Still in Withdrawal

It has been five months since I have finished my hike on the CDT - God I miss the trail. Like some haggard war veteran, I daily experience flashbacks from the trail, but these flashbacks are pleasant. My mundane work is offset by memories of 360-degree views from a high peak in Colorado, supper around a camp with George, Chance, Luna, and So Far in Montana, and beautiful sunsets in Piedre Lumbre section in New Mexico.

It's these visions, however, that are haunting me. So often I wish I could just throw everything in a storage unit and go running off to the mountains for the summer to re-live all those pleasant memories from the trail. Reality is that I cannot. I need to find a vocation that will bring me inner-peace, happiness, and a sense of purpose, and running off to the trail is a bit of escapism. Nonetheless, the trail calls me.

This summer I am going to explore a vocation that has to do with the trail, as I dedicate a few weeks of my life to trail building and maintenance. Today, I got in touch with a volunteer coordinator with the Pacific Crest Trail Association, and we talked about me helping out a trail crew near Burney Falls State Park.

If there is one thing I lack in my trail experience, it is serious trail work, so I think I will go for it. Perhaps through the experience, my relationship with the trail will be transformed to a whole new level. Until that time, I will continue to daydream about windswept vistas, roaring creeks, and living in a tent.

Tooth Fairy Makes the News

An article appeared on the web about Tooth Fairy about her hike on the Continental Divide Trail. Check it out. Go Tooth Fairy!

Cool Possible Re-Route in Colorado

Merry Christmas CDT!  I just got word from the Summit Daily News of a 300-acre acquisition of land near the Grays-Torreys peaks area in Summit County.  The land acquisition includes Revenue Mountain, which means that the Continental Divide Trail can now take a true divide route from Grays Peak to Argentine Peak to Santa Fe Peak.  Currently, the trail drops down next to the zinc-polluted Peru Creek, and takes a long, dirt road walk to Montezuma only to have to climb up 2,500-feet to get back up to the Divide again.  Jonathan Ley has included an alternate cross-country route as far as Argentine Pass, and now he can complete his dashed route on the divide until a trail crew gets up there and blazes a more permanent path. 

This past year, I made the hike over Santa Fe Peak, Sullivan Mountain, and Geneva Peak, and the experience was incredible, as the trail hovered over 13,000-feet through this area.  There were spectacular views of the Snake River Valley, Grays and Torreys Peaks, and Mount Evans and Bierstadt.  Hiking the Divide on this new route from Grays Peak down to Glacier Peak will provide yet another incredible high-altitude highlight in Colorado.  Enjoy!

Salida, Colorado Is Top Trail Town for 2009

Salida, Colorado tops the list as the top trail town along the Continental Divide Trail, according 2009 southbounders. Salida, which garnered five first place votes, narrowly edged Steamboat Springs, Colorado (four first place votes) and Pie Town, New Mexico (also five first place votes).

Salida, a town of about 5,600 residents, is located about 30-miles east of Monarch Pass, and it is the new home of The Simple Lodge and Hostel, which is nestled near the center of the artsy town. The hostel opened in early 2009, and it has welcomed hikers with open arms, offering a warm, homely refuge from the cold environs of the rugged Sawatch Range.

One respondent remarked, “The Simple Hostel and its owners were incredibly helpful and concerned with hikers comfort. The town itself had personality, decent gear shops, good food, a theater, a cool place to watch a football game, and all of it was located within a mile. Great town!”

Another said, ““The hostel (Simple Hostel) was great. I love that you could borrow a bike and cruise around. The little shops in town were fun, and Moonlight Pizza was very good.”

Jon Fritz, co-owner of Simple Lodge and Hostel, said, “Most of the folks I know in Salida live vicariously through thru-hikers and love to hear their adventures. People don't have a lot in this town, so they really appreciate people and nature. I give credit to the business owners, who have gone out of their way to create welcoming shops and cafes that serve our tourists and locals alike.”

Hikers remarked that Salida had great beer, a friendly library, fun shops, an awesome place to get a slice of pizza at Moonlight Pizza, and a great place to get a cup of coffee at Café Dawn. The friendliness of the residents in Salida drew high marks, as one hiker noted, “the people had smiles.”

Not to be lost in the shuffle was Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Pie Town, New Mexico, which came in second and third place respectively. Steamboat Springs, a prominent ski resort town in Northern Colorado, provided hikers with wonderful re-supply options with good gear shops, multiple grocery stores, and delightful restaurants. In spite of being spread out, Steamboat Springs provides a free bus service, which “made the town accessible.” Hikers also noted the friendliness of the owners at the Nordic Motel, and the two hot spring resorts (Hot Sulphur Springs and Strawberry Hot Springs).

Pie Town, a small town located in west central New Mexico, scored high marks primarily due to the work of Nita Larronde, the owner of the Toaster House, and Kathy Knapp, the owner of the Pie-O-Neer Café. Nita raised her five children in the Toaster House, and now she welcomes hikers into her now former home (she lives in her own place just outside of town). The home comes equipped with a wood-burning stove, stereo system, five beds, a shower, washer, and a large porch for hikers to spread out their gear.

The Pie-O-Neer Café is conveniently located close to the post office in town. Owner, Kathy Knapp, is well aware of hikers passing through, and went out of her way to help hikers with use of her vehicle, and by simply making great pies.

Pie Town is not well known for hiker services, but what it lacked in re-supply options, it made up in great hospitality. One hiker said, “Although Pie Town actually sucked as far as amenities go, the people there were so warm and inviting that you felt like you just arrived home. That made it very hard to leave.” Another said, “So much love! This town was full of love and kindness.”

There was a four way tie for the worst town on the trail. Rawlins, Wyoming, Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone, Macks Inn, Idaho, and Benchmark Ranch in Montana received the worst scores.

Deming Headlight Article

Just before I left Deming, the owner of the Grand Motor Inn told me that there was an article in the Deming Headlight about the sixteen of us finishing our hike at the border.  The article is short, sweet, and to the point.  Panda and Valley Girl did a great job summarizing the experience on the trail, especially in southern Colorado.  My only wish was that all sixteen of us could have been interviewed!

I arrived in Olathe, Kansas yesterday around 7:00 am, and I hung out with my sister and her family most of the day.  Today, I am meeting with Yogi so I can give her a bunch of updates for her CDT Handbook, and I look forward to sharing more of my experiences with her.  Other than that, I still have a lot of typing to do in order to finish my Trail Journal.  If you are keeping up with my trip on Trail Journals, please be patient, as I continue to get all the typing done.  Later!

Finished!

On Tuesday, November 17th at 2:45 pm, sixteen (let me repeat that) sixteen thru-hikers arrived at the US-Mexican border to complete their odyssey on the Continental Divide Trail. I was honored to be a part of that group, which included Luna, So Far, George, Tooth Fairy, Mike, Patch, Brett, Bree, Panda, Valley Girl, Chance, Brian, Brenda, Samurai Joe, and Hell Fire.

I did it! My dream of hiking the CDT has been realized, and now I join the ranks of those who have hiked the triple crown: The Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. All that said, I still have a short, but remote and daunting, 30-mile section to complete on the PCT, so my claim to be a triple crowner will not fully be realized until I hike those last few miles. Trust me, I will make it a high priority to finish the PCT.

Arriving at the Mexican border was somewhat of anti-climactic experience. There were a lot of cars entering and leaving the United States at this seemingly busy port of entry. Also, I was warned about tight security at the border, and that the border patrol was not going to put up with any shenanigans, which of course elevated my anxiety level. Finally, there was a freaking Family Dollar right at the border. It's not often that an long distance adventurer finishes his rugged, scenic hike next to a Family Dollar, but I guess that was the choice I made. If I could have chosen differently, I would have preferred a finish at the more remote Crazy Cook Monument near the Hatchet Mountains. I've been thinking that I might do that section in the future. Who knows?

Regardless, I had a great experience through the Florida Mountains between Deming and the border. On my first night out, Tooth Fairy's aunt and her friend, Chris, drove a vehicle out to camp, and delivered brats, hot dogs, smores, salad, etc., which made for the best on trail food that I have ever had. The second day, So Far and I crossed the rugged Florida Mountains on a precarious cross-country route, where I slipped often on loose rock, and was stabbed in the legs by agave and yucca plants. Although a fitting scenic, adventurous trek, I might hesitate to advocate the route through the Floridas, because it was borderline dangerous. Finally, the third day was a short, relaxed hike to the border to complete the hike.

I am hanging out in Deming, for a couple days, and then I will head up to my sister's place for Thanksgiving. I look forward to going to her place for a few days. I have certainly grown tired of trail food and restaurant meals. It all gets old after a while, and I really miss home-cooked food. I told my sister that I cannot wait to get to her place to eat what she makes.

With all the traveling coming up, I plan to work diligently on updating my trail journals site - look for updates. I have uploaded more pictures to Flickr, and I plan to upload a couple video to my YouTube channel tomorrow, so look for that.


I am also thinking about continuing this blog as a part of a larger project to create a site called hikethecdt.com, which will be the primary on-line resource for helping a prospective hiker get started on planning a CDT hike. Expect changes in the future. Until then, I will continue to post items about my post hike journey and all the fall out from taking five months off of work. Happy trails!

57-Miles to Mexico!

This hike is just about over.  Where did the last 5-months go?  Good heavens!  I am shocked that I only have 57-miles left on this trail.  A part of me wants this journey to end, but a huge part of me wishes that I could continue further.  I love this whole being outside thing, but on the other hand, I really look forward to home-cooked food again.  Oh well, more about that stuff after I finish.

I just finished a segment that went through the Black Range, which included a climb up Hillsboro Peak, which stands about 10,000-feet above sea level.  A fire tower and open cabin sit atop of the peak, and 15 of us hikers camped out at the top.  Unfortunately, So Far did not join the rest of the group on top, as he was too bust thrashing around in the woods doing navigation by deduction.  However, he found his way on the trail again, and hiked ahead of everyone, managing to hike 100-miles in 2 1/2 days!  The guy is a freak.

The hike continued in lower desert areas of southern New Mexico.  In two days I saw two small rattlesnakes on the trail.  The freaky thing was that I did many cross-country miles through desert and dry brush, which seemed to be prime rattlesnake terrain, but nothing ever happened.  I guess the snakes like the flat roads and paths more.

I am currently in Deming, a town of about 20,000-people, which sits about 30 some odd miles north of the Mexico border.  Apparently, when the railroad came through here, the town was called the "New Chicago," as it was expected that this town would boom from the rail traffic.  Ummmmm... that did not happen.  Nonetheless, it is a town that provides a lot of services and cheap motels for the weary hiker. 

Anyway, I will be leaving here tomorrow, and I will be hiking over the Florida Mountains, which according to Jim Wolf, presents a formidable challenge, and a fitting ending for a southbound journey.  I am looking forward to the hike, and with such little time left out here, I will milk the experience for all it's worth.

Today, I attended a Continental Divide Trail Association event in Hachita that celebrated the completion of the southern terminus at Crazy Cook Monument.  It was an awesome event, as I got to meet some of the key players in establishing and protecting the trail here in Mexico.  I had a good conversation with the Executive Director of the CDTA, Steve Dudley, and I was able to share some concerns that we thru-hikers have about the trail.  He was extremely receptive with what I had to share.  Thanks Steve!

I will report about the ending on Tuesday.  Until then, happy trails!

Only 150-Miles To Go!

I arrived in Mimbres, New Mexico last night, and I am taking a well-deserved day off here in town. Ever since Grants, I have been pushing 20 or more miles a day, and that has made me pretty tired and sore, especially on my feet. Despite some of the aches and pains, there have been many rewarding moments.

I just finished hiking through the Gila Wilderness, namely down the Middle Fork of the Gila River, and the scenery was absolutely incredible. Beautiful maroonish-pink rock spires towered over the Gila River, sprouting from the large imposing cliffs that defined the narrow, winding canyon. I could not help but stare up at the rocks overhead, while I hiked through stands of ponderosa pines, cottonwoods, and cedars. Views of the cliffs were abundant as trees and the understory were denuded of their leaves. The Gila River, a shallow river darkened by volcanic rock, slime, and detritus, flowed subtly and calmly through most of the canyon. I forded the cold river over a hundred times! Nonetheless, I felt like I had entered into a lost Eden.

After leaving the Gila River Canyon, I arrived at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, where I enjoyed a cool, informative tour from a National Parks Service ranger. Although a small cliff dwelling by Mesa Verde standards, this former home to Mogollon Indians between 1270 and 1300 provided a snapshot into the culture and history of the original inhabitants here in New Mexico. I definitely recommend visiting this place.

I have also run into some of the friendliest people out here in New Mexico. Hunters have been generous, sharing their food and water with me and the rest of my companions, which has been a godsend, since water sources are few and far between - I went 39-miles between water sources! Trail angels have also been abundant here, inviting me into their homes, and feeding me home-cooked meals. I cannot say enough about the hospitality of the people here in New Mexico, especially people like John and Anzie north of Pie Town, Kathy and Nita in Pie Town, and Julie here in Mimbres. It's kind folks like them that make this nation truly great.

My shoes are about trashed, which has caused a lot of pain on the pads of my feet. I have had this pain before, and it only comes with shoes which have lost a lot of their cushioning. I figure I have only 8 more days of hiking in them, so I will just man up and deal with the pain.

I continue to hike this trail with 15 other people, and reports from those who keep track of going-ons of the CDT say that a group this size is completely unprecedented. A lot of us hiking in this critical mass wonder if there has ever been another group this large to finish any of the long distance trails like the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails. Anyway, it is pretty cool being with everyone, and I enjoy the variety of my company.

I am behind on my trail journals and flickr photos, and I expect it to be that way until I finish. Southern New Mexico, especially where I traveled, has very limited internet access, not to mention technology. I met a woman here in Mimbres who said that she has never seen an iPhone. Crazy! However, sometimes I wonder if that is not such a bad thing.

I will be stopping briefly in Deming, and then I only have another 50-some-odd miles to the border. It should be fun!