June 12th - Aqueduct to Gamble Springs Canyon

After a good night's sleep, we awoke early to beat the sun. We still had another 10 miles to walk on the Aqueduct.

We both found the Aquaduct hike to be particularly enjoyable. The flat terrain was inviting after so many ups & downs over the last couple of weeks. The desert sunrise was beautiful and the sky appeared to go on forever.

Spent the late morning/early afternoon lounging under the Cottonwood Bridge - the only source of shade and water for miles - with Ryan, another thru hiker.

In the afternoon, we headed back up into the hills - battling the wind. The hills were steep and sandy, but strangely, my quad finally started to feel better. Strong and without pain. Finally - hiking was enjoyable again.