The squall line hit us last night, after dark. Rain. Wind. Gusts. The tent handled it well. Breakfast, water and on our way. We started at Fish Pond Spring and did the sixteen to Bull Springs by noon.
Took a break. Watered up, then headed to the only sheltered place on the trail for miles.
So much wind today.
Called it a day early. We will start early to take advantage of a lull in the wind. Probably do a little over twenty miles.
Atlantic City is ~81 miles away, South Pass 86.4.
There is a creek with water in 11.3 miles and more in the range where we plan to stop for the night. Going well.
After years on many trails, I finally had a tick on my socks. I killed it. Everything is treated. Finally using my sleep socks since they have been treated by InsectShield.
Heather was really kind and drove us to the transit station in Salt Lake. A beautiful building that no one uses. Greyhound picks up at the curb. Trax busses use the drive up bays but not the building. The rail just works from the rail side.
We caught the greyhound to Rawlins. Slept a little. Ate lunch at 11:00. We got out at the travel center and started walking.
Fairly flat, fairly fast trail for the most part. We got to the water right around 6:00. Set up the tent quickly as there was rain about.
There was wind so we set up near a berm of sorts.
By 7:00 no rain reached us (there has been rain all day but we have lucked out on it missing where we were. Wind really died down.
The trail parallels 287 (which runs from Wichita Falls to Yellowstone) mostly using old ranch roads.
Like everyone else we are flipping around Colorado. Our plan is to hit Rawlins and head north. Basically doing the Great Basin before it gets hot and giving things a chance to melt.
We have a wedding (mailed clothes for it to a Mail Drop) and GenCon (more clothes mailed) to go to. Hope to get the north done and then head south.
Will see how it goes. Hoping it works out so that we miss the Colorado Monsoons and the worst of the snow while not running the risk of weather closing off the trail for us.
It has been strange. It was a low snow year until the end then there was a lot of late season snow. Colorado reports are all of 5-7 feet of snow instead of clear. What an unfortunate late season development.
Pneumonia wasn’t pleasant but family was wonderful.
Happy repaired two sets of hiking poles and bought the famous Costco ones as well. A repaired set goes back on the trail with us.
All three BeFree filters have been cleaned out. I have a hundred purification tabs. We have food for five days.
New shoes. Repaired my InReach. Replaced phone screen protectors. Renewed permethrin. Repaired the rips in my sun hoodie.
Today we visited the post office, resupply occurred, I ate a huge breakfast and we went to the CDTC birthday party.
We won this bear vault but donated it back.
Grants has been pretty.
We needed the zero day.
We did run into some surprises
Tomorrow we are back on the trail.
My legs have really been affected by the trail.
Other comments:
The SureStay Hotel, the hiker favorite, is as close to I-40 and away from the city center and the trail as possible.
It has a wonderful hot tub for soaking.
Laundry and showers remain great.
Kind of a quiet, sleepy day. Did walk over nine miles. Met some people, including people we’ve been hiking in the same bubble since the start.
There were probably up to fifteen hikers in town. A lot thought they were going to the CDTC party but the access and publicity was not hiker oriented and when it came to walking 2-3 miles to the party at the end of the day they slept instead.
We camped in a nicely sheltered location and rode out wind and rain. After yesterday’s sleet, hail, wind and rain the wind and rain was the coda we were expecting.
But we were pitched and ready just in time.
This morning was clear and beautiful.
We saw and ran into so many hikers yesterday.
Today it was empty.
This morning was cool, not cold and perfect. We got out early with the sunrise.
Passed some great landmarks.
It was a road walk the whole way, with a ranger station stop for water about halfway in.
However.
FarOut stated Grants was two miles past the Subway and about seventeen miles from where we camped following the new BLM guidance of staying about .25 miles from anyplace else.
That was not to be.
But first, our day.
Acoma-Zuni joined the trail.
Then a campground and privies at mile 506.
Mile 508.2 had the closed Ranger station with a working spigot. Nice water.
The subway was mile 517 and our first hikers of the day at the Subway which was great food. Has me looking forward to town.
We leave the Subway. Suddenly FarOut says five more miles to Grants. 🤷♂️
At five miles down at Mile 522 FarOut said two more miles to Grants.
I had pushed myself to get 17 miles by lunch because it was going to be two more miles then shower and sleep.
Seven more miles was a different story. But not so bad with a full stomach and two stops.
After all, Mile 522 found me sitting with a Diet Coke and it’s not so bad. Skip showed up and he walked us the rest of the way to SureStay, our hotel near Walmart.
Grants is listed at mile 524. Let’s be honest. FarOut mileage is screwy on the CDT sometimes. Not like it gets if you get off trail, but even if you are spot on the mainline.
I’ll still got that shower. Now laundry.
In theory:
Pie Town mile 414.5
Grants mile 523.8
Cuba mile 627.9
At the same time, Pie Town to Grants was around 75 miles. Grants to Cuba is about 78-80 miles. 4-5 days of meals it looks like.
