Day 1
Day Miles: 17.2
Trip Miles: 17.2
It was surreal arriving back at the southern terminus of the CDT again. There are two monuments there. One is what you see in all the photos, and the other is an old stone with a story on it about a murder that happened there, allegedly. The only thing is, the stone carving is missing some of the story as the edges of the stone have cracked away. It also looks like a madman carved it, and it hurt my brain so much to try and read it that I gave up.
I rode the shuttle with 4 other hikers – Blueberry, Storm Trooper, Takashi, and Jeremy. Takashi is from Japan and hiked the PCT in 2019. Jeremy is a chef and serial restaurant entrepreneur from Bend, Oregon. They didn’t have trail names. The group was a good one and our driver pretty amusing.
We stopped once for a pee break and again in the tiny town of Hachita. It’s the closest thing to a ghost town that is still living that I ever saw. There are some cool abandoned buildings there from the old days, and there is a small food mart that has supplies for hikers.
It takes 3 hours to get to the southern terminus. The road gets rougher as you go along, starting out paved, then dirt, then eventually a dirt road with some wash outs and lots of pot holes. We saw lots of jack rabbits, cows with their calves just standing in the middle of the road. It wasn’t hard to know we were headed into the middle of nowhere.
After taking pictures at the starting monument, I took my obligatory walk across the fence into Mexico. It’s just a barbed wire fence and there is a spot with an opening, so I ducked out and back in. Why not?
I was the last person out, after getting my stuff together and putting on sunscreen. We got to the monument at about quarter to 10, and I started hiking just before 10:15. It was already quite hot!
Given our late start, I hiked a bit deeper into the afternoon than I normally would, and took a break after 2pm at the first water cache. The CDT Coalition and local volunteers maintain a few water caches in the desert, mostly so we don’t die.
I saw lots of flowering cactus and some very colorful yellow and red birds today. The tall, spindly cactus with flowers on the ends were abundant- I believe these are called ocotillo. I forgot how much I enjoyed the desert, despite the heat, dust, and arid air. It bears a special kind of beauty, that requires one to look past its foreboding facade and appreciate it for what it is – a harsh climate full of extremes and full of amazing life.
Overall the day’s hiking went well. I hiked a few more miles than planned, but I had to abandon my initial campsite because the wind was too strong in that location. On the way to find a better site, I almost stepped on a small rattlesnake curled up in the middle of the trail! Day one and already a rattler…. The Indiana Jones in me hopes that is my last sighting.
I found another campsite with a beautiful view of the desert valley from the base of the Hatchet mountains. Sunset was gorgeous, and once the sun was down and the wind stopped, it was almost silent.
I have a couple of little blisters forming. I taped them up. Nothing I’m concerned about – blisters are just my plight because my toes are jammed together. I can barely keep my eyes open, which means it’s time for bed. Until tomorrow!
Day 2
Day Miles: 22.5
Trip Miles: 39.7
Just as I ended day 1 by almost stepping on a rattlesnake, so too did I end day 2. Let me rewind….
I began the day with a beautiful sunrise. I decided to make a coffee before heading out. I’m notoriously slow for packing up and getting out of camp, which isn’t great in the desert when those early morning hours are so precious for making miles before the heat of the day kicks in. I usually get up early, apply my first sunscreen by 8:30 or 9, hike until about 2, and then pull off somewhere I can find shade and rest until 4/4:30. I’ll then hike until about 7pm and call it a day. I don’t know why, but the wind always seems to settle down as the sun goes down. I’m sure there is a scientific reason; I prefer to believe that the wind clocks out. “Done boss!”
I spent the morning working my way past Zeller Peak and the rest of the Big Hatchet mountains, then dropped down into a basin until arriving at the second CDTC water cache. I enjoyed seeing some jack rabbits. There was one that had a nick on its leg and sat in front of me eating grass as if I didn’t exist. It was a scrawny-looking thing. I pictured her with a thick New Jersey accent, drawing on a cigarette and staying firmly to me, “look but don’t touch sweetheart.”
The water cache had no shade nearby and I wanted to make some miles since the next water source wasn’t for 13.2 miles. I decided to hike until 2 and then find some shade. It was hot, but the trail was fairly flat and easy to follow. Lots of small, colorful lizards darted back and forth across the trail. I enjoyed looking at the various pink and yellow cactus flowers.
When it was almost 2, Storm Trooper hiked up behind me. He had been taking a break somewhere and I had passed him without seeing him. We hiked together for a while, happy for the company. He was easy to talk to and the miles flew by.
We stumbled on some trail magic under a tree – Gatorade and little mini Halloween- sized chocolates. It was amazing and that Gatorade left us both feeling incredibly rejuvenated. I was grateful for the kindness of the Hachita store people who left the cache.
At that point, we weren’t that far from the next water source, which was a stock pond, so we decided to go there and then take a siesta. There were lots of little calves there running sound. We kept our distance so as not to disturb them or make the parents nervous.
We stayed under the wonderful shade of a big tree and chatted. After about 3 hours, I hiked out first, intending to only go a mile or so. I had hiked enough miles for one day. As I got to a point where I wanted to start looking for a spot to camp, I almost ran up on ANOTHER rattlesnake. Two snakes in two days! Ugh. Also, I got within two to three feet of both snakes and they never once rattled. New Jersey jackrabbit would say to the snakes : “Use it or lose it, bucko.”
I’m camped with Storm Trooper tonight. Tired after a long day. I was grateful that I had a signal this morning – was able to give my Mom a call on her birthday!
Once again I’m falling asleep so must wraps this up. Tomorrow is another day!
Day 3
Day miles: 23.1
Trip miles: 62.8
Today was a hot one. Overnight the temperature was a bit cooler. It was really nice. Storm Trooper and I hadn’t set up camp for more than 15 minutes when a huge cloud of dust and a dull roar began. We couldn’t see it over the scrub brush, but there was a dirt road behind us and some kind of tanker was barreling down it. I think it might have been dropping water or fuel at ranches down that road. Just when you think you’re in the middle of nowhere, you realize you’re close to somewhere….
I woke up a few times to pee because I drank so much water with my dinner. It’s good to stay very hydrated out here. I hate getting out of my tent to pee in the middle of the night, but the upside is that I get to see the stars. Stars in the desert sky are a special thing. It was also absolutely silent – no wind, no noise. Also no snakes, at least not by my tent.
I hit the trail about 30 minutes after Storm Trooper at 6:30. Sunrise was beautiful and it was nice and cool. Well, it was cool until the sun peaked over the mountains, and then it was hot. It warmed up more quickly today. I made it to the second water cache maintained by the CDTC around 8AM. On the way, I passed by a structure that I remembered from 2019, so I took a detour to check it out. It looked like it might be the entrance to an old mine. It ended up just being a wash with very chiseled walls that looked like an entrance to something. Now I know.
On top of the water cache box were a handful of rocks someone had put on display. There was a huge chunk of turquoise, some obsidian, and something else I didn’t recognize. There are lots of cool rocks and minerals out here, but don’t ask me which are which and what their names are!
I caught up with Storm Trooper later at a water tank. I did not need water, but I stopped to chat. In 2019 I remember taking a long break with other hikers at that tank.
Another hiker named Towely showed up. He hails from Charleston, SC (Mount Pleasant, specifically). He knew who I was from YouTube, which is the first time that has ever happened. Glad some people are enjoying those videos!
Storm trooper had climbed the ladder on the tank to get water from inside it. I climbed up just to look at the water. There were some wasps flying around so I climbed back down. Poor Towely climbed up to get water and the wasps had had enough. One stung him through his sun gloves, while a bunch more showed up looking menacing. Turned out that they not only liked to keep their water for themselves, but they also had a nest in the opening of a pipe right by the ladder.
Fortunately, Towely was ok and the sting did not last long. BUT, he had dropped a water bladder in the tank when it happened. He now had to climb back up to get it! I cringed. It was my worst nightmare. He tried to climb up but the wasps were too agitated. Just then, a rancher pulled up. He had come by to check on his tank, and up the ladder he went. We warned him about the wasps, but he didn’t even respond. He had a pistol strapped to his belt and was ready for action!
The rancher climbed up as wasps swarmed around him, and climbed back down unphased. Towely casually asked, “You didn’t see a water bladder in there did you? I dropped it when I got stung and, for that, I apologize.” The rancher says nothing and goes right back up the ladder. “You don’t have to-“ Towely starts, but it’s too late. The rancher comes back down and says “I didn’t see anything,” then gets in his truck. He saved Towely a trip back up and Towely was only out 12 bucks for the bladder that was now resting at the bottom of the water tank.
As the rancher gets back in his truck, I notice his belt. It was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle belt. So I say “I like your belt,” and he responds, clearly embarrassed, “I’m only wearing it because my son also has one and it’s a whole thing.” I reassured him that it was cool, especially with a .45 Smith & Wesson attached to it. I had, however, found the chink in his armor.
It was a hot hike to water cache 3. There were lots of cool rocks and the terrain reddened as the rocks and soil changed to resemble Mars. Storm Trooper stopped before the cache in some shade, worried there wouldn’t be any at the actual cache box. I decided to press on. There was no shade at the cache box. Good call Storm Trooper!
I left the cache at 12:53pm. Normally I like to take a siesta in some shade between 1 and 2pm. I didn’t find shade until almost 4! I had plenty of water and sunscreen, but it was hot. I stopped at a cow tank and got some mildly gross water – nothing too bad, but I treated it and will also filter it when I drink it. After a few more miles I came upon a shade tree…covered in flies!
I needed that shade, but I could not tolerate the flies and bees there. The tree was blossoming and they must have liked the nectar. Thousands of them flew about, greeting me by aiming for my eyes at full speed. No thanks! I’d rather dry up and mummify in the sun. So I kept walking. The tree I finally found was large and a great source of shade.
I laid down under the tree and sprawled out with my feet out of my shoes. There were two mockingbirds fighting over control of the tree. They tried some muscling tactics on me. One sat on a branch about two feet from my face and sang his song incredibly loudly. I don’t see a nest in this tree, but it is definitely the best tree in the wash. They are tolerating me but will be glad when I’m gone. I, on the other hand, find it all very amusing and just love their songs.
Towely hiked past as I was finishing my dinner at about 7:30. He notified me of an announcement from the CDTC. Apparently, because there is an extreme fire risk in New Mexico, several of the national forests are likely to close to hikers, preemptively. Disappointing that we can’t just cruise through, but I will roll with it. I think it is going to affect the trail between Cuba, NM, and Colorado. My favorite section is Grants to Cuba, so maybe I’ll still squeeze that in. Otherwise, I’ve hiked New Mexico already in 2019, so maybe I can just patch some roads together for the sections that close. I doubt they will be likely to open back up. I’m not going to worry about it now – will wait and see. It’s almost impossible to hike the CDT without something throwing a wrench in things. I am grateful that I already hiked all of New Mexico, so even if I had to skip to Colorado to start, I’d have had that experience.
Lastly, a tiny mouse got very excited while I was pitching my tent. It kept running over to investigate the back wall. Then, while I was bringing over some of my loose gear that I had gotten out of my pack, it starting investigating everything. When it started hopping towards my food bag, I chased it off. I have no doubt it will be back until curiosities are satisfied.
It was a good day. I was grateful to hike with Storm Trooper a bit and to meet Towely, and for my shade tree and bird friends. I also had some cell signal and checked in with my wife, which is always good.
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