Wow I'm glad to be done hiking today. I was languishing on the trail. The combination of heat, steep trail, and full backpack really exausted me. I even ran out of water but luckily there was some flowing through a wash about a half-mile further.

I'm hiking over Mica Mountain. Tonight's camp is over 2,000 ft. above the desert floor. Grass Shack Campground is one of the few choices along the AZT through Saguaro National Park. It is named that because back in the day there used to be a grass shack here inhabited by a Mexican until he was killed by some Apache. I'll be looking for clues in the morning.

Oh I saw a couple of people leading a pack animal train down the trail. I was napping on the trail because there was nowhere else when they appeared in a clatter of stones. That woke me up with a start. I moved off to the side but the pack stock was really freaked out by me for some reason and there was almost an incident. I had to get all the way back into the vegetation.

Just another day on the AZT!

P.S. Saw a section hiker named Johnny Blaze.