn chill.
After four days of hiking splendour and wet feet we left the Gila for good at Sapillo Creek. No idea how many fords but all that matters is that I only fell once. Climbing. Oh, you. Warms the soul like nothing else, so I had to remove my windshirt for the first time in days. Passing splendid views and tarantulas I returned to the land of cactus. After topping out and playing with the abundant .22 shells RT caught up and we pushed on through the sunset to a ridge top campsite.