RAAZ Day 7 - Rim Country Camping to Mogollon Rim Camping

62.7 miles, 3757’ climbing

We set an early alarm but didn’t roll out quickly. The air was cold as we descended through a canyon, but we quickly warmed as we climbed out the other side. Rolling through the pines we saw about 20 elk which ran across the road in front of us. 

After a series of smaller roads, we came out on the Old Rim Road with its washboard and bumpy rocks and dust, not to mention the scenic views. We were hot and took a few food breaks. The road suddenly turned to asphalt which was a welcome break for a few miles.

We came down to the visitor center, but it was closed and had no water. Some fun small roads brought us to the community of Forest Lakes. There were two very similar general stores where we resupplied, both called "General Store”. Both had similar inventory and friendly employees. Could there be a rivalry? Our hoped-for restaurant lunch didn’t happen when we found out that the cafe was closed on Monday’s. Back we went to one of the general stores for a microwaved meal and ice cream.

After a couple of miles of pavement, we were back on a dirt road, this one a little bumpy. We camped a few miles away from  the Travis Walton abduction site, but we saw no UFOs and had a quiet night in the trees.