March 18, 2022 Marana AZ RV Boondocking
Trying Something New : Hiking the Wash
You know I’m desperate for a hike when I take on a wash and all that sand!
I would almost say washes are my least favorite places to hike. The sand, for some reason, is harder on my knees, maybe it’s the drag on my feet but I feel my knees beginning to strain when I hike in sand. And I also don’t feel the most comfortable hiking at the lowest point of a region, especially in the desert. Washes can be deadly in the desert if there’s rain in the region; flash floods are a real threat.
Despite my uncomfortableness with wash hiking – I did it. It had been weeks since I hiked due to the fact that I was rarely staying places that had hiking trail. I’m learning that many public lands locations have dirt roads but rarely hiking trails. For this reason I’ve taken up running again.
I’m whining. I don’t like myself when I whine or focus on the negative aspect of something so let’s see the positive.
A Pretty Cool Adventure Hike!
One morning while on a run, I noticed there was a wash near my campsite. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Yet if you know me I need to hike, it’s part of who I am. Instead of wandering through the desert terrain I decided one morning to walk this wash.
It was beautiful down there AND there’s an abundance of wildlife, it never occurred to me that this would naturally be where animals hang out – more shade and the opportunity for water. I was on the look out for snakes since the weather had been warming up, luckily I never saw one. But I did see 2 rabbits, lizards, lots of birds and, although I didn’t see them, spiders. How do I know they were there? I walked through 100’s of webs that morning.
Overall, I enjoyed my wash hike very much.
Washes provide an experience you don’t get on a trail. For one, you get to take witness to the power of water! Trees tumbled over like they weigh nothing and boulders the size of cars have been rolled down for miles! And two, like stated above, it did seem there were more animals to be seen. I also believe they don’t expect to see anyone down there and aren’t used to people.
It was different that I usually experience and that makes me happy because now washes are definitely a hiking option for me going forward.
I followed the wash for what seemed miles when it was only about 2, but that sand can give you a workout!
I recorded the whole thing but decided to do a simple compilation of the hike in 1 minute. You can see the video here on my Instagram account.
