Seligman – Truxton BLM - 84km
The sun came out and the breeze subsided, allowing us to be on our
way. Route 66 ran in a westerly direction past Grand Canyon Caverns,
a fascinating settlement (think cowboys, hats, boots and guns) to
Truxton. The road ran through the Hualapai Indian Reservation and
past the tribal capital of Peach Springs. At around midday, the wind
picked up, and it took grinding into a frigid breeze to reach our
destination.
The good thing about that part of the world was that they have what
is known as BLM-land, where one can camp free. We located the
gate, a place the store owner in Truxton told us about and turned in.
All one needed to do was fill in the register and take a permit. Upon
leaving, you remove your garbage and close the gate. How cool is
that? After sunset, it again became downright freezing, and we
hurriedly lit a fire. Like cowboys, we sat by the fire, eating tinned
beans, corned hash beef and tortilla chips.
As soon as the fire died, I dived into the tent. I wore practically
everything I possessed, but I needed more. In the morning, I
discovered my water bottle (in the tent, next to me) frozen solid and
realised it wasn’t my imagination that the weather was freezing.