We had a rotate and balance scheduled and as soon as that finished we headed towards the Gila. We had a CDT section to do we had bypassed because the water was much higher and stronger than I was ready for.
After a night at the Largo Hotel (run by a very sweet 81 year old lady) and dodging many elk herds we entered the National Forest.
Largo is in Quemado which is near Pie Town.
We arrived at Doc Campbell’s Post while they were shearing sheep and parked in the back where they had agreed to let us park while we hiked.
We then started south towards the Gila.
Then we dropped into the canyon at the bridge.
The Gila had fire and then heavy, heavy flooding. It took out much of the trail and shifted the river bed.
Navigating you have several routes.
The Forest Service trail.
The FarOut Pink line.
The old road.
The old trail.
The river bed.
The old river bed (where it is now dry).
The new trail (cut this spring. Mostly washed out).
Horse and game trails.
Cairns.
None of these except the river are continuous.
The road runs through the river bed and ends at the hot springs.
You cross the water a lot. We crossed about 3-4 times a mile for 17 miles. Probably maybe fifty times.
Usually it is knee deep or less (compared to waist deep or deeper when we were there last).
Sometimes there are signs. One was bright and new. Others were completely worn, unreadable and fallen over.
At places the trail goes far from the stream bed. Those often had trail segments still there.
Usually the cairns are reliable though we did have them send us across the river to a trail section that faded off the side of a cliff.
Flowers were blooming and there were many Buffalo gourds (they look like watermelon) and squash plants.
This map shows the pink line and the old forest service record of the trail (the dashed line) and the river (blue line).
Sometimes the old river bed is flat and easy to follow.
Sometimes a clear section of trail pops up out of nowhere and goes on a couple hundred yards.
Day one, August 29, we did 15.5 miles by sunset (remember we were in a canyon).
We started around 11:00 and took a couple short breaks.
The Gila section is 17 trail miles long. We had to backtrack a little but we made good progress and found a great campsite.
We ate a cold dinner and went to sleep.
We got up an on the trail about 6:36 am after breakfast. The sun was still not up but there was enough light to hike.
The flowers often were making the trail overgrown.
The promise was that the last four miles would have pristine new trail. The reality was most of that new trail had been washed out.
We got to where we got off before. The water was mid-thigh in depth. Mind you the deepest before was knee deep or so and usually less.
That was where we now had seven miles to hike out.
Parts of the Spring Creek Trail are much drier than the Gila
We had about three liters of water for the ascent. We used almost all of it.
There is a lot of vertical which makes it hard climbing but most of it was not washed out at all so we made good time.
Suddenly we were at the road looking back at the trail.
Two wonderful trail angels drove us to Doc Campbell’s Post.
Day one was 15.5 miles.
Day two was 10.5 miles.
It was great.
Happy6’s comments. And pictures.
