But it was beautiful as we got into the last three miles in Colorado.
We got to the trail head at 9:56. Just waited for the shuttle and all was good.
The outfitter runs a shuttle and makes custom AlphaDirect gear.
Turns out our daughters reserved and paid for a hotel for us and pastry at the bakery.
They are so delightful. I’m so grateful for them.
We decided to take a zero for Father’s Day.
This trip we’ve actually taken real zeros not Neros and Hike In Resupply & Out on the same day (which we started with Rabbit Hole on the AT, hike in, shower & laundry and resupply box and then hiked out).
We are about a thousand miles in and not beat up like we have been before.
We used to plan for a zero but always only take a Nero at best. Then we would get more and more ground down.
Has been neat to actually take zeros again.
It was also neat to see Skip and Dozer again. Skip was part of the group we started with and Dozer we saw a few days back.
Then Coco and Timu from Ghost Ranch.
And Caffeinator at Chama Trails Hotel where we are staying.
While Happy grilled steaks for Father’s Day’s dinner.
A grand day.
Tomorrow we take off with an 8:00 shuttle back to the trail with resupply fifteen miles away.
I’m able to finally have a good Father’s Day now. My kids and grandkids fill my heart.
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).
We celebrated Happy Six’s 62nd birthday with Pork chili verde and fruit treats.
The cut, blazed and recently maintained trail often did not match FarOut. Made for some trail finding that was off the maps.
The twelfth was a long day with our first fording of a river on the CDT. We had a lot of anticipation for what it would be like, especially since there had been some rain and there was a lot in FarOut about the various ways to do the crossing.
By the time we got to the ford, instead of a really sketchy crossing it wasn’t even knee deep. Then we went far enough to be away from condensation and called it a day. That means we went about two hundred yards from the crossing.
No internet so I did not do a “daily post” but I’ve combined two days instead. If we don’t get internet tomorrow this will be three days in one post.
The next morning was June 13. We would hike about 24 miles when we had plans for 21. With about 3,600 feet of ascent and almost ten miles at 10,000 feet or above it was a little strenuous.
There were even traces of snow.
As we hiked we passed Anomaly’s tent. He has cystic fibrosis and this is his first thru hike. Very impressive.
We had some great sweeping valleys and another river crossing. We took a trail that crossed the river upstream and was direct like something on the Appalachian Trail.
But after we crossed the two forks and got our water there was no place to camp. Suddenly we were on trail like the PCT where it hugs the hillside for miles.
753.9 is where we ended up instead of 751. Made for a long day, much of it (about ten miles) over 10,000 feet. I was so glad to finally be off the mountainside.
Once off the sheer drop we found a great place to camp that is well sheltered at 10,039 feet of elevation.
Happy made dinner for us and I shared a desert (just candy).
Our crossroad to hitch to Chama is at 780 —a pass in Colorado. Two days from now and we have reservations and we will be ready for Colorado.
Twenty-six miles to go. Weather forecasts indicate thunderstorms at 4:00 so we are planning on an early day.
We left Ghost Ranch before breakfast was served so we only got cold cereal and toast.
The RVs circling up on the plain with the little ones in the back and center.
Up. And up. And up.
Cows all over. They kept following us and getting close.
Finally to the red line though so much up first.
Ripped my pants on barbed wire getting water.
Set up the tent to avoid rain three times, the last we also had dinner and called it a day. I had a Mountain House chicken and mashed potatoes from the hiker box. We left so much food but I like mashed potatoes. Happy Six had something spicy. I shared my dessert.
We moved from this after the rain passed and curious cows showed up to visit.
Apple says with all the misc walking I broke 20 miles. We did about eighteen trail miles.
We started at the boundary at 6:00 in the morning.
We climbed up and up. The boundary is at 9,225.
The peak was 10,566.
There is a long section marked with snow poles.
Then we headed down through the blow downs and fire damage (all nicely cleared) and into beautiful forest.
InReach said 15% chance of minimal rain for an hour. We got sixteen hours of rain and over half an inch of rain. Which wasn’t that much for sixteen hours but was a long time under roads.
Luckily Happy got me to set up the tent before it got really bad so we stopped about four miles before the Ranger Station everyone has been diverting to.
We hiked there in the morning in continuing light rain.
Indios Fire
The forest service financed shuttle around the Indios fire closure is still running. The rain has started to finish the fire off but according to the rangers the fire damage may keep the trail closed in that section through next year.
They have a free (paid for by the forest service and volunteers) shuttle because parts of the road walk are very dangerous.
The wash station, privies and camping area at Coyote NFS Ranger station are still in place, with water.
Twenty-five hikers shuttled last week. Two so far this week.
Lots of water coming down hill from the peak. Three gallons at the cache at the road. Tap water at the Ranger Station one and a half miles down the road.
Ghost Ranch
We arrived at Ghost Ranch before 9:00. Then it was showers, laundry, and eventually lunch.
Our bunks were the CDT ones.
I had a mixed plate, including a vegan option because it tasted good.
Dinner tonight and a chance to sleep dry. Tomorrow we have breakfast and then head out to Chama five days down the trail.
And more hikers shuttling in after doing the Great Basin.
We arrived in Albuquerque at 12:30 midnight and the Uber got us to a Comfort Inn. We slept until around 7:00 since we had friends from Dallas who had moved to Albuquerque and were going to drive us to Cuba.
We arrived in Cuba and stopped by the True Value hardware store for a fuel canister and then we started walking through the desert.
We passed a sign offering water and drinks for hikers. Gatorade and a place to sit.
We then hiked on.
The trial kept ascending until it was forest. On the way through we stopped for some water and a siesta with lunch.
We passed a trail crew, and another trail crew.
We got our water for the night and as we got to the campground we saw the trail crew we had seen before.
They offered us snacks and watermelon and drinks (and beer—though I passed on the beer since I don’t drink) and great company.
Happy fixed freeze dried spaghetti for dinner and we sat with the trail crew to socialize.
Tent had a perfect pitch. Happy set it up early. I treated water with chemicals and filtered a couple liters and pumped up the sleeping pads.
So. We were going to take a zero at the Anaconda hostel and rethink and plan.
But then we talked with people who had post holed at six miles a day not that far north of Anaconda.
They had decided to fly home and wait two weeks for more snow to melt.
Their trail Angel offered us a ride to the Butte Airport. Husband drove Buck Fifty and his hiking partner to Helena.
Wife drove us to Butte where she had errands.
SNOTEL shows southern Colorado has melted. Northern Colorado has an avalanche warnings as it melts too fast.
So, no zero. Instead Butte -> Salt Lake -> Albuquerque-> Cuba. Happy Six has a friend who can drive us tomorrow while the bus and train both aren’t running for the weekend.
Then we hike Cuba -> Chama -> Colorado. We are back on the NOBO route. We will keep hiking to Rawlins then flip to Lander and start north from Atlantic City.
Yes. We could have just gone straight there instead of believing bad trail reports, but we’ve had good lessons, and things have melted a little more.
Colorado will be ready for us to hike when we arrive. The trail is finally (I hope) sorting out.
TSA at the Butte airport was wonderful as were the gate agents.
Glacier National Park reports hazardous winter conditions above 5800 feet. Extreme caution, proper equipment, and avalanche training are recommended if traveling in these areas. Full snow coverage should be expected on mountain passes along the CDT.
We are still scoping things out for an alternative route but Butte is looking likely.
In the park as you come in at the gate it is so warm and green and clear at lower altitudes. But we stopped at the ranger station. There we ended up talking to the original park ranger author of the above warning (she wrote it this morning).
At higher elevations the CDT through Glacier Park is not safe. It will be at least two weeks and probably 3-4 weeks to safety due to snow fall in late May storms.
So far every attempt to hike the trail the park knows of has had to turn back except two Czech mountaineers who could not explain how they managed to get through.
The conditions make the rangers nervous since conditions (as you enter the park or start the trail) are tempting and the park gets people who have schedule pressures and who don’t want to listen.
June 15 is the traditional SOBO start, many hikers have lottery allocated permits, and are arriving committed to trying to push through.
So many hikers are going to be arriving in the next 2-3 weeks with no other plan and no easy way to go anywhere else.
That makes them not want to listen to warnings.
We did listen to the warnings. There are other places we can go and we will do this section after the wedding we are attending in July.
But I have to say the late season weather has been such a surprise.
So. Today we got a car. Drove up to Glacier. Talked with the rangers. Drove back to the airport and then got an Uber to Anaconda which cost the two of us less than bus fare there.
Mailed Win’s InReach back as a part of getting it replaced.
Spent the night in the hostel after getting the code to the hiker hut and then finding out no privy. (Closed right now).
Ate dinner from food in our bear cans. Picked up some breakfast food.
Got feedback. Changed plans again because Pinter is still too snowy but melting fast.
Going north it is two days to post holing. It has had two days of melting so we would have four days of melt from some hikers in the hostel.
People are going home to wait for two weeks of melt to start hiking again. At least people are staying safe.
Yesterday our car reservations were upside down and Humbled’s reservations were a mess. So we regrouped at the airport to try to figure out what to do.
Then I got a text from a co-blogger at Wheat & Tares inviting me to dinner.
Next thing we know things are working out and Humbled is able to drive us on the 5th.
We got to see a research lab doing world class cutting edge research on ALS and related diseases.
Now we are heading north. More research tonight and more decisions.
