I just want to hide today. Actually, I think I’m hidden pretty good up on a canyon ledge…Can I be antisocial if there are no other people around? Since waking up this morning in the Thomas’s trailer, I’ve only seen cars…no other hikers, but I still just want to pass by unnoticed. My mental state can probably be partially attributed to my monthly cycle…retreating into myself can happen during that time, but also the weather and warnings I’ve been getting must play into it as well.

After a close brush with lightening yesterday, I was not pleased to see the forecast was the same today. After a pleasant first mile or two on the road, the sky opened and rain fell. I was covered up nice and good, but I started re-thinking my plan to hike the Malpais, or the lava flow area. It is rich in history of the native americans that traveled through these parts, but I knew there were no trees for much of it. In fact, I would be the tallest thing around, and with dark clouds on the horizon and even darker ones sure to come after I had some thinking to do.

Hiding at break

My mood was in the dirt…so I set up my shelter next to one little tree that I could find before they all disappeared, and mulled over my route choices. I made a hot dinner and took a nap too…at the end of my break I decided to go the route of trees and canyons…and not play the human lightning rod. Yes, I feel a bit lame for skipping out on that section, but as a solo hiker I HAVE to hike where I feel most safe.

Ahh safety…so apparently there has been some drug smuggling activity in the area as well…the Ley maps allude to this and Snorkle actually has a chilling story about the next stretch of trail I will hike…needless to say I am NOT camping there, so have cut my day short to camp safe and hide in case there is anything to hide from. And I also touched base with my good friend Sage who had some words of caution about Grants…apparently she had an unsavory interaction there and just wanted me to keep my guard up, all of these events have me holed up in a tree as camouflaged as I can be.

Hiding at camp

The clouds are dissipating, the sky is supposed to be mostly clear tomorrow, maybe I won’t be as tired and will be a bit more optimistic.

Back on the trail…err, road. More road walking today, but the excitement came with a massive lightening and hail storm. Oh joy. Well my rain gear works…having an umbrella is pretty sweet too. But strikes about a mile away were NOT enjoyable.

Its coming for me!

The morning started out better, coffee, eggs, and more good company followed by a trip to the post office to pick up my resupply package and a box of goodies from my parents…mmmm, more cheetos!

Boston Bones and I stopped by the Pie Town Cafe where we had lunch yesterday to take our photos in the big cut-out out front, when the owner came out to see if we were there for breakfast…I already ate, but ok! I can have a second helping! The restaurant wasnt quite open, but he made coffee for us while we waited for the grill to fire up. Mmmmm.

After that I went back to the Toaster House to pack up, and headed out about noon. Heavy pack, I know I have more food than I need, but it’s so hard to give up the goodies I sent myself and my folks sent, so I’ll eat well this stretch.

The road out of town was not a friendly place. Sign after sign warned against tresspassing, and I started to wonder where I would camp. I knew that about 16 miles down the road at the Thomas Mountain Ranch that I could get water, and the folks, I had heard, were quite welcoming.

A welcome sight!

After the storm, and the threat of more to come during the night, I figured I would ask the Thomas fam if I could camp on their land.

I arrived, and seeing a sign saying please knock, I did so an the door opened to some of the friendliest and most welcoming folks I’ve met. They were about to sit down to dinner and invited me to join them, wow! And then to top it off they offered me a place to sleep in their RV in the yard. I would have hiked on or tarped, but the thunderstorms were thick in the air, so I gladly accepted their offer. I’m all set up and am reveling in the generosity of these folks, and grateful I don’t have to be out in the storm (I HATE lightening).

Peace!

(I made an update to my Chama maildrop schedule…I think I’ll be getting there earlier than orginally planned. Make sure to let me know if there are any goodies coming! I usually have to ask for a specific amount of boxes…thanks ya’ll!!!)

We do a lot of crazy things out here with a little bit of incentive. My incentive this morning was pie. When I woke at 4:30 to answer nature’s call, I figured I should get packed up and start hiking….the cafes in Pie Town have early hours, 3 or 4pm I had heard…so if I had any hope of eating pie today, I needed to start hiking early. Lets go!

I started with coffee in hand and my headlamp on…it was a road walk, so I knew I could make my way until sunrise. Yes I am crazy. And I flew. I had 10 miles by 9am, and took a short break and kept hiking. Maybe to you hiking that many miles for Pie sounds a bit loco, but after a few weeks of hiking big miles, little things like food take on an incredible importance, and I don’t even have my hiker hunger yet! It’s also interesting to push yourself a little bit to see what you can do.

The last 10 miles were uncomfortable. I put on music to take my mind off the pounding in my feet. Now there is acceptable pain, and dangerous pain. I knew the fatigue in my legs and the pounding in my feet hurt, but wasn’t doing me any real damage, so I kept hiking. Blisters can heal, tired legs can rest…although after days like this you often need a day off to recover, but I can’t pick up my resupply box until Monday (today is Saturday) so I would have a day off anyway. So I keep hiking.

About 2pm I pull into Nita’s Toster House…a hostel so called for the numerous toasters that decorate the exterior. Why? Not sure, but I know it is a haven for hikers and cyclists that pass through this lonely corner of New Mexico. There isn’t anything in Pie Town except for a few cafes that serve pie and a few other food items, a small post office, and the hostel. You have to send a resupply box here since there is no store, and the hostel becomes an eclectic meeting ground of travelers.

I claimed a bed upstairs in the loft and limped down to the Pie-O-Neer. I ordered the mexican apple pie with chilis in the pie, yum! and met Andy, Lion King and Bird Dog. We exchanged stories and then I went back to the toaster house to shower (next door at the RV park…yes it was delicious, but since there was no shampoo I used dish soap, that works pretty well!)

There is limited to no phone reception here, which makes a lot of us techno-folks a lot more present…and the rest of the afteroon/evening I caught up with new hikers Grits, Boston Bones, Andy & Axyl.

After a few beers and scrounging in the hikerbox and the fridge/freezer, which is stocked for hikers, I’m ready to turn in. The new blisters I earned today need to heal and I need to sleep.

Sleeping high on a ridge was actually quite warm last night. I didn’t even have my sleeping bag cinched so tight that only my mouth was exposed…some of the last nights have been like that…

The day was beautiful and we traversed the high ridge and climbed a bit more before dropping down down down a few thousand feet…the view was stunning, we could see the town of Reserve to the west, and the rest…what we would walk through later.

We hiked all morning since there was no water to be had…often we’ll take breaks at water sources as we fill up, but we’ve had a long carry, and will have another long carry after our one source today at a cow tank windmill. We met Peru hiking south to complete a section…she filled us in on the hikers we know…there are bunches of people behind us, and some in front, but like many thru-hiking bubbles, we are probably all traveling about the same speed, so haven’t seen anyone new in days.

Peru

We took an early lunch at the windmill and I filled up all 6 liters of capacity anticipating 15 more hiking miles without water, a dry camp, and possibly 10 miles of hiking tomorrow before our next good source. There have been a number of good seasonal sources, but you never know when those are going to end, and I like my water. I’m happy to carry much more than I need for the assurance that I’ll be covered.

Gotta get my nap in

Bearclaw & Axyl at our one water source

The afternoon was pleasent roadwalking, and some incoming clouds and possibly thunderstorms gave us some much desired shade. We had a few sprinkles at one point so I busted out my umbrella. When it passed without much happening, but the threat still present, I discovered I could wrap the umbrella around a trekking pole, giving me easy access if I needed it! I was quite proud of my discovery. But, no, I didn’t need the umbrella again.

Brilliant!

We wound our way through some rolling hills finally to Mangas Mountain, the site of a lookout tower and we hoped a place to lay our heads for the night.

The climb was slow and ardous since we were tired from a long day, and when we got up I sure enough, passed right by the side trail to the lookout. When we realized it, we were already about a mile from the tower. No way we were going back, an extra mile!!!

So we found flatish spots to camp…unfortunately Bearclaw’s foot is having some swelling and pain…possible fracture??? She’s going to get a ride from the lookout in the morning to find out what the deal is. We just had a friend, Race, get off the trail a few days ago due to a staff infection in his foot. Man, the stakes are high out here! I wish Bearclaw & Race speedy recoveries!

So Axyl and I will make our way to Pie Town tomorrow. I’ve already been dreaming about what food I’ll eat…but even more exciting willl be the shower I’ll take. It will have been 11 days since my last shower. 11 days!

I’ll leave you with that odor.

I’m going to try and not start each blog entry with “I’m tired,” but when I and writing at the end of a long day, it’s spot on. Just know that I’m tired…these miles sometimes flow, sometimes get hiked in fits and starts. Today I’m surprised to have hiked 21 miles…my legs sure feel it.

The three of us didn’t get started until almost 7:30…quite late by my standards so far. As Bearclaw and I walked down the road we were given a quiet hello by an elk standing in relief just up the road. Pretty spectacular!

The morning road walk

The morning was COLD and we road walked quickly to try and stay warm. The start of the day wasn’t too scenic, but once we finished the Gila alternate and were back on the official CDT the views welcomed us. And reception!!! We had lunch at over 9,000′ because Bearclaw and I were glued to our phones…it has been a long stretch without reception, and we just wanted to let loved ones know that yes, we are a love, and yes, the trail is getting hiked.

On top of the world! Over 9,000'

A burn area made the next section a little dicey with tons of blowdowns…but soon we were floating down beautiful trail up and down wooded and rocky mountain tops. It was truly wonderful to be back on trail after so much road walking and the disappearing trail in the Gila.

Purdy

I like seeing this again

The afternoon miles did not come quickly…but now we are camped on top a ridge with the hint of a storm on the wind. We all set up our shelters and have set to dinner and other tasks. My legs are aching…the ache of many miles…but also the ache of many miles to come. I hope to make it into Pie Town this weekend…for PIE and some rest for these appendages of mine.

Frozen socks

Bearclaw and I woke to frost on everything, our shoes were frozen, the laces set in the very same condition they were in when we took them off and tossed them aside last night. Luckily because I have my Chacos too, I didn’t have to force those things on!

Our first few miles were across the beautiful open expanse of Airplane Mesa. So different from the day before in the canyon…now we were crossing vast grass lands with trees picturiquesly peppered throughout.

We made fast miles that morning, and the pace continued as we found ourselves on dirt roads for most of the day. A brief cross country section in T Bar canyon broke up the two-track theme, but the constant was wide open spaces and sparce trees until lunch time when we got to a wooded section and met up with Axyl and Race who were having lunch.

Our road walk

We threw down our packs, unpacked all the gear to dry out the damp things from the morning, and caught up with the two men. Race’s ankle had been troubling him greatly and we were concerned for him.

We all four headed down the road into the forest and as luck would have it, in the later afternoon a forest service worker came by and Race took the chance to get a ride into Reserve to get his ankle looked at. We got a bit of trail magic in the form of a few liters of water, and continued on.

Break on the side of a road

The road is BEATING our feet up. The fast pace, and miles, and pounding of the hard surface was taking a toll on the three of us, and after a short break before yet another road section, we decided one more hour of walking and then camp!

This is my longest day on the trail so far…a bit farther than a marathon…and we may try to continue the pace to make it into Pie Town by the weekend. Pie! Town! Showers and laundry and food and mail…and phone service. I haven’t had phone service in about a week, and it has been over a week since my last shower. This is a long stretch after the realitively short span between Lordsburg and Silver City. It’s a big mile stone mentally…we are well on our way on this trail.

We are all three cowboy camping tonight and man, will closing my eyes feel good!

What a day! I’m EXHAUSTED. Walked for over 12 hours (not including breaks) and they were some of the toughest miles yet.

Bearclaw and I set off together up the Gila canyon, and while the trail was fairly easy to find the first few miles of the day due to heavy foot traffic, as soon as we passed some popular meadows, the flood make the going much more tedious. In and out of the water, bushwack in hopes of finding a trail…no trail? Walk in the sand or on the rocky shores. The going was uneven and very hard on the feet. Sand in the socks, wet feet, prickly things…all these challenges were washed away though when you looked up. The walls towered the whole day…cool caves, hoodoos that looked like people loomed, and it was hard not to keep a close look at your feet when you wanted to peer towards the sky.

However all of these things added up to a very challenging day. At one point I was grumbling about wanting to be done with the Gila section when a minute later I slipped on a rock in the river and fell part-way in. It felt like the Gilas way of saying “stay present!” Ok Gila…lesson learned.

Not sure what i was doing...but enjoying the canyon for sure!

We took the opportuity to climb out of the river canyon over 20 miles from camp this morning…an alternate to the alternate (isn’t the CDT grand??). Tonight we are camped up high and a chorus of coyotes and wild turkey are singing us a lullabye.

I’m living life as hard as I can.

Two weeks on the trail, 200 miles, and I cant imagine being anywhere else. Sleeping when the sun goes down, waking just before the day begins…it’s as if I’ve been transported to an alternate universe where time takes on a different pace. Two weeks back in Bend pass quickly…the routien (no spell check out here! oh well, who cares) of the everyday has certain qualities that are blissfully absent out here. No bills to pay, no obligations other than to my feet and stomach. I’ve already lived a lifetime in these two weeks, and the prospect of 4-5 more months of this is pretty exhillirating.

Do it people. Unplug for a while. You will find a peace and inner strength that will amaze you.

I woke at 5am today…the call of nature can’t be ignored, but there was also a hot spring pool mere feet from my tarp. I made my coffee and slipped into the waters while the sky was still dark. Watching the sky lighten, brighten, and the clouds slowly breeze over the canyon walls is an experience that is hard to capture in words or photos. Come see for yourself!

I decided to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings, so road walked the 4ish miles to the park, and walked the mile loop through a large dwelling. Beautiful. I’d love to live perched in a cliff deep in the mountains, what an existance! There are quite a few other cliff dwellings to be found in the area…some along the Gila River, not sure if I’ll remember to notice, but the river canyon we have been walking through is sure to hold some treasures.

Then i hiked the Bear Canyon Trail to meet the Gila River, and holy slot canyon, it was a great side trip!! But the best was the awe-inspiring first glimpse of the Middle Fork. WOWOWOWOW I had no idea that canyon would be like this! You MUST make it a point to visit some day. A fire and flood two years ago took out a lot of the trail through the canyon, you can tell it is loved heavily…but I was suprised at how much trail there was.

The few miles to Jordan Hot Springs took much longer than usual beause I kept stopping to look up and try and capture it all in a photo…but the cliffs where much too large to accurately capture the experience.

I made it to Jordon Hotsprings…a little oasis set up off the river with clear blue water…and I had it all to myself! A little shelf just above the springs was open, so I set up my tarp. Meanwhile Dan, a backpacker from back home in the North West came in, he was just out for a short trip, but we had a good time talking trail while soaking.

My view from camp

And then Bearclaw came in! Woot! We shared stories from the past week and ate dinner, finishing just in time; the sky opened just a bit to let a few sprinkles down, but we are tucked safe and dry in our tarps. The sound of running water will lull us to sleep and we face another wonderous day in the Gila canyon tomorrow.