I figured out quickly that there is cairns that mark short trails between river crossings that follow the winding Gila. Every bend required 1-2 crossings. It was fairly chilly all day, the combination of crossings and cold helped the aches in my feet and legs.

After arriving at Doc Campbells shop I sorted through my maildrop food and bought a few extra snickers and payday bars for the long stretch to Pie Town, NM. There was a bit of a "bubble" of hikers here. We all conjugated at the Gila Hot Springs campground. After Carla, the grounds keeper, showed us to the hiker area a miniature tent city formed of 10-15 hikers. In the hot springs we had a chance to chat with Allen Campbell, the son of Doc Campbell.