May 20 Day 26 Mt. Taylor Summit!

It wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be last night!  Yay!  Woke up pretty well rested and got my butt in gear!  This new group I'm hiking with, Bear Claw, Grim, and Guy on a Buffalo get ready a lot faster tan me in the mornings, so I have to make a special effort to get myself together in order to get out of there in time.  We got going by 6:45 planning for a 30 mile day in order to make it to the Cuba post office in time on Saturday.

We started the day with a steep ascent up Mt. Taylor.  What a climb that was.  Not only was it hard work simply climbing up the side of a mountain, but Bear Claw, who was hiking ahead of me and Guy on a Buffalo stumbled upon a bear mauling a cow!  She kind of freaked out, as one would do, when she heard growling up the hill from her as she was watching the gruesome scene down the hill from her.  Feeling somewhat surrounded, she called out to us, forgetting our names in her fear.  We arrived and hiked a little faster to get away from potential danger.  Bear Claw did not hike alone for the rest of the day.  Understandably.

She had been talking about her friend Handy Andy who was super fast and had set the unsupported speed record for the John Muir Trail, doing it in 3 days and covering over 60 miles a day!  He was right behind us, she said, and should catch us today.  Not a few hours after, he shows up, walking up an 11,000+ ft MOUNTAIN like it's just a walk in the park.  Grim was long gone as well and we knew those two speed demons would be waiting for us at the top.

A few breaks to deal with elevation adjustment and mild elevation sickness were necessary, along with lots of water and snacks to get our muscles working at their best.  We eventually made it to the summit and Guy on a Buffalo pulled out the Cherry pie he had been carrying since Grants!  Summit Pie!  What a treat!  We all whipped out our spoons and dug in, after comparing spoon selection decisions. We all pretty much had the same long handled Sea to Summit titanium spoon, with slight variations.  The things that are important to us!

We signed into the log book that was hidden in the sign and noticed that Scallywag and Old School had already summited.  According to Handy Andy, who had run into them the night before, they had woken up at 2 am to have a sunrise on the summit.  The things we do!

(Grim and Bear Claw)

(Handy Andy and Guy)

We all took pictures and celebrated our first substantial summit!  What a view and what a rush!  As we began our descent we entered our first snow section.  It was nothing extreme or particularly scary, but the heavily wooded north face was covered in snow.  We enjoyed the change of scenery and the falls were still something to giggle about.

Grim and Bear Claw are much faster than Guy and me, so I spent most of my day hiking with Guy and have been thoroughly enjoying his company.  At 21, he is triple crowing (doing his final trail of the 3 - Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and the Continental Divide).  We eventually caught Old School, a 65-ish year old man who has seen more than his fair share of life, and Scallywag who has been dealing with tendinitis in his heel.

A great day and a powerful day.  We ended up calling it its a bit earlier than planned, at 23 ish miles, which is great of a summit day!  Old School and Scallywag are camped just ahead of us as we watch an amazing sunset tonight!

May 19 Day 25 Grants To Mt. Taylor

I woke up early in the hotel and found myself to be very restless so I headed downstairs to the lobby for a small snack before breakfast.  We were going to be meeting a huge group of hikers that morning at Denny's before we headed out.  As I attempted to make tea with the broken hot water dispenser I found myself in conversation with an older man from Chicago who now lived in Colorado.  He was thoroughly intrigued by the CDT and how we organized ourselves for a trip like this.  Scallywag came downstairs soon after and joined the conversation.

Out the Lobby window I saw HoJo, who I had met back at the Gila Hot Springs and again at the Toaster House, walking toward Denny's.  I joyfully hopped out to say hello and joined him at Denny's for tea as people slowly joined.  Hugo Mumm came to get me to make a final Post Office run.  I needed to send home some more gear that was not necessary but I had been carrying with me.  It is a constant game of "do I REALLY need this?"  Big Foot said it well back in Lordsburg.  We carry our fears in our packs.  As we become more confident in our abilities and understanding of our equipment, we need less and less to feel safe in the wilderness.  I also finished my book The Glass Castle and sent it back to Josh, the dad I babysat for back in Chicago.  Great book!  Highly recommend it!

I got dropped back off at Denny's where everyone had just ordered.  HUGE group!  Scout, Frodo, Guy on a Buffalo, Grim, Bearclaw, Old School, Chaps, Tails, Spoon Man, Scallywag, Hot Springs, HoJo, Fozzie and others I can't recall.  I was surprised not to see Ratna and Wide-Angle there, but they were still a day behind unfortunately.  I missed them.

Once we all ate, laughed, and paid our bills separately, Hot Springs, Scallywag, and I packed up and headed out to the trail.  We took the small streets in town to cut a couple miles off the in-town road walk and connect to the trail.  Just as the small road we were on joined with the main road we connected with the other group that had hiked out!  It was Grim, Bearclaw, Guy on a Buffalo, Old School, and HoJo!  What a big group we were all hiking together!

Bearclaw is a seriously fast hiker.  You can check out her blog at Stay Wild and True.  She is sponsored by a bunch of different companies and has been in a fair amount of magazines and articles on backpacking.  She was going to yo-yo (hike all the way up and back) the trail, but due to a foot injury early on is not going to be able to.  This group informed us that the only water was at a ranger station about 200 feet behind us.  The next one was on the other side of Mt. Taylor, which we would get to tomorrow.  There were rumors of water caches left for the Warrior hikers along the way, but they should not be relied upon.  I took the risk.

Scallywag and Hot Springs dropped their packs and ran back to fill up at the ranger station while I hiked onward.  A truck driver saw us on the road and stopped to chat.  He had seen lots of PCT hikers by his house out west and was wondering what we were doing.  We told him and he was very interested and intrigued that a trail went through these parts.  Grim then asked him, as he was about to leave, to yell "NERD!!!" at the female hiker that was way up ahead of us (Bearclaw).  The truck driver grabs his loudspeaker mic and yells "NERDS!!!" much to our pleasure, promising to do so when he catches up to Bearclaw!  We have to amuse ourselves somehow out here!

We got the trail head, the end of the road walking for the day, and there was a water cache!  Thank goodness!  I filled up my water and we took a short break, leaving just as Scallywag and Hot Springs arrived with Old School.  The day was smooth and lovely and we, Bearclaw, Grim, Guy on a Buffalo, and I, cowboy camped right at the base of Mt. Taylor.  Guy has been carrying a Cherry pie to eat at the summit!

We plan for 30 miles tomorrow, so we'll see if my body is up for the bigger miles now!  We have to get to Cuba before 11:30am on Saturday, when the post office closes because it is Memorial Day weekend and we will be stuck for a while if we don't make it.  That means bigger miles for this stretch.  Summit tomorrow!

May 18 Day 24 El Malpais - Mesa Alternate into Grants

(Hot Springs and Scallywag)

Only my nose was exposed to the air.  The rest of my sleeping bag was tightly cinched around my face, protecting as much of my skin from the cold air as possible.  The temps had dropped substantially over night and a frost had settled over my sleeping bag.  I woke up every hour after the sun came up and noticed that neither Hot Springs nor Scallywag were moving from their sleeping bags so I would just go back to sleep.  Eventually I woke up to Scallywag making hot cocoa and decided it was about time to get moving.  I don't even remember what time that was at, but it was one of the latest mornings I'd had on trail.  What a treat.  With the big storm that had just added tons more snow to Colorado, we were in no rush to get anywhere, so why not sleep in on a frosty morning to let  our sleeping bags melt and dry?  I proceeded to make some hot cocoa myself.  The first hot drink of trail for me!

We took our time, leisurely walking up to the Mesa, on the Mesa, and down the Mesa.  Lalalalalala!  Just lots of silly banter and chit chat.

We got into Grants (for the second time) just as another storm was coming in.  Amazing timing for us!  Not 5 minutes after we stepped into KFC for some hiker calories, the thunder started rumbling and the rain started pouring.  Wow.  Seriously amazing timing.  We decided then and their that we were going to stay the night in Grants instead of leaving that day, which was our original plan.  KFC had a special deal, a whole red velvet cake with a 10 or more meal order.  Of course we got that and demolished it!

Carol Mumm came and picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel, the Travelodge, where we attempted to use the broken hot tub.  It was broken so not very hot and therefore a potential health hazard I guess.  The manager kicked us out for that reason and we dejectedly headed back tot he room where we showered and hung out with Tails, Chaps, and their (soon to be triple crowned) dog Skeeter.  Hot Springs had hiked with them earlier and so was exceptionally excited to see them again.

(Me, Skeeter the dog, and Scallywag)

Out tomorrow.  Time to start making our way toward Colorado!

May 17 Day 23 El Malpais

An early morning breakfast at Denny's.  Goodbyes to Lint, Patches, and Shane who were heading toward Mt. Taylor, and a goodbye to SpoonMan who was staying another day to rest his shins more.  Hugo Mumm picked up Hot Springs, Scallywag, and me and drove us to the trail head.  He talked to us a bit about the geological history of the area we would be walking through, about how the lava seeped out of cracks and created the unique landscape that is El Malpais.

(Hugo Mumm and me)

I got a message at the trail head from SpoonMan letting me know that I had left my trekking poles in the hotel room!  ARG!  I really didn't want to be THAT hiker!  Hugo said he would pick them up for me and hold onto them until we walked back through Grants.  Thank goodness.  I wasn't too excited to hike through the lava fields without my poles.  If you fall, you bleed.  the rocks have a shredding texture.  I was privileged enough to fall twice and bleed I did.  I'll have a few more scars to add to my knees.

(The big cairns in the lava fields were encouraging)

We found an awesome cave and took a short break in it just because it was so cool.

(The cave!)

(From inside the cave Hot Springs's image)

7 miles later we hit a road where the Warrior Hikers had cached water, which we found hidden in a bush.  Delicious fresh water.  We continued walking at the base of the Mesas, one of which we would walk along the top of tomorrow to get back into Grants.  

(Hot Springs crushing the trail)

When we got to a flat spot right before our ascent we decided to call it a night and cowboy camp.  Hopefully this time it won't rain in the middle of the night!

May 16 Day 22 Zero in Grants

(Patches showing us how to use the awesome bug net he got)

(Apparently I didn't really take pictures on this day. Apologies)

A grey, drizzly morning greeted us from the other side of the window.  A big smile crept onto my lips knowing that I would be indoors all day today.  Warm and dry.  I was able to get my hiker box from the Mumms, local trail angels who go so far out of their way to help us hikers, and take care of small errands in town.  The hot tub happened of course, along with blogging on the hotel's computer.  I said goodbye to my starting group as they decided to head out in the drizzle to get to the base of Mt. Taylor, our first big summit.  I don't know if I'll see them again, though it would be nice to.  The goodbyes are always questions.  They might be final.  I did get to spend more time with Shane, Lint, Patches, and Scallywag.  Hot Springs, Scallywag and I decided to all hike out together tomorrow to do the Lava Flow section that we had skipped yesterday. Scallywag was allowing a tendon injury to heal and waiting for his hiking partner, Easily Distracted, to catch up.  She had rescued a dog back in Pie Town.

It is an overall chill day with a jaunty trip to Walmart, not my usual haunt, to get some food and gear.  I had decided to relinquish my stove and make a new one.  I currently carry a Whisper Lite stove, which we used on other trips may many years ago, but it is not exceptionally lightweight or practical.  the fuel is hard to find now and can only be bought in large quantities.  I sent it home with a hug and a kiss and bought a can of cat food instead.

Lia, what are you talking about?  The cat food can makes the perfect stove!  Here are some instructions if you're interested.  Basically you feed a cat, clean the insides of the can out, punch holes in the top to allow for air flow, and voila!  All you need is some denatured alcohol or a yellow bottle of Heet from a gas station.  It is an alcohol stove and it is super light weight.  Many ultra light hikers don't even cook their food, they just soak it in water all day and eat it at the end of the day.  Cold mush.  I'm a bigger fan of hot mush, so I opted for a stove.  Many pro-cook thru-hikers use canister stoves like the Pocket Rocket or Snow Peak. I don't like tossing all those canisters, which do not generally get recycled, so I liked the cat food can idea better.  The only issue is that you cannot control the heat output or turn it off.  You have to get used to how much fuel you'll need for certain meals, but that's easy enough.

It is time to retire for the night.  Another night in a warm bed! After one more dip in the hot tub of course!

May 15 Day 21 En Route to Grants

Ah the joys of New Mexican nights.  Falling asleep to a blanket of stars.  The enveloping depth of space.  Not a cloud to be seen.  And to be woken up in the middle of the night by raging winds and rain.  Where did that come from???  It was one of those nights, scrambling to set up our shelters in case the slight drizzle became something more substantial. It did not luckily, though I half wish it had to justify setting up at 1am.

We groggily put ourselves together and got walking by 6:15.  More road walking.  Lots of it. As we began the well paved highway walk a couple, Brenda and Jim Hudson from Texas, stopped in their truck, intrigued by us crazy cats, and then proceeded to give us cinnamon rolls, fruit cups, cold pizza, offers of beer, and fresh water!  WOAH!  

Talk about trail magic!  We ate all of the cinnamon rolls and packed out the rest (not the beers though. We weren't feeling that offer.  Need to be productive and well hydrated on trail).  We are eternally thankful to that amazing couple!!!!  With our spirits rejuvenated we plowed on.

By the looks of things, the storm we had left Pie Town early to avoid was coming in a bit early.  The clouds were looking ominous, taking war-like formations, marching darkly toward us.  We were working on a relatively long stretch of highway, walking as hail came down on us with a bit of frigid rain.  I blasted Girl Talk on my phone's speakers and Hot Springs and I had a rainy day dance party to brighten our spirits.  I do believe that SpoonMan would have gotten his boogie on if he hadn't been feeling his shin splints so acutely.  He was actually talking about hitching into Grants and coming back to finish El Malpais, the section we were looking forward to.  The lava flow!

Welp, he didn't even have to try because as we rounded a turn in the road we saw a friendly face walking toward us!  It was Pacer!  And the warrior hiker RV!  We picked up our pace and, with huge smiles on our faces, hopped into the RV where Rick made us all Hot Cocoa and offered to drive us into Grants to avoid this nasty storm.  Pacer was heading out from Grants to deal with some personal things back home and to let his feet heal properly.  

(Pacer in the RV)

I was truly heart broken to hear that he was leaving trail.  I know how important trail had been and was to his life, but it was the best decision for him.  Without too much hesitation, we all agreed to join the ride into town and return in a few days after the storm.

We checked into the Super 8 and immediately showered and hot tubbed!  Oh my goodness!  Why don't all motels have hot tubs!!??  There was a huge hiker crowd in Grants.  We had all reached a standstill.  I even had caught my starting group!  Toast, Malarky (Burly had a knee injury that took him off trail just yesterday!!  So sad to hear!), Banana Pants, and the others (LaLa, DayMan, Sanjay, etc.) were all there.  They ended up triple zeroing!  Everyone knew this storm was coming through and further north it was dropping a lot of snow and cold temps.  Colorado was no longer a distant thought, but a reality we all needed to plan for.  Now there was no rush, but a necessity to wait to see if this snow would melt quickly.  The San Juans are currently unpassable.  What's the rush?  Everyone slowed down and it seemed like everyone was trying to decide what to do here in Grants.

What happens when there is such a huge group of hikers?  We have a huge party.  And so we did.  Our motel room was seriously full of hikers, stanky feet, and many, many laughs.  I will worry about the snow ahead tomorrow or the next day.  Tonight, I sleep in a warm dry bed and dream of breakfast.

May 14 Day 20 En Route to Grants

With a 5:30 wake up, we got going pretty quickly, though I am still slower than most at putting myself together in the morning.  It was a classic road walking day.  Lots of opportunity for tedium that was wonderfully filled with witty banter, snarky sass, heart to heart conversations, debates, and morally heavy topics.  We also had the privilege of Spoon Man's TED podcasts.  They really rocked my world.

(Spoon Man accentuating the strangeness of this sign)

We did about 26 or 27 miles today.  It was pretty straightforward walking, and it looks like it will be until we get closer to Grants.  Straightforward does not mean easy, mind you.  Road walking is hard on the legs.  You'd think that flat terrain would be the best, but it is not. 

(Sunrise road walk) 

Some little highlights today were getting water at trail angel's house in the morning.  Really cool spot.  They weren't home, so we didn't get to meet them or enjoy their cooking, which other hikers raved about. 

(Water at the trail angel's the Thomas's ranch - checking the water report with Hit Springs, Pacer, and Spoon Man)

(Pacer had some critters chew through his pack straps.....not good)

 We also met a man just before we finished for the day who gave us water and the weather report.

One of the segments on Spoon Man's Podcasts that we listened to was about living on the Edge.  So it had interviews and clips from TED talks of explorers and those who push the limits of what is sane or reasonable.  There was the woman who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, the man who self-supported his trip to the North Pole, the man who explores the world's deepest caves, and the man who walked across a tight wire attached to the tops of the World Trade Centers in New York.  The question was always, "Why?"  Why do you want to row across an ocean?  Why do you want to go through the fear and pain of exploring new places.  The answer, aside from "because it is there,"was because overcoming adversity leads to growth.

When I was thinking about my "why" I didn't really have an answer, but these explorers explained it better than I could.  We need discomfort to understand our potential.  By inspiring ourselves, we inspire others.  The power of these ideas is indescribable and the benefits of pursuing something like thru hiking or adventuring is beyond description.  I feel like I earn the comforts of life outside of trail when I work this hard to become a better version of myself.  It puts life into perspective, not just because you are so much closer to your mortality, but because the synthesized challenges of society cannot be taken seriously after you really connect with Life.

Being more in tune with the rhythms of my body, the wind and air, the ground and all its variations, the sky in its harshness and comfort, these are the powerful reasons why we come out here again and again and how we can continue to learn and grow by the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other over thousands of miles.