July 2

After parting company with Spokes and Mama Troll in Grants back in April, they continued on the trail until they ran into too much snow, and they had to bail out. Mama Troll jumped ahead to a lower elevation and Spokes went home.

I had to be home in May for the house painting project, and stayed there until Jackie’s birthday, which was yesterday. Now Spokes and I are returning to the trail. I flew from Seattle to Albuquerque today, and will ride the Greyhound to Grants tomorrow morning. The plan is for me to hike solo until I reach the point where Spokes and Mama Troll bailed out. If all goes well I’ll meet Spokes there and we’ll continue on together.

Today’s travel went well. I walked a quarter mile from our house to Main Street and caught a bus to Lynnwood City Center. There I hopped on the light rail and rode it all the way to the airport. It took about an hour and 40 minutes and cost me $1, since I’m old. Uber would have been at least 45 minutes and maybe close to $100, and a dedicated car service even more. The flight was good, and my bag was the 4th one off the carousel. I hope my luck holds.

July 3

I had the alarm set for 3:45AM, but I woke up at 3:30. I used to do that when I had an early pilot boat, too. Internal clock/worry manager. After a shower and a cup of coffee I packed up and checked out of the hotel. It was a 5 minute walk to the bus station. The bus left on time and dumped me off in Grants. I walked the quarter mile to Walmart and bought the last fuel canister for my stove. Not sure what I’d have done if they were out of canisters my size. While stowing the canister in my pack I was approached by a Native American gentleman and we chatted about the hike and hikers. I’m way behind the pack now, but since I’m not going all the way it doesn’t matter. It was a nice chat. A few minutes later as I was walking down the sidewalk he stopped his pickup next to me and handed me a tiny carved arrowhead for good luck. I’m supposed to tie a string to it and wear it around my neck. That was a very kind gesture, and I really appreciated it. It’s in my shirt pocket until I can get the right size string.

From there, it was about a 7 mile road walk out of town, before turning onto a proper trail. Along the way I chatted with a guy just leaving the dog park with his dog; and further down the road I chatted with a guy who was walking/jogging with his dogs. Nice folks in that town. After the road walk the trail was a 2 mile/1000 ft elevation gain climb. It started at 6800 feet and after 2 miles it was 7800 feet. I really felt the altitude, having spent the last two months at sea level, until yesterday. Not enough oxygen. After the steep part the trail mellowed into a more gradual climb. Where it leveled off a bit, there was a bell to ring and a hiker logbook. I entered my trail name and took a minute to enjoy the nice view of Grants down below. As I turned to go, I spotted two deer farther down the trail. They didn’t hang around. But as the miles wore on I was feeling the altitude more. Not bad, but I noticed it. During the afternoon it began to rain, so I broke out the poncho and wore that for the rest of the afternoon, even after it stopped raining. I didn’t want to stop to take it off. After 18.5 miles I came to a junction with a road and the trail that goes up Mt. Taylor. There was a water spigot in a rancher’s water pipe there. I filtered some water and decided that 18.5 miles is enough for the first day back on the trail. So I walked across the road and found a place to pitch the tent. I’ll give my body some time to adjust to the altitude before climbing some more. I’m at 8900 feet now, and will top 9600 feet tomorrow.

July 4

I had a restful afternoon and evening at my camp. I crawled into the sack at about 8PM, and the lightning and thunder began around 9:00. It kept up most of the night, and there was some rain included. But the ground was dry when I woke up in the dark at 4:45. After coffee and other morning chores I was packed up and walking by 6:00. It was a cool morning (low 50’s) but I warmed up quickly once the uphill began. In just under 4 miles I topped out at about 9700 feet. From there, the trail mellowed into more gradual ups and downs, with a general downhill trend.

The first water stop was about 10 miles along. It was a couple of big blue tubs, both filled with water for cattle. I had wanted to take a break there, but there was no comfortable place to sit in either the sun or the shade. So I soldiered on, and 6 miles after that I came upon a great cache, maintained by an unknown trail angel. There were 18 gallons of water in 5 gallon jugs, potato chips, ginger ale, and a trash bucket. I took my break there, ate a bit, and aired out my feet. No shade there, but I made do. Then I snagged some water and hit the trail. The next water would be in about 10 miles. There was reportedly plenty of water there, but the last update was more than a week old. So I carried a little extra water, in case I got caught short.

The trail was fairly mellow and I was making good time. But by the time I arrived at the water hole I was beginning to fade. The water source was as described, and it entailed a scramble down into the steep-sided gulch to obtain water. There were some cattle in the gulch when I showed up, but they spooked and took off. I think they came up out of the notch where I went down. Sure footed cows, I guess. I grabbed two liters of brown water from the pond, scrambled back up, grabbed my pack, and started looking for the closest camp site. What I found was close, but otherwise not great. Too sloped, for starters. But I was done for the day.
27 miles for the day

July 5

Woke with the alarm, but laid there for 15 minutes before getting up. Big day yesterday.

The morning was pleasant, and I made pretty good time. The next water stop would be 7 miles down the trail – a spring 0.3 miles down hill from the trail. There are a bunch of one gallon jugs at the top, some empty, some (hopefully) full. The convention is that hikers that go to the spring will, if able, bring up some extra. That way some hikers can skip the visit to the spring and just load up from the jugs. When I arrived, there was a white pickup with a bunch of gear in the back. Including a dog crate with a beagle, just chillin’ and waiting for the boss to come back. There was maybe 1 gallon of water at the top, and I could not take the last bit. So I grabbed a couple of empties and headed down to the spring. It was a bit of a chore schlepping 2 gallons of water up that trail. For my reward, I took two liters and left the rest for the next hiker. Still no sign of the dog owner, but those doggie eyes were hard to ignore. Onward.

The next water source would be a spring-fed cattle trough 12 miles ahead. The day was heating up and I was using more water than usual. But the trail wasn’t too ornery, and I made good time. Once I saw I would arrive before the hottest part of the day, and unsure if there was any shade near the water, I found some shade and took a hour lunch break. After the break, the trail was fairly level for a mile or two and then descended sharply. It was careful and slow going on the steep downhill. Eventually it leveled out, and I ambled to the water trough. It was mostly full. But I spotted some shade a few yards away. I shooed some cattle away and kicked away some dried cow patties, dumped my pack, and went to scoop some water. I stretched out while filtering water and hydrating. I decided to take another siesta. It was about 3:30 and the temp was over 90. I thought I’d wait until it started down into the 80’s and then head for a camp site a couple of miles ahead. By 4:30 it was 88 degrees and slowly dropping. So I loaded up to head 2 miles to my next camp. But I missed a turn, and didn’t catch it for .9 mile. So, between that and the side trip to the spring, I ended up with 2.4 bonus miles.
Eventually I found a spot with a killer view for the tent, so the day ends on a good note.

July 6

Woke up early intending to get some miles before the heat ramped up. I made pretty good time, and covered the 13 miles to the next water source (cow troughs) by about 10:30. I intended to “camel up” there (drinking as much as possible). I haven’t had any appetite since I started this hike and I’m wondering if it might be related to dehydration. I laid around there for about two hours. I guess I drank about 2.5 liters, and only urinated once. So I must have been pretty dry. Eventually it was time to get moving, so about 12:45 I packed up and left. A belly full of water and 5 liters for the road. It was 14 miles to the next water source, and I wasn’t sure I could make it that far. So I had enough water to dry camp along the way.

The trail today was a mixture of relatively easy going with some pretty steep ascents and descents. Though steep, they were relatively short in duration. Highway speed interspersed with spots for low gear.

I found a tight spot for the tent, just off the trail. Normally I wouldn’t camp so close to the trail, but I’m the only one out here. All the northbounders are in Colorado or have flipped further north by now. I haven’t seen another human since I left Grants except for some ranchers in their pickups on July 4. The only person I’ve talked to was my wife, on the phone one evening when I was lucky enough to have a cell signal.

24 miles for the day.

July 7

It was a quiet night, and there were a few clouds in the sky when I took my 1AM pee break. I was up at 4:30 again and hiking by 5:30. There was a short climb to get the blood flowing, but then fairly easy going to the next water source. It was a spring and there were some old ruins just above it. I didn’t take the opportunity to check them out, since I wanted to get to town before the afternoon heat. I cameled up and put on some sunblock and had a snack. From there the trail tended downhill slightly for a couple of miles before tending upward again. After about four miles I came to a short and very steep climb. It was tough – climbing up rocks in some places with the trekking poles in one hand and using the other hand to help pull myself up. It was only about a half mile, but I took a break in some shade about .2 mile from the top before pushing on through. At the top, the trail joined a sandy road and it was pretty level cruising. I was making good time, and the trail tended downhill towards town. The last six or seven miles were road walking, and the last four of that were along a paved highway. I arrived in Cuba at about 1:00PM, and stopped for lunch at the first cafe I saw. Then I arranged for a hotel for two nights. I’ll be taking a zero tomorrow to let my blisters rest and get a bit of a resupply for the next leg. I was more conscious of my water intake during the last day or so, and my appetite seems to be returning. I think it should be just over two days from here to Ghost Ranch, my next stop.

July 9

I had a nice zero day in Cuba. The hotel is undergoing renovations and my room was very nice – quiet and clean. I used the day off to rest my blisters, resupply, eat, and take it easy. The blisters showed up a couple of days ago, basically on the ball of each foot. Same style shoes, socks and insoles I’ve been wearing for months. Perplexing and annoying. I told them the pounding will continue until morale improves. And after that.

I was up early, but took my time getting ready. It was after 6:00 when I walked out of the room. On the way out of town I stopped at a gas station cafe for a breakfast burrito. It was excellent and only $3.85. I took the discontinued CDT route out of town because on the current route there are dogs that harass hikers, and some hikers have been bitten. I did get barked at by some fenced dogs, but had no close encounters of the canine kind.

The trail followed a residential street gradually uphill until outside the city limits. The houses were spaced apart and it was a quiet walk. I overtook a woman out for her morning walk and we chatted for a bit. Eventually the pavement gave way to gravel and after several miles the trail turned and followed a different road. A couple of miles in, there was a closed gate and a sign saying that foot traffic was allowed. That road continued more steeply uphill until it reached a dead end with a turn-around. From then on it was a proper trail. Shortly after the turnaround the trail crossed a creek and I stopped to camel up and filter some water. I had a lot farther to climb.

Despite being discontinued, the trail was relatively easy to follow. The lack of maintenance was apparent, but it only got vague a couple of times. Beautiful scenery up top, above 10,000 feet. At about 2:00 I filtered more water from a stream and soon after rejoined the proper CDT. I’d travelled about 15 miles at that point, and seen 5 deer and a bunch of grouse.

After a bit, the trail trended downward, with the usual short and steep ups and downs. The day was warm, but not as brutal as a few days ago. After another 8 miles I crossed another small stream, found a spot under a tree and pitched the tent. There are caterpillars crawling all over my stuff. I’d rather not have them in the tent.
23 miles for the day.

July 10

It was a peaceful night, and the blisters seem more tolerable today. Fingers crossed.

The day began with a short uphill to get the heart and lungs warmed up, then it was a mild downhill for several miles. Along the way I kicked up a couple of deer, and a bear and I startled each other. We were about 60 yards apart when we noticed each other and the bear immediately took off. Seconds later, I couldn’t spot it in the forest brush.

Soon after began the slog up to Mesa Alta. I was glad to be doing this in the morning, rather than mid-afternoon. I just went into low gear when needed. I picked up some water from a cattle trough after about 11 miles. By then the day was warming up. It would reach mid-90’s in the afternoon. Shortly before the downhill off the mesa began, I heard a sound uphill and to my right. When I turned, there was another bear about 75 yards away. It moved a short distance away and the stopped to look at me. I pulled out the phone, thinking I could zoom in enough for a decent photo. She raised up on her hind legs to get a better look, and then I saw her cub moving in the brush. I’ve seen firsthand how fast a bear could close that distance, so I walked on. Looking over my shoulder. Then began the downhill. About 15 minutes into it, I heard some noise in the brush off to my left, as something moved away from me. When I looked ahead, there was a beautiful buck frozen and looking at me. I got a picture that time, and then he took off like a shot.

As I worked my way down, I began to see and faintly smell smoke. The smoke was pretty high up in the air and I couldn’t determine where it came from. I knew there were fires to the east, and I’d heard about one to the northwest. I wasn’t really nervous, but I was a little concerned. I stopped for a liter of water at a small stream and continued on. The downhill became much steeper and there were many small stream crossings with steep banks of both sides, similar to the Gila River. Much smaller streams though, and no wet feet. At the bottom, the country opened up, with some terrific views. I stopped for water at another cattle trough; this one was surrounded by bamboo. I hid in the bamboo shade while filtering water. The trail joined a road and continued across the Chama River. From that point the trail diverges. The regular trail goes up hill and the Ghost Ranch alternate heads east along the river. I’m going to Ghost Ranch, since I mailed a supply box there. After about two miles I came to Whirlpool Dispersed campground. Lots of tents sites tucked away; no designated spots. There is a pit toilet. I should be in Ghost Ranch tomorrow morning. I’ll do a blister check and see if I feel like leaving the same day. If not, I may overnight and leave very early the next morning.
23 miles for the day.

July 11

It was a quiet night, nestled in the trees. It was about 50 degrees when I woke; compared to 87 degrees at 7PM last night. I tried to doctor my blisters – I’d doctored them last night but they were still oozing a little. I was out of coffee, so I scarfed my oatmeal and packed up.

The next stop was only half a mile on. There was a day use area with another pit toilet and garbage receptacles. I dropped my garbage in the bin and walked down to the river to get some water. After filtering a couple of liters, I hit the road. Literally. The first few miles were a road walk on hard pack and gravel. The blisters on the balls of my feet were killing me. My pace was slowed considerably and it was still very painful. Up until last night I thought I could tough it out and keep going, but I was beginning to seriously doubt that. As the morning wore on, it got worse. Eventually I made the decision to tap out, and once I had a cell signal I got in touch with Spokes to let him know. I was supposed to meet him tomorrow evening, but that’s not going to happen. I am very disappointed, but I believe it would be foolish to carry on.

Immediately after speaking with Spokes, the trail left the road and became essentially a “choose your own bushwhack”. No blazes, markers, or cairns. I figured it out okay, and eventually crossed Hwy. 84 and followed the trail to Ghost Ranch, arriving a full hour later than I normally would, due to my blistered feet. That reinforced my decision to quit.

I could have almost immediately walked another mile and a half to catch a bus to Espanola, where another bus could get me to Santa Fe, for free. But I opted to book a room at Ghost Ranch and give my feet a rest. I thought I could catch the bus tomorrow, but I later discovered that the buses don’t run on weekends. So I arranged an Uber for the morning. We’ll see how that works out.

Ghost Ranch is a pretty cool place, for a number of reasons. At lunch in the cafeteria I sat across from a woman from Issaquah. Another Puget Sounder. She’d been here a couple of days and was heading back to Santa Fe immediately after lunch. She was kind enough to offer me a ride, but I’d already booked and paid for the room. I didn’t catch her name, but I’ll remember the kindness.

About 9 miles for the day.

July 13

I slept okay in the cozy room. The place was old, rustic decor, log ceiling beams. I went to breakfast at the mess hall and then back to the room to make sure all my stuff was packed, and to strip the bed (as was requested by management). At around 9:00 I took my pack back to the welcome center to wait for the Uber. I was talking with one of the local artists at the little weekend market there, and she offered to help me find a ride to Santa Fe. I decided to wait to see what would happen with Uber, but eventually, about 20 minutes before the scheduled pickup time and with no word from Uber, I gave up and asked for her help. She passed the word, and soon a couple of women heading to Albuquerque offered me a ride to Santa Fe – direct to the airport. We had a nice conversation on the way, and they dropped me off in plenty of time for my flight. It turned out that my flight was delayed and I was worried about the connection in Dallas. I was relieved to see that the second flight was also delayed, and I’d make the connection easily. I should have been worried, not relieved. When I got to Dallas I learned that the reason the flight from Dallas was delayed was because of thunderstorms. That flight kept delaying further and further, and finally canceled. I managed to rebook for a 6:00 AM flight, routed through LAX. After a few dead ends, I finally obtained a hotel room and managed to get a few hours sleep before heading back to the airport at about 4:00AM. when I got there the place was littered with people who had spent the night sleeping on the floor or in the chairs. Almost like a neutron bomb had gone off. It was a decent flight from DFW to LAX, where I had a 3 hour layover. LAX is probably my least favorite major airport. But eventually I boarded the flight to SeaTac. And by some miracle, despite the canceled flight and all, my backpack had arrived. I grabbed it and called an Uber, to save my feet from the light rail journey. I made it home in time for a birthday pizza with Jackie, celebrating my 73rd trip around the sun. Now I’ll see how the healing process goes, and whether I can return to the CDT in the near future. I’m going back; just not sure when.