28 miles, 10.75 hours

We started the lovely Arizona Trail today, varying from pinyon and juniper forests to ponderosa pine and finally mixed conifer stands mingled with aspen groves. The trail climbed up onto the Kaibab Plateau and then rolled over hills and through meadows all day as we gradually gained elevation. The path was smooth and the going was easy. It was a big day, the farthest either of us has ever gone on foot. But somehow we felt just fine, like we could have walked more if we needed to.

By the time we reached Jacob Lake Inn we were just about out of food and very ready for dinner. We had rushed the last few miles to make it to the inn before they closed at eight, so we were surprised to find that we had a spare hour when we arrived: Arizona was an hour behind because they don’t recognize daylight savings time. Oh yeah, of course! We were in a bit of a daze from the long day of hiking. I compare it to getting a runner’s high. Makes you kind of slow in the head, but you’re feeling pretty good.

We sat down on a couple of stools at an old style diner counter between the lodge desk and the gift shop. There were several people there for a Monday evening in the off season. One group of four hunters was making a fuss about everything to the kid serving in the middle of the square counter, all the while laughing and joking with each other. They asked us what we were up to and we ended up talking with them throughout dinner. They were from the Phoenix area and they come up to hunt turkey every year. They knew all the kids that worked at the inn as well as Kelly, who seems to manage the place. Kelly asked them if they were causing trouble again when they got especially rowdy. He knew just how to handle them and still make sure everyone in the place was having a good time.

After a fun evening of visiting with everyone around us at dinner, we decided to enjoy the off-season pricing on their rooms in the new building around back. Kelly even gave us an extra discount since we were planning a rest day and staying two nights. What a deal we got! The room was big and beautiful with a balcony in the ponderosa tree tops.