Total Mileage: 264.4
Disclaimer – Just so you know, I usually write these posts on road walk sections. Forgive my grammatical errors, English majors. cars are whipping by at 65 mph and it’s a little distracting. To write these at the end of a day is too much and obviously on trails is too slow.
To get me out of the “Hiker wall” funk, a large road walk section was exactly what I needed. Making up a full day in one week wasn’t going to happen but I could chip away at it. Water would be my issue through this section. I chose the Mt. Taylor alternate route which has some water and better views than the CDT proper. Up and over Mt. Taylor 10,000 plus feet and making good time into Grants, NM.
A quick resupply of 4 days worth of food (The bag girl couldn’t believe I could get all my processed sugar and empty carbs into my pack 😆). A quick 4 tacos and a quesadilla at Taco Village and I was on my way. It all took 90 minutes and that makes me happy.
A lot of highway from there and instead of staying on it, (which is a straight shot to Pie Town, NM), I decided to follow the CDT which makes sort of a horseshoe shape out to the west into the El Melpais National Monument Wilderness. This would add roughly 40 miles to my overall distance. I DID NOT want to beat my UPS box to Pie Town and it was looking that way, so the decision was made to do the extended miles.
Initially a great change hiking through volcanic rock and lava fields. It soon became a grind, following rock Cairns and pushing through thorny, straw type prairie grass. It stuck constantly to my socks and drove me crazy. After stopping a half dozen times to pull the prickles out I had to just deal with it.
I made it to Pie Town at 3:15pm on Saturday. Grabbed my box, took a shower and talked with bike packing foreigners while I waited for my stuff to charge. I was the only Hiker and only American. I left at 7 and banged out 8.5 more miles before calling it.
The following day I chose the Gila River Alternate for it’s water and the fact that I would be leaving the CDT soon with enough miles on it.
Basically 2,400 plus miles in 68 days. I finished the week next to a man-made cow pond in high grass and thorn covered socks. Happy with the distance I covered over the week and excited to make it to Doc Campbell’s Outpost and into the next leg, the Grand Enchantment Trail.
I had no idea what I was in for…
