My Hiking Life: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Across the Desert Floor

Day; 3
Start: 45
End: 70
Miles: 25
Hours: 10
High temp: 89
Low temp: 53
People met: 2

An iffy water source, but pretty

The sun is just cresting the mountains as I start my hiking day. The soil here is soft with few rocks, so footfalls are preserved as a trail. What a nice treat for the morning, an easy trail to follow so I can make some miles. The morning cool air is rapidly warming and the pleasant breezes of the last two days are nonexistent, but the sun is at my back and the trail is flat.

So nice to have a trail to follow

There are many sections of this trail that are navigation only, cross country, no trails or posts to help. I have two apps to help me, Guthook's CDT Hiker and Topo Maps app. I also have maps and compass. So the navigation sections are doable, but certainly not as easy as a trail.

There are a few water sources that have filterable water, I do have enough from the cashe to carry me through, so there is no need to stop.

There is a moss under the surface

Wild flowers are popping up, they are typically in small clumps, so it's necessary to keep a lookout for them.

Yellow, purple and white

As the sun reaches is peak I make it the 12 miles to the water cashe. I'm not empty, but I do not to top off my supply. The heat is growing in intensity as I ready my pack. I hike with the chrome dome the rest of the day. Ahead lies a great expanse of real desert, barren and unforgiving.

I've got to cross to and go around Pyramid Peak

Some of this section has signs to help guide and some just leaves it up to me to get there. I must say this is a challenge just to cross by walking, throw in 89* temps, barbed wire fences and it becomes even more fun.

Getting closer, Pyramid Peak middle left

Barbed wire fences are frequent and most do not have a gate or stiles for hikers. I drop my pack on the other side then squeeze trough the wire or crawl under the bottom. Needless to say when ever I come upon one I'm not thrilled.

I've got to crawl under this one

Whenever I can find shade I stop to rest and get my shoes off. Cooling my feet makes a big difference in performance At 1900 I compete 25 miles, leaving just 15 to Lordsburg tomorrow.

As I lay in my tent typing this update, there is a grumbling-growling sound coming from an animal. I have no idea what it is, but I recognize it as male territorial sounds. Now I am slightly concerned that I'm going to have to fend off some desert badger or something. The sound is getting closer so I get out to see what it is. Just a young bull grazing on the other side of the wash. He is just letting me know he is moving into my grazing area. After he passed me he stops his noise. Nightfall now everything is quiet.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Cross Country

Day; 2
Start: 20
End: 45
Miles: 25
Hours: 10
High temp: 85
Low temp: 45
People met: 1

Posts you must find to stay on the trail

Cows lowing as the sun set, made for a pleasant evening last night. Their sounds were gentle, almost musical.

This morning I decided to follow the posts that delineate the trail. I walk up a jeep road about 1500' to the trail intersection. So what I had to do was spot the next post amongst all the other natural look-a-likes. Sometimes I just started out in the general direction until the next post became obvious. The brush here is still fairly thick, but mostly a circuitous path can be found around the nasty ones. I tracked just like I did yesterday by finding a point on the distant mountain, this worked fairly well. Sometimes the post zigzag, to allow for easier crossings of the washes. This was the biggest benefit over my parallel tracking yesterday. I enjoyed the challenge even though it took more time to hike this way. Goodby to the Hachet Mountains.

Finally the trail becomes more open

The post challenge finished I change directions and the desert becomes less cluttered with dangerous bushes. In 5 miles I make the 2nd water cashe. CDTC has left 2 gallons per person. I take about 2.5 liters, the mornings have been so pleasant I'm not using that much water.

Water cashe

The desert floor is soft dirt/sand that takes a footprint, this means I have a trail to kind of follow. The posts have been replaced by CDT signs, making identification easier because of the nice white background and blue emblem. Flowers are blooming dressing the path with their beauty.

The cacti flowers are stunning, I can almost taste butterscotch and red candy hearts when I view them. One cactus hosted a birds nest, which I thought was a brilliant home protection plan.

Bird nest

This is As close as I could get to the nest without getting stuck. The little hole is the front door. Walking further I am delighted by grasshoppers performing their air ballet with every step I take. There must be about 20 with each step. This little show continues for most of the day.

The suns intensity comes on faster today, making me deploy my hiking umbrella. It may seem silly to the uninitiated but the silver coated outside provides me with a cool shady spot while hiking. Really I didn't start sweating until the trail changed to a jeep road with lots of ups and downs. The cool breeze is again a welcome presence.

A beautiful green lizard

This little guy posed nicely for my camera and with such pretty colors I guess it's no surprise.

I was able to spot a couple of jack rabbits, and several horny toads.

I took a pleasant break under a healthy tree bordering a wash. As I was leaving another hiker showed up. A very pleasant fellow who is working on his triple crown. He goes by Spoonman and is clearly a seasoned hiker. We meet again another time at a rest stop and enjoy some more pleasant conversation.

My rest stop with the Hatchet's in the background.

From here the trail is easier to follow, but the heat has increased. I can feel my feet getting hot and requesting a rest. I make 20 miles at 1600 and figure I'll just rest a while before hiking another 5 miles to the next water cashe. After cooling off my feet out of my shoes I head out for the final push of the day, slowing my pace to make the trip easier on my feet. Part of this mostly breezeless walk is directly into the hot western setting sun. I make my destination by 1900, even with the slow hiking earlier today I managed 25 miles.

Spoonman is here, we rest in the shade while eating dinner and discuss the importance of good nutrition for hikers.

Time to make camp and complete the evening chores.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Southern Terminus

Day; 1
Start: 0.0
End: 20.2
Miles: 20.2
Hours: 10
High temp: 82
Low temp: 47
People met: 8

Loading our packs

I awaken after a restless night to a soothing alarm on my phone it's 0530 and in 1/2 hr breakfast is served, followed by a 3 hr ride to the southern terminus of the CDT. Only 7 of us to go today, but there are more than that in the lobby and breakfast area. The trail goes right through Lordsburg, so hikers that have already finished the 85.5 miles from the terminus are preparing to embark as well.

The ride goes quickly as we all are execited to begin plus we all have that hiker life in common. We share stories making the time slip by.

And here we are

We each leave individually, wishing all a safe and great adventure. The air is cool with a slight breeze, perfect hiking weather in the boot heel of New Mexico. As I leave I take a last look at our border. My pack feels good despite my 5 liters of water, 2.2 lbs/ltr. = 11 lbs if water alone. There is not a whisper of sound save my footfalls and the soft, comforting, creaking of my pack. I start on a real trail demarked with CDT signs

Sort of a trail anyway

Soon the trail becomes a seldom used jeep road. The grade is slight making for a pleasant pace in this cool morning. Flowers are starting here, I find some wildflowers, cactus, and many ocatillo. The many bushed display foliage of a lush spring green, save the sage, which looks like sage green. The surrounding mountains display a subtle beauty of multi colored soil, as if painted in gray, mauve, and red.

I find the ocatillo fascinating

Ocatillo are abundant here, at times I look across the expanse seeing a subtle red from the multitude of blooming plants. The stems are covered with 1/2" spikes that send a clear warning, don't even think of getting close. Some well watered specimens have small round green leaves covering the stems as well.

A beautiful tree within a wash

The trail follows many washes, making me think it my be difficult should a storm roll in. I follow the jeep trail and wash trail through the mountain range and emerge through Sheridon Canyon at a water cashe provided by the CDT Coalition. I've gone about 11 miles and used about 1 liter of water. Jeeeze the means I could of carried less water, like 8.8 lbs. The cool day simply makes for low water usage, plus my studious town hydration.

Cross country from here

The afternoon sun is starting to become intense, time to shield myself with my hiking umbrella. My pace is slowing because the trail now goes cross country, but there isn't a trail. I get a vector parallel to the map and fix on a point on a distant mountain. Occasionally I check to make sure I'm on track. This method seems to work well as I thread through the bushes. I feel like Wilely Coyote with his tail on fire going every which way, except in slow motion. I'm picking my own path winding through the bushes, avoiding the prickly ones, so the trail is not straight just moving in the general direction. Often I come to a wash, this means I have to pick a way down and back out. Sometimes this picking process is not straight forward as the wash may have verticals walls that are too high to scale. After about 4 hours of this hot fun the sun sets and I finish my day after finding a flat spot to camp.

Nice to find a clear area to camp

A good day hiking, yes I'm a little sore but my feet are in good shape. Hope they stay that way.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Tucson to Lordsburg almost there

Day; 0
Start: 0
End: 163
Miles: 163
Hours: 2.5
High temp: 75
Low temp: 52
People met: 15

Last Nights Sunset in Tucson

The morning light glows invitingly through my unshaded motel window. <--!more-->Not yet 0600, but I rise eagerly as my Greyhound bus to Lordsburg leaves at 1000. Only a 10 minute walk to the station, I just don't want to miss this bus. I feast on a southwestern version of the breakfast served at the Residence Inn. That means, tortillas for wrapping the green chillie scrambled eggs. Actually pretty satisfying, I enjoyed two with some sausage links mixed in and a little salsa. I relax enjoying my book until it's time to catch my bus.

The River Park Inn, Tucson

2.5 hours later, I'm in Lordsburg,NM, my jumping off point for the CDT. Another 10 minute walk from the bus terminal, really just an awning with several benches, strategically placed close behind a McDonalds, and I'm at the Econo Lodge

Evening at the Econo Lodge

Three hikers, just in from the trail, great me along with a very happy proprietor. Hikers are making his business boom. The trail head for the CDT is a place on the U.S./Mexico border about 80 miles south off here. I have a ride scheduled with a group of hikers tomorrow at 0615.

A few errands completed, mail and water. Last minute map, water reports, and weather. Then off to dinner at Kranberry's located directly across the street.

Kranberry's

Peru and her long time boyfriend appear, joining me for dinner. A pleasant hiker discussion ensues. Seems they have been hiking the southern sections of the CDT providing updated water reports. Their plans are to finish the Colorado CDT section this year. Peru is working on her triple crown, PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), CDT (Continental Divide Trail), and the AT(Appalachian Trail), she has but parts of the CDT to finish to have all three completed. I hiked with her group for a while up to Forester Pass in the high sierras. Very pleasant seeing a fellow hiker from the PCT.

I have no hiker hunger, so when asked if I want desert I politely decline. Back in my room I lay out my gear for the morning, set my alarm and call it a day.

Tomorrow the start of a 3000 mile journey.