Meg and I left Jess to feel better at the RV Park in Silver City and headed for the Gila. The road from town quickly climbed in elevation and changed to a beautiful woods. It was quiet and the ground was soft with pine needles. It was so nice to not see any other hikers and to have the place to ourselves. A kind old man pulled over and offered us a beer.
There isn't much to write about these days. We laughed and joked and hiked along in the trees. There were some amazing rock formations, but my photos don't really do the area any justice.
We got to significant water fairly quickly, just another great thing about this hike compared to the deserts of Southern California. Upon entering the Gila I rolled up my pants and took my shoes off. It immediately became apparent that shorts and shoes would be the only way to deal with the many, many river crossings to come...