Total Weekly Mileage: 215.9
“Hot to Cold”
Heading into Silver City, I had a few things to deal with. I needed to get my resupply package and find a library to fill out my permit for the last 1.1 miles of the trail. Come hell or high water, I was going to reach the Crazy Cook Monument. There was no high water, but the heat did make me feel like I was in hell.
I enjoyed some sauerbraten at a restaurant with a fella named Tony. He also got the sauerbraten. He told me he almost died a few years back when he was crushed “like a pretzel” by a tree.
By 2 p.m., I was heading out of town, and tomorrow would be the last town stop of the CDT—an old railroad town called Lordsburg. Getting picked up at the end on the Mexican border wasn’t going to be easy. The CDTC trail shuttle wasn’t running until the 9th down there, not to mention they charge $175 per person with a three-person minimum. I would have paid that crazy number to keep my pace as tight as possible, but luckily Masshole gave me a website with another shuttle driver’s name. Tim Sharp was going to be at the finish line at 4 p.m. on the 7th and bring me to El Paso and to the airport the next day. Amazing!
Now I just had to book my flight, which I did in the middle of the desert. Once all the logistics were set, I had just over 100 miles to do in just over 48 hours.
I charged my stuff at the Lordsburg McDonald’s, ate some more of the delicious garbage, and headed out of town. I could tell the drug epidemic had hit this town hard, and the walk out passed some pretty sketchy neighborhoods. The water caches were stocked full for the last 85 miles—and good thing, because there was no water other than that.
I finished the day with 77 miles to go. Not great, considering when I needed to meet Tim. I was up and gone at 4:30 the next morning after terrible sleep, having cowboy camped with mosquitos buzzing in my ear all night long. At a certain point that day, I decided to try for a 50-mile day, but 40 miles in, my feet were too sore. A lot of things need to fall into place to pull a 50, and having shoes in fairly good shape is one of them—and I did not have that. These Brooks had over 600 miles on them at this point, so there wasn’t any cushion left.
I ended with a 46, needing to do 31.2 by 4 p.m. the next day. Again, I cowboy camped. Again, the mosquitos buzzed all night. And again, I was on the trail at 4:30. The trail was fine aside from a washout on the final road to the end. There was no border patrol or signage about the permit needed to finish the trail—just another gossip column brought to you by The Trek and Backpacker Magazine. I get wanting to get clicks, but freaking out hikers on the trail about this “important” permit when it isn’t was unnecessary stress.
Tim met me 0.3 miles before the terminus and escorted me through to the end. Photo for proof, and we were off and headed to El Paso. The only thing between the border and El Paso: a two-hour drive on the worst washout dirt road and another three hours on the highway. A stop in Deming to resupply, a Burger King pit stop, and by 10 p.m., we made it to Tim’s. Shower, laundry, repacked, and sleeping by 11. 3:30 wake-up, 4:15 airport drop-off, TSA pulling my pack apart—probably because of all the food, but also because of the way I looked. I think I fit the description of a drug mule.
First flight: 6:07 a.m. to Dallas. Then another flight to D.C., and my final flight to Bangor. A jog to the bus stop, an hour on Concord Trailways, and a pickup by the Appalachian Trail Hostel with a ride to Millinocket. A hangout session with Boomer St. John and a bit of sleep before a 6 a.m. shuttle into Baxter State Park.
At 7 a.m., I was ascending Katahdin. Wind was whipping, and the temp at the summit with wind chill was 4°F—a contrast from 48 hours ago. I spent no more than 30 seconds on the summit before heading down, stopping to tape up a blister, and being down and out of the park starting Day 160. I made it to a shelter by 10 p.m., but there was a solo dude in there sawing logs, so I pitched my tent far enough away not to hear him.
It feels good to be on the final stage of this thing, but I’m definitely not out of the woods yet. I still have over two months before that’s going to happen.
