Thunderstorms
Originally the forecast was for rain around 4:00. As the day progressed the expected thunderstorms moved earlier and earlier.
We found a great place and were set up closer to 11:20 than the 4:00 we had planned. Just as we finished lunch it started raining.
And raining. We were nice and safe and warm. Took a nap. Checked the weather. More thunderstorms expected.
Most of today is between 10,000 and 11,600 feet. Very exposed. The sheltered place we found is around 10,500 feet and has trees breaking the wind.
The gusts have been pretty impressive (we can see them rolling down a crossroad). We are protected.
We had hoped the rain might be over by 2:00, which is why when it quit raining around 1:40 we used Garmin to check.
Good thing. Next set of storms are expected. It would not have been pleasant to have packed up and been caught exposed.
So we are at 767.1. Will ride out the weather and be up early for the last thirteen miles and then a hitch into Chama. From 753.9 this morning that is thirteen miles for the day.
We figured we would probably lay up before we made the road to Chama. In many ways this is as good as any other place and better than most.
We have water for the morning, ate a hot lunch and it is pleasant here in our tent.
Today
Our sheltered camp was in a good place. The birds and coyotes were loud and we got a good start before 6:00 am. As we left our site the trail went back to hugging the mountainside and it was a good while before another place we could have camped.
We really made just the right call with that stop.
We hiked and dropped down to water, we each cameled up with a liter and treated and filtered water to hike with.
We ran into two bike packers from New Zealand camped on the trail. Exchanged good mornings and we took a bypass around the campground where Otter met his end.
It may be famous but I was glad to skip that morbid privy even if it meant digging a cat hole.
There was some sweeping trail. New Mexico really is green and beautiful here. Lots of water and snow in places.
At times the trail is a roadwalk and sometimes the road splits. We hit one place where one split ran into the woods and a giant snowdrift. The other (which we took) went around and then the two joined up after the trees.
We met another bike packer.
Then we met the two from New Zealand again and their friend. At that point we checked the weather forecast again.
It had been rain at 4:00. Suddenly it predicted rain around or before noon.
That changed our plans.
We gathered water and planned on the “low spot” where the trail crosses a road. Located a good place to set up.
Started reading FarOut.
What is amazing is to read all the FarOut entries about bad snow on June 1. I’m glad we aren’t in that. I am looking forward to our next town stop.
The kids got us hotel reservations and pastry in Chama for Happy’s birthday and for Father’s Day. We have absolutely no reason to hike in miserable wet and windy conditions today just to be closer when we can hike with clear skies and sunshine tomorrow.
Further. Happy lost one of her batteries. The replacement shows up Monday. So we are right on schedule without pushing through bad weather.
Gear observations
When we started hiking we used a sawyer squeeze mini and iodine tablets for water purification. The mini is an abomination (slower than the regular or the micro, and an all around pain for less than an ounce of saved weight) and the iodine tastes bad and isn’t really good/safe/healthy for long term use.
We switched to Sawyer Micro filters and two part liquid chemicals water treatment. Those are both standards. We discovered Katadyn (which I think was made for the PCT) and I started carrying the pills for water.
The aqua tabs are lighter than the liquid, treat water in one step and half an hour and are easy to carry a hundred liters of purification.
I’m using Topo gaiters with my shoes. They work very well. Surprisingly well.
The Zpacks offset trio tent has tiny vestibules but the space is instead inside the tent where it is generally more useful.
I’ve used croc clones, Swiftwater Crocs, flip flops and gone without (just using my trail runners). The strange thing is I’ve been happy with each at the time. Right now I’m using croc clones and like them.
With tent pegs I used titanium shepherd hooks on the AT. They were perfect. For the Appalachian Trail that is. The PCT was too tough for them and I switched to MSR Groundhogs.
We picked up some alternative stakes (which look like groundhogs but better) at an ALDHA event. I won’t name them because they bend too easy. But they would be fine on the AT where the guy’s business is focused — though for the AT I’d go back to shepherds hooks.
I like my Topos for shoes but wish the ones I like came in a waterproof shoe.
I’ve been through a number of hiking poles or sticks. My Black Diamonds are starting to wear out again. But they have a full thru-hike’s worth of wear.
The hardest trail
Meeting with Fixit who is 84 and trying for a second thru-hike of the CDT made me think. He has one CDT finished. Two PCTs completed. He and his wife did half the AT and went home with no plan to return.
The PCT has beautiful tread (the name for the surface of the trail you walk on). So does the CDT with a lot of roadwalking.
The AT has a lot of really rough trail.
Now it does have shelters which make the rain easier to cope with. It does have frequent resupply. Lots of services.
But there is a reason it is shorter than the PCT but usually takes a month longer to complete.
It is more social. Great for ten-twelve miles a day and being social. It is great as a first trail to hike as well because of the redundancy and the shelters.
But the actual tread of the trail is more difficult.
Surprise
The storm blew over and the sun came out and dried our tent. We poured out the water we had for tomorrow morning (we would refill the 3 liter bag later).
With that we packed up and hiked some more to 770.6. Rolling thunder. Rain. Wind. So much rain. So very much rain.
But Happy saw the storm coming and we set up just in time in a great location.
~9.5 miles to our hitch into Chama for second breakfast. (ok. We are trying to schedule a shuttle using InReach and otherwise getting ready for tomorrow while the rain falls/update. We have a shuttle).
But we are still safe and sheltered and warm.