Waiting out the snow

• Day:  36-44
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The Box Car Cafe, Chama

A good breakfast at the Box Car Cafe here in Chama. There is an old steam locomotive across the street that goes up the mountain every day as an excursion train.  When I return I hope to take this train to Cumbres Pass to enter the Rockies. 

The reports coming back about the Rockies are bleak. Avalanche conditions, postholing all day unless you start at 0100 hrs and hike till 0900 hrs. The trail is snow just solid snow, not the condition I want to see the Rockies in. The snow needs time to melt and the streams need time to normalize. So I'm taking a few days to allow that to happen while I readjust my plan and gear. After much thought I'm changing my strategy as many other hikers are doing this year from a straight through to a flip flop. I'm heading for the Great Basin in Wyoming, starting at Rawlins I'll get this section done, then adjust my plan from there. The Great Basin is a high prairie with short water supplies, somewhat like the desert. This is an ideal time to hike it as the temperatures are cooler, the water may be better and the ticks might be low. My plan is still to finish the CDT in one season, I'm just going to do it a little differently by completing sections as they become passable. 

As of 6-9-15 I'm in Rawlins after a grueling 16 hr all night bus trip from Albuquerque. As soon as my resupply box arrives I'll hike north to South Pass. 

This bus was fine It was the transfer in Denver at midnight that was so crowded

Weather on the way to Denver

Breakfast at Penny's in Rawlins

Rawlins Main Street (E Cedar St)

Dinner at Bucks

Is this a warning?

They have the worlds biggest menus and good food. 

I'm frustrated by not being able to hike and I imagine you are disappointed that there isn't any hiking stories to follow.  I expect to hike tomorrow or Friday as soon as my resupply box is here, so hang in there.