Sunday, October 27th

Sunday, October 27th. Day 131

Today's miles = 32 Total CDT miles = 2,047.8

I didn't sleep well last night because the cold kept me up. I woke up within a few hours with ice on my sleeping bag. It most certainly wasn't the worst nights sleep I've gotten on the trail but it wasn't much better. It was hard to get moving this morning because of that.  The tent was of course covered with a layer of ice which made me want to lay there until it melted. It took me a while but I eventually got hiking by 8:30am. About a mile into the hike I got water from a drainage ditch. I knew the next water was 20 miles away and I only had one liter of water so I resorted to drinking cow trampled puddle water. Yum! It actually tasted better than the water I got yesterday that tasted like spoiled eggs.

The trail today was completely on a dirt car trail. I guess you would have needed an ATV or a Jeep to be able to drive on the road with the condition it was in but it was still nicer than walking on a trail. You can zone out when you know you are on a road. I zone out and daydream about Batman and other wonderful things.

We passed some hunters today that told us that we could set up our stuff by their camp and they would feed us. So, that's exactly what we did. Baboon was feeling very ill and I was feeling very tired so after we set up our gear we actually ended up just going to sleep.

Saturday, October 26th

Saturday, October 26th. Day 130

Today's miles = 22.5 Total CDT miles = 2,015.8

It rained all last night. The storm pretty much sat over my head the whole night. I built dams and moats around the tent to prevent the rain from coming in under the tent. I stayed dry! The good thing was that the rain had stopped by the time the alarm went off but I still didn't get up. I layed there for a while before I sat up to eat breakfast. Baboon traded me his Cookies N' Cream Poptart for my blueberry one because I wasn't in the mood for blueberry and I discovered that I really like Cookies N' Cream Poptarts!! Who knew?

The morning hike was wonderful. The sun was shinning perfectly on the desert and all the little cacti looked so happy to see the sun...except for the really thirsty and droopy ones. I found a dead cow today. It looked like a skelton wearing a brown jacket but it was actually the skin of the cow that had yet to decay. The head was bent in a completely unnatural way and I began to wonder if a mountain lion had gotten to it (like mountaon lions do). I know there are cats out here because this morning I saw momma and baby tracks in the sand.

About 7 miles into the hike today I saw Panama and Bethany sitting on the side of the trail. One of their dogs had gone into heat and all the coyotes were at their camp. They didn't want to spend another night out here because they really don't want half coyote puppies. So, they were trying to bail to the nearest road with actual traffic on it.

After I wished them good luck and began to hike again I came to a muddy river that I had to cross. I took my shoes off and forded it as best I could. I wasn't very deep but it was full of cow pies and had been completely trampled through by a herd. It was less than enjoyable.

The only water source today was an open concret tank that was meant for cows to drink out of. It was horrible and tasted even worse than it looked. I had to put drink mixes in it to even get it down. It was the only water I had and it was another 20 miles to the next source so I grabbed 3 and 1/2 liters and hit the trail again. I had to climb up a pass around 5pm when I was already beaten down from hiking in the sun all day but I made it up and over to a mellow dirt road. It's on the side of that dirt road where I am camped tonight. I know it's going to be another cold night because my water froze in just a few minutes of taking it out of my pack. I'm bundled up just trying to stay warm.

Friday, October 25th

Friday, October 25th. Day 129

Today's miles = 19 Total CDT miles 1,993.3

It rained on and off the entire night last night. It was surprisingly warm last night because of the rain clouds keeping in the heat. I didn't mind the rain because I was already in my tent before it began. But what I did mind was that it was still raining this morning when I woke up at 5am. I said "hell no" out loud which made Baboon respond with a, "yeah, no" and we both fell back asleep until 6am. One of my favorite sounds is hearing the rain hit the tent outside so I was rather comfortable during that last hour. Eventually the rain slowed to a pitter patter on the tent and I sat up to eat my breakfast. It was another fudge Poptart morning and another coffeeless start to my day. I got hiking by 8am.

The whole morning stayed cloudy as I hiked up and down countless little mesas. The trail was nicer because walking on wet sand is actually more comfortable than walking on dry sand. It was colder this morning than it was all last night so that made me a little miserable. The trail has been pretty nice so far in New Mexico. I've either been hiking on sand or sandstone. There have been a few steep rocky and difficult climbs both up and down but because of how tactical they are you almost forget your going uphill when you have to focus that much.

The only water source today was a well. Surrounding the opening were a bunch of bulls. It looked like they were guarding the water so I aporoached them carefully trying to get them to run away. They moved over a little bit which was enough for me to scoot in and grab some water. But they never took their eyes off of me. Those sharp horns were rather intimidating. I would have skipped that water if it were not the only water source all day. As I was getting water the storm clouds that had been looming over me all day looked to be even more threatening. I could see the horizon getting hit bad with lightening and the wind was blowing in my direction. I determined to make it 7 miles further before the rain and I almost made it. I made it the 7 miles but not without the sky letting loose above me and showering down. I set up my tent as quickly as possible and threw all my gear and myself in there. It's going to be another stormy night.

A cactus bit me last night and left about 20 prickers in my hand (no exaggeration). So, I spent about 30 minutes trying to carefully pick them all out. I think the cactus had some sort of toxin in the prickers because my hand throbed and was in pain the rest of the night and into this morning. I spent today being overly cautious of all the desert plants because even the ones that look soft and cuddly will bite you. The plants bite you. The trees bite you. The grassy sand bites you. The red aunts bite you. Those little flying bugs that look like miniature scorpians bite you. Everything in the desert bites

Thursday, October 24th

Thursday, October 24th. Day 128

Today's miles = 15.1 Total CDT miles = 1,974.3

I woke up around 8 this morning not wanting to hike. I was so comfortable in the bed I wanted to stay there all day. The only thing that made me get up was the smell of the dead mouse in the heater vent (gotta love cheap motels). I was packed and ready around 10am and walked over to the dollar store for a few last minute hiking items (super glue, pain meds, IcyHot patches for my neck). The trail leaving town was actually the highway. I didn't get to hitch on the highway to the trail because the trail itself was the highway. I knew that New Mexico was a lot of road walking but I guess I didn't expect so much of it. The highway only lasted about 5 miles before the trail turned off onto a car trail. That lasted a few more miles and then the trail was finally really a trail again. The hiking was very plesant today. I am most certainly in the desert and the trail is made up if inches and inches of sand but the weather was beautiful and the terrain was mellow. The scenery is so different than Colorado it's hard to believe that such a huge change in environment could have happend so quickly. There were multiple sets of bones I hiked by today. I couldn't tell what most of them were from but one was certainly a coyote. There was also a half eaten cow on the side of the trail. The meat still looked fresh. 

Panama and Bethany left town today also as well as Bigfoot and Barrel Roll. They are two hikers I met at Ghost Ranch who are also hiking SoBo. It's strange but nice to have hikers around. So much of the CDT has been so lacking in the social aspects that it actually feels weird to see other people on trail. 

Tonight I'm camped by a spring. It was the first water source since town. The next water is another 15 miles away so I decided to bunker down for the night. The second I entered New Mexico the water has been horible. Not only on trail but in town too. At the motel in Chama the water actually came out of the faucet a thick brown. It could have been the poor quality of the motel but I blamed it on New Mexico. The water in the motel last night was better but I still chose to buy gallon jugs of water at the grocery store. You know its a special cirmumstance when I'm willing to pay money for water in a bottle!!

Its raining tonight. The last time I was in the desert (The desert Basin in Wyoming) it rained there too. The Basin gets on average one day of rain a year. It rained on me the three days I was hiking through it. Now I am in the New Mexican desert and its raining here too. Baboon said earlier today that the clouds looked like rain. My response was, "Of course they do. We are in the desert.

Wednesday, October 23rd

Wednesday, October 23rd. Day 127

Today's miles = 6.7 Total CDT miles = 1,959.2

I woke up excited to get to town today so I packed my things and headed down the trail. I made it into town in time to grab some Subway for lunch. I got a room at the cheapest motel in town and took a shower, skipped the laundry, and layed my ass down. The stretches lately have been short but each and every one has been kicking my ass. Three thru hikes in as many years takes a toll on your body I could have never imagined. Just thinking about hiking lately makes me tired and hungry. These last few weeks are going to be pretty rough so I was trying to relax as much as I could today. I made it to the grocery store and to the pizzeria today but other than that I didn't get very far from the T.V.

Tuesday, October 22nd.

Tuesday, October 22nd. Day 126

Today's miles = 29.3 Total CDT miles = 1,936.5

As to be expected it was another frozen morning. I ate my fudge poptart, skipped my coffee (my fingers were too cold to make it), and was packed up and hiking by 8:40am. I thought I was suppose to be in the desert but the mornings hike convinced me otherwise.  The day started with a straight up climb in a forest. It was very pretty but I did not feel like I was in the desert. The trees were tall and healthy and there was actually a little mud on the ground. After the climb the trail started to look a little more desert like and stayed that way the rest of the day. The afternoon got warm again today which made me happy and by the time I was climbing up the second mountain today I actually broke a sweat. I'm looking forward to getting to town tomorrow!

Monday, October 21st

Monday, October 21st. Day 125

Today's miles = 16 Total CDT miles = 1,907.2

I spent last night with ice on my neck and shoulder. I've always had a hard time with my back ever since the AT but the weight of my pack on this trail (from carrying all the water) has really taken a toll on my right shoulder and side of my neck. I've been in a lot of pain whenever I have my pack on and it almost feels like I pulled a muscel. So, I got some ice last night hoping that it would help it feel better. It actually did make a small difference and I woke up this morning with very little pain. I walked over for the breakfast buffet before heading out on trail. I only made it 16 miles because where I am camped is the last water source for 15 miles. The hike was pleasant today. Now that I'm back in the desert it's actually sunny and almost warm in the afternoon. The nights are still freezing...literally freezing. All my water still freezes solid but at least its nice during the day. It makes it easier to get up in the morning when you know it's going to get warmer during the day. Panama and Bethany are also camped at this spot tonight. Its nice to have people around again.

Sunday, October 20th

Sunday, October 20th. Day 124

Today's miles = 28 Total CDT miles = 1,891.2

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and the temperture was actually nice. Baboon went down to his shorts and I my skirt. Its been over a month since I've been able to wear just my skirt and shirt. The days hike was all on the highway. I passed another convenient store before making my way to Ghost Ranch. Ghost Ranch is a Presbyterian resort that has quite a few amenities. I got there just in time to make the dinner buffet and get a room for the night. The room I got was the cheapest and had a few cots and a heater in it. That was about it. But it was nice to have a roof over my head and warm food in my belly.

Saturday, October 19th

Saturday, October 19th. Day 123

Today's miles = 16 Total CDT miles = 1,863.2

I left Chama this afternoon and walked on a highway the entire evening. The stretch between Chama and Ghost Ranch is literally a highway. Its 44 miles of paved road walking with tons of cars wizzing past us. So far it's been kind of nice because you can zone out and just walk but the pavement really takes a toll on my feet. There was also a convenient store I passed today which was a nice treat. I'm camped on the side of the road.

Friday, October 18th

Friday, October 18th. Day 122

Today's miles = 30.1 Total CDT miles = 1,847.2

I woke up this morning in the privy. It was so cold in there I didn't even want to imagine how cold it was outside of the privy. It got well below freezing last night. A hunter told me later today that it got in the single digits. Once I heard that I was even happier that my standards are so low that I don't mind sleeping in a privy. I was camped at 10,000ft last night and had to hike through snow this morning over a pass before I got to a beautiful car trail that I could cruise on. I went into a daydream and hiked as fast as I could to make it to the road to town. I didn't want to spend another night as cold as last night, AND the next town was officially in NEW MEXICO!! Woo woo!

I got to Chama New Mexico and got a room at the 'Y Motel' for the night. It was one of the drumpier motels so far on the trail but it was leaps above sleeping in a privy. It would have been downright wonderful if there had been hot water. It's the time of the trail where you have to skimp on hotels in order to be able to buy food. So, we went with the cheapest in town. After the motel I went to Subway and immediately went back to the room to relax the rest of the night.

Thursday, October 17th

Thursday, October 17th. Day 121

Today's miles = 27 Total CDT miles = 1,817.1

Again was cold. It was freezing. I was bundled up in almost all my gear for the entire day. There was a lot of snow to trudge through and my feet were frozen most of the day. Once I got to the spot where I had inteded on camping for the night I was too cold to even think about setting up a tent. The spot I chose for tonight is an abandoned campground. It only had about four camp sites but it did have a privy. I walked over to the privy to see what kind of condition it was in and once I had determined it sutiable for sleeping I screamed over to Monkey that I was sleeping in the privy because I thought it would be warmer. It had four walls and a ceiling so it had to be warmer than a thin layer of silnilon. So, I bunkered down in the privy for the night. It was actually quite pleasant.

Wednesday, October 16th

Wednesday, October 16th. Day 120

Today's miles = 28 Total CDT miles = 1, 790.1

There's not much to say about today. I hiked. It was cold. I was cold. Pretty standard day. Oh, it was also the first day with my new shoes! 

Tuesday, October 15th

Tuesday, October 15th. Day 119

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1,762.1

Today was another zero day...what more can I say??

Monday, October 14th

Monday, October 14th. Day 118

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1, 762.1

Today I actually got some stuff done. I made my way to the grocery store and resupplied and also sent myself a resupply box to Ghost Ranch. I got out more today than yesterday but still had plenty of time to relax.

Sunday, October 13th

Sunday,  October 13th. Day 117

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1, 762.1

I stayed in the hotel most of the day today.  I left to get food and that was about it. After all the snow this past week I wanted nothing more than to be warm. It was a good zero.

Saturday, October 12th

Saturday, October 12th. Day 116

Today's miles = 21 Total CDT miles = 1,762.1

I woke up while it was still dark and continued to hike on the dirt road all day until I reached the highway. I was SO happy when I stepped to the side of the road and stucky thumb into the air. It took a few minutes until an man in his 70's picked us up. He was the most helpful and kind person! He drove us a while to another highway where a young couple picked us up.  They drove us to another highway. A family then picked us up and drive us to yet another highway where we finally got picked up by a man who reminded me of Bob Ross. The total hitch was just under 200 miles. It was so horrible that I was 14 miles from town via trail when I had to bail and in order to get to town I had to walk so many extra miles then hitch almost 200 miles around all sorts of mountains to get to town. At least I made it here!

Friday, October 11th

Friday, October 11th. Day 115

Today's miles = 22 Total CDT miles = 1,741.1

I woke up this morning and everything was frozen solid as expected. The tent had been set up on inches and inches of snow and the tent itself had become an icebox. I didn't mind so much though because Larry, Terry, and Brody (the hunters) had said that we could could come into thier canvas tent in the morning to warm up by the wood burning stove. So, I packed my things as quickly as I could and headed straight for the tent. The second I walked in I was hit in the face with a wall of heat. That stove was sure working! I set my frozen shoes underneath the stove to thaw and Larry handed me a cup of coffee. My day was instantly better. I was warm and drinking coffee. I dared not ask for anything more but more came! Larry made us breakfast which included scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, toast, fresh homegrown tomatos, biscuits, and homemade sausage (which I skipped). It was the most perfect breakfast and I got to eat it next to the wood burning stove. I had forgotten for a second that I was on trail.

After breakfast Larry filled our pockets with homemade brownies and muffins (compliments of his wife) and we were again on our way. Because we had to bail down off of the pass we knew we would have to hike on a dirt road for many miles to get to a real road. From the real road we could then hitch to town.

The road wad covered in snow and sloppy  mud for most of the day which made it rather difficult to hike on. I made it to a lake by nightfall and set up my gear. It was another freezing night.

Thursday, October 10th

OIThursday, October 10th. Day 114

Today's miles = 14.9 Total CDT miles = 1,719.1

I woke up this morning with a much better determination than yesterday. The snow that fell last night wasn't to blame for my better mood, in fact it put a small damper on it. I tried not to let it bother me as I packed up my things in the cold and brushed off the few inches of snow from my gear. I started this mornings hike full of energy (probably fake energy as I didn't really eat dinner last night) and didn't mind for the first few miles that I was hiking in the snow uphill, while continuing to be snowed on. It wasn't long until things got ugly. Within an hour a foot of snow had fallen. By the second hour there was two feet of snow on the ground. The wind was screaming up on the pass and the entire sky was white. I could not see in front of my face and kept being blown over by the wind. The pass I had to cross today was at 12,800ft and I just kept telling myself to get to the top and head down. And then I remembered that this particular pass was not like the rest in that once I got to the top I still had to hike 4 miles on an exposed ridge before I could start the descent. I made it just a few feet from the top of the pass before I decided to turn back. The weather had gotten horrible. I felt like I was in a real mountain snow storm and I knew that it was more dangerous than it was worth to risk the 4 miles on the ridge in the weather. It continued to snow and it was not letting up at all. I have not seen so much snow fall from the sky since a traditional winter in buffalo. Every step was a challenge trying to navagate in the feet of snow. The drifts of snow were considerably deeper in some spots and it took every ounce of energy I had to make it the 10 or so miles down to a trailhead. Yesterday when I was at this same trailhead there was nothing here. It was a dirt road with a few boulders here and there but this time there was an extreamly pleasant surprize. On my way down I could smell a wood burning stove. My first thought was that I was going slightly crazy but the closer I got the more hope I had that there was actually a fire going down there.

There were two huge canvas tents with wood burning stoves. The three hunters who were staying in one of the tents offered us to come in and get warm. They then gave us drinks, food, and conversation. I stayed in the tent by the stove all night until it was time to go to bed and set up my tent on top of snow. It was an absoutely freezing night but I didn't seem to care because I had warm food in my stomach. I slept great.

Wednesday, October 9th

Wednesday, October 9th. Day 113

Today's miles = 14 Total CDT miles = 1,704.2

Somedays the most difficult part of the trail is not the terrain, the weather, the high passes, the cold nights, the physical pain, or the constant hunger, but rather your own mind. Today the sky was not a beautiful blanket over the mountains, the leaves falling from the trees were not dancing, and the water trickling down the stream was not the most peaceful sound. In my eyes the sky was grey, the leaves were in my way, and the water was too cold. Its funny how sometimes the world around us is only as beautiful as you allow it to be. But a hot meal, a few deep breaths, and some rest gave me the strength I need to finish out these last 600 miles of trail. I don't remember much from today although I do remember camping in the snow.

Tuesday, October 8th

Tuesday, October 8th. Day 112

Today's miles = 15 Total CDT miles = 1,690.2

I woke up to the sound of an angry squirrel cherping outside my tent. He was apparently angry that I set up underneath his tree last night. This morning was of course cold but it was bearable once I got moving. It was a nice hike this morning among the aspen trees. The leaves were all changing colors and falling to the ground in a beautiful dance. There were a few water crossings today but luckily there were down trees that I was able to walk across. The afternoon was a beautiful hike in what felt like desert conditions. I can tell I'm getting close to New Mexico because the environment has begun to change drastically.

Tonight I'm camped at tree line on some cow poop. I tried to move the big piles out of the way before I set up my tent but there was no escaping it.

Monday, October 7th

Monday, October 7th. Day 111

Today's miles = 19 Total CDT miles = 1,675.2

This morning was far more pleasant than yesterday. It was still chilly but the sun was out beginning to warm the frost. There was a little climb this morning but the following 5 miles were downhill. I took a break by the last water for about 14 miles before busting through the afternoon hike. It was after that break that my back began hurt too badly to focus on anything else. The pain I felt on the AT was back and worse than ever in that it spread to my neck as well. I had a really difficult day today pushing through the pain and was extremely happy to stop for the night. I'm camped by a highway up on the hill nestled in some trees. I can see the cars drive by but there is no chance of them seeing me. I actually kind of like the sound of the traffic tonight. I have a feeling it's going to put me to sleep.

Sunday, October 6th

Sunday, October 6th. Day 110

Today's miles = 15 Total CDT miles = 1,646.2

I woke up this morning to possibly the coldest morning on the CDT so far. The tent was frozen solid. My sleeping bag had frost on it. My shoes were frozen shut and I couldn't even get my feet into them. I was so cold all I wanted was to start moving to warm up. I began the morning with a climb and it pretty much felt like I was climbing uphill the rest of the day. The afternoon warmed up enough for me to dry out my sleeping bag during lunch but the sun left as quickly as it came. Tonight I'm camped in some pine trees in a saddle. It feels cold tonight as well but I have a feeling it's not going to get a fridged as last night.

Saturday, October 5th

Saturday, October 5th. Day 109

Today's miles = 14 Total CDT miles = 1, 631.2

I left the hotel around 11am this morning to try get back to the trail. It took a while for a hitch but I was finally offered a ride partially up the mountain. After a while in the car the lady offered to drive us all the way back to the trail despite her not originally going there. Once we got to the trailhead it was obvious that I would be hiking in snow the whole day. The hiking today was all at decently high elevation and it was impossible to escape the snow and wind. I kept moving to keep warm forgetting to eat and drink all day. Around 10 miles into the hike I came across a public cabin that I was intending to stay at tonight. There were already two car campers there that did not seem interested in sharing the cabin for the night even though there was room for a few more people. So, I had to hike on in the snow frozen to the bone looking for somewhere to set up for the night. I ended up camping by the last water source for 10 miles. It's freezing outside right now and it's only 7pm. I'm not looking forward to how cold its bound to get tonight. Doing my best to stay warm.

Friday, October 4th

Friday,  October 4th. Day 108

Today's miles = zero.  Total CDT miles = 1, 617.2

Today it stormed. The mountains got snow with a wind chill of -2 degrees. So, I stayed inside most of the day. It was glorious. Panama and Bethany left town today, made it almost to the trail, then turned around and headed back for town. The conditions were awful enough to make them turn back. I did not regret my decision today zero. And I got to play with a puppy. So, today was pretty ok

Thursday, October 3rd.

Thursday,  October 3rd. Day 107

Today's miles = zero. Total CDT miles =  1, 617.2

I tried to sleep in today but I woke up too hungry to go back to sleep so I made my way to the pancake house in town. I walked to the grocery store (one mile away from the motel) then spent the rest of the day relaxing.

Wednesday, October 2nd

Wednesday,  October 2nd. Day 106

Today's miles = 27 Total CDT miles = 1, 617.2

It was feezing this morning when I woke up.  Yet again everything including my tent was frozen. It took a bit of motivation to crawl out of my sleeping bag and get moving. Hot coffee usually helps with that a little. The morning was consumed by going over Tin Cup Pass. The pass was at over 12,000ft so it stayed fridged until I was on the other side of the pass heading down. I chose to take the car trail down the pass and into the valley where the historical town of St. Elmo was. It was a pretty neat place tucked away in the mountains. It was an old mining town back in the day.  I actually hung out there for a while despite how badly I wanted to get to a real town. St. Elmo didn't have anything there immediately useful for a thru hiker (no food,  shops, or warm beds) but it still was really interesting to walk around the old ghost town. I busted through the rest of the miles for today and got a ride into town by these two old men. One which his friend told me was a schizophrenic.  I laughed but he looked at me and said,  "No seriously, he IS a schizophrenic... but he's harmless". So anyway, the schizophrenic and his friend gave me a ride to Salida Colorado where I got a hotel room for the night and finally got warm for the first time in days.