Dirt Road Walkin

It got down to 20 degrees last night.  I had all of my layers on buried in my sleeping bag and was still cold.  So it took us two hours to pack up our stuff.  Finally we headed out.  We saw Stride and Wantsome right away.  They didn't take the route we did but stayed on the river.  Stride said they crossed it over 100 times and that it was rough going.  So we were happy we'd not done it.  This morning we had a little bit of trail and a lot of road walking.  We walked through a small canyon with a creek and then across a huge plain with no trees.  

There was a dark rain cloud in the distance so we hustled to get across it in case it came our way.  After that it was a road walk through a piney forest.  

The weather couldn't make up its mind.  It'd be cloudy and cold then sunny and warm, repeat.  I love my arm warmers.  I'd push them down to my wrists when it warmed up then pull them back up when cold.  We even got snowed on although there was a lot of blue sky.  We got worried about water.  We were getting low, one of our possible sources was dry, and we weren't going to make it to the next one. And then two miles later we rounded a corner and there was a small creek.  Pounce and I screamed and did the happy dance.  Water.  So we tanked up and found a spot up high to camp.

Another Alternate, Goodbye Gila

One of the cool things about the CDT is it's a pick your route type of trail.  So this morning we took a route out of the Gila canyon that we found on the maps.  The mileage was the same.  There were too many blow downs and poor conditions to continue when we had a viable option.  It was the right decision.  The trail climbed steeply one thousand feet in a mile.  My legs and pack felt great and I wasn't out of breath.  My legs are getting stronger and my body is adjusting.  Pretty cool to feel it adapting.  We ended up close to 8000 feet and up top it was pine trees, short trees, and rolling hills.

 The trail ended at a large ranch where we picked up a county road.  

  The road walk was about 15 miles but made a nice walk.  So easy after the Gila.  

It was windy up top! In spite of that we made good time and reconnected with the Gila alternate trail at Snow Lake campground.  This is a forest service campground out of the canyon.

Pictures of the Gila

We went to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Park this morning.  

They were well worth the stop.  Pretty amazing how they lived and how they were able to build with primitive tools.

Then it was back to the Gila river.  The part of the trail we are on is not official CDT but a popular alternate.  We took another alternate back to the river called Little Bear Canyon.  

It was a beautiful little canyon that narrowed like a slot canyon, then opened up at the middle fork of the Gila.  There was a big flood here last fall so there are a lot of downed trees an nonexistent trail.  We stopped at Jordan hot springs which was on trail.  Water cascaded out of the rock and formed two pools of hot water.

 Are group has split up and Pounce and I are hiking together.  However we are all spread out down the same trail & see each other at breaks and camp.  We are very tired from walking in the river, stumbling over rocks, and wading through deep sand.  Time to sleep.

Trail Life

A few words to describe today:  cold, colder, cold water, blue sky, red rock, sun, warmth, and Jiffy salted caramel hazelnut chocolate spread.  The Gila river canyon reminds me also of the red river gorge in KY.  It was a beautiful day, not as hot, but hard in the morning putting on wet shoes and plunging across the river again and again.  

A couple of times the trail climbed above the river which was a nice change of pace.  The hazelnut spread belongs to Pounce and tasted deeelicious in my granola bar & added some much needed calories.  Shortly after the lunch break I crossed the river and saw a strange brown lump that looked alive.  Was it a pile of logs?  Was I seeing things?  It breathed.  It had beady eyes looking at me.  I whispered loudly at Pounce to look.  Then it moved.  Fast.  It was a Javelina (wild pig) who wanted nothing to do with us but seemed to check us out.  One of our friends, Inspector Gadget saw a mountain lion.  We've also seen some colorful and interesting birds.

We finally arrived at Doc Campbell's outpost where I picked up my resupply box.  I have lots of treats in my box.  

The post is by the hot springs and the Gila cliff dwellings which we will go see tomorrow on our way out.  We're camping tonight at the hot spring campground where we soaked in the cold river water to soothe the scratches on our legs and the hot springs to sooth our sore muscles. 

Gila!

I don't know where to begin?  How do I condense to a few lines what today was like?  I often compose as I walk but there was so much I lost track.  We caught up with the rest of the group right away.  The trail reminded me of Utah.  There were pine trees, rock spires, hills and water.  The morning sun turned the cliffs golden. For the first time the trail climbed high.  I was slow because I don't have my uphill legs yet but I was also huffing & puffing.  Then I realized why.  We were above 7,000 feet.  From high on the ridge we could see the valley and other mountain ranges.

 Then the trail descended.  Down, down, more down and then.. the Gila river!  It's a wonderful river canyon that the gila snakes through and the trail crosses and recrosses it some 59 times before our next trail stop.

 So we just plunged right in, no taking shoes off.  We even soaked in it.  The cold water felt great as it's been close to 90 degrees.

 We're camped under some trees on the river bank.  It was a blast today.  Some tough walking and slow going but still a blast.  

A Leisurely Walk

IIt's good to be back on trail.  Dean dropped us off downtown this morning and we got breakfast at a small diner.  There was a pro bike race going on called Tour of the Gila, so streets were blocked off.  We watched it for a bit then headed out of town on Little Walnut Road.  

Cars passing our group honked and waved.  Silver City was designated a gateway city to the CDT this year and there was a big story in the paper.  So people knew who we were.

The trail entered into a forested area and then into a river canyon.  There were some really neat rock formations on the canyon walls and cliffs.  There were trees!  It's great to be out of the desert.  It's still hot and dry but there is shade.  One particular tree was a bright green that sparkled when the sun shone through it.  

Pounce and I hiked most if the day together as we are slower than the others.  We were about a mile and a half from a water source and camping spot when we came around a bend and saw Smiles stopped.  It was a flat, open area with a beautiful view of the hills and valley.  We were tired.  It was perfect.  So us three girls are camped here and will catch up to the rest of the group in the morning.

Zero Day

I had planned on sleeping in and hiking out in the afternoon.  However, I changed my mind and had a zero day.  It was a day of friends new and old, good food, laughs, and relaxation.  I went to a barbecue at the baptist church with my hosts for lunch.  There was potato salad, beans, barbecue, and peach cobbler!

My  favorite.  Here are Dean and Ginger in their back yard.  

This afternoon Smiles, Pounce, Analog and three other friends from the PCT hiked in.  We managed to cram all 7 of us into the tracker to go get dinner.  Good times.  I'll be hiking out with them tomorrow.