Thursday, May 24, 2012

...My grandparents looked concerned as we crossed the street to begin the next phase of my parents plan. We would find a place to camp along the route. I remember that first day with the weight on our backs. I was so optimistic and determined! In the depths of my soul I knew that there could be no turning back. We were so done if we didn't finish walking across America. Everyone back home knew about us. These thoughts haunted me as an 8th grader! So we blindly pressed on. About 10 miles out of Globe and a couple of miles into the Apache Indian Reservation, there's an airport. My Dad saw some nice grass there off the road that he felt would make a good place to camp. Seeing a small white colored house with a police car located across the road from airport, he felt he could go up to the door and ask if it would be OK to camp. A man came to the door and my Dad asked him about camping at the airport and explained that we were walking coast to coast across the U.S. The man seemed to soften a bit and shrugged saying, "I'm sure you can camp there, but you'd probably be better off camping in my backyard." His name was Diego Garza and his wife was Sarah. They had 3 children as well. We camped out back, but they invited us to join them for dinner. We had a great time. Mr. Garza was one of the Apache reservation police officers. His wife Sarah taught 3rd grade in the town of Globe.

We awakened the next morning toasty warm in our new North Face mummy bags. When Aaron and I emerged from our tent, the grass was crunchy with the weight of a heavy frost. It was truly freezing outside! After breaking camp and a quick cereal breakfast, we again loaded up our packs and headed east into the wilderness of the reservation. After about 6 miles, depression slammed into all of us as we realized how truly impossible our "walk" had become.

We had no transportation, no telephone, no means of communication. We were completely subject to the elements, and we were nearing Winter Solstice @ 4,600 feet in elevation. We were so vulnerable, and we suddenly knew it. I had stumbled under the weight of my pack, and blood was oozing through my sock. Completely exhausted, we kept on walking hoping to see Diego drive by on his patrol or on the way back home. But as evening neared, there was no sign of him. Dad decided we would camp there by the side of the road. He was about to pitch our gear over a small fence so that we could camp a safe distance from the highway, when suddenly Diego's patrol car rapidly approached. I flagged him down, and Dad explained that we couldn't continue under these conditions. So, we were going to try to hitch hike back to Globe. Manfred told us to load up the car, and he would drive us to a small motel in town. Aaron and I got to sit in the prisoner section in the back seat with Dad. It was a tight fit, and there were no inside door handles.

Before we were rescued, our family gloomily discussed its options. Mom said she would quit and drive support. Dad said he'd buy a wheel barrel and push the weight of our gear in that. Both plans seemed unacceptable, because we were in this together as a family; as a unit. There could be no separation. Pushing a wheel barrel didn't solve our vulnerability issues either. We were facing the disintegration of my family's dream, and I was feeling defeated. Its at these times that the greatest ideas and plans are born...

To be continued...

The former Garza house today.

Beautiful rugged Apache Reservation terrain

Crisis point of the walk.

5 comments:

  1. Like a "to be continued on TV"...I hate it...What happens?
    Rich

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  2. I never knew all these details, Allen! I knew you guys did the walk and I was always amazed by it.

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  3. I am enjoying your journey. Both of them. Thanks for sharing. Maybe you could share old photos, too? Thanks.

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  4. I'm so happy to be sharing this adventure with all of you. Posting original pictures is a great idea. I've been so busy obsorbing and writing about whats around me, that I had forgotten to integrate the few original photos from 1986-87 that have survived. The first new posts have original photos and I will ad more as time provides. Thank you for your interest!

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