Follow Strider's Rambles

Day 100

In the early morning, the ground was crunchy due to frost crystals. The sun shone in an entirely blue sky, it was windy, and the distant hills were snow frosted. As the trail rose above 12,000 feet, it was covered in a thin layer of snow. It was starkly beautiful! Near an intersection, I came across Burger King. We discussed our excitement to eat Mexican food in Chama. A short time later, at a trickling stream, I met his Japanese friend Samurai. For the next couple hours, I leaped-frogged with the two guys.

Around noon, the trail ascended a steep north facing hillside where the snow was shaded and slick. The trail angled slightly toward the edge and a slip would send a person a long ways. It was very sketchy and I wished I had micro-spikes. I chose each step with care, using any bush or rock I could find for extra traction, and made sure to maintain three points of contact -via poles and feet – at all times. It was slow going, but I made it without sliding, though I briefly regretted choosing the red line.

After the sketchy section, I took a snack break, let my heart rate calm, and checked FarOut to see if there were any other north facing hillsides coming up; none were apparent. Mid-afternoon I reached the Conejos River. Scurvy was there and he agreed that the north-facing hillside was sketchy and that he’d also wished for micro-spikes. It was nice to know my concerns were shared! He said one of the Japanese guys did put on spikes.

There was a final steep climb before the trail descended a ridge to an area with several shallow ponds. I’d hoped to make Blue Lake, and I could have, yet right at dusk. Instead I snagged a grassy spot uphill from a pond. The temp was already dropping and I wanted to layer up and eat my cold dinner. When darkness fell, my tent was lit by the soft light of the nearly full moon. To celebrate my last night camped at 11,000+ ft., I finished Delicious in Dungeon, which had a cliffhanger ending.

Day 101

Again the day started with crunchy, frosted ground. Less than a mile from my campsite, I stopped at Blue Lake for water. Usually I avoid filtering until the day has warmed, though happily the lake water was only mildly cold so my hands didn’t freeze. The lake steamed and sunlight glinted on the rocky cliffs at its northern edge.

I really enjoyed the day’s hiking! The trail rose gradually to narrow ridges and wide plateaus of alpine tundra. There were shallow ponds, tumbled rocks, and golden grasses; not a trace of snow. Although initially low on energy, I stopped for a coffee break and it gave me lasting hiking power.

Nearly halfway through my 27 mile day, I stopped at the large Dipping Lake for lunch, water, and tent drying. As I basked in the sun, Scurvy hiked up and stopped for the same reasons. He asked me where I was from and we discussed the nature of that question, a person’s origins or current home? I found out he is from Ohio and is pink blazing, chasing down a Swiss hiker gal.

The afternoon took me up on a ridge that offered stupendous views of colorful aspens, cliff-edged hillsides, and fluffy white clouds. A stiff breeze picked up and with the occasional cloud overcast, I had to layer up. The ridge topped out at a rocky bivy that held a South San Juan wilderness sign. As I descended, I said goodbye to 12,000+ and 11,040+ foot terrain, at least for this trail. It was dark for the last 3/4 mile and I used my headlamp to find a sheltered spot amongst pine trees.

Day 102

I got a great night’s sleep, so warm and cozy! When I peaked outside and saw that it was overcast, I quickly packed up, in case it rained. My tent was dry and I wanted to keep it that way. It was a mile from my campsite to Cumbres Pass. At the pass, it took me ~45 minutes to get a hitch. The lady who picked me up had a cute dog and was on her way to Farmington. We chatted all the way to Chama.

My ride dropped me at the supermarket. Inside I encountered Burger King and a thru-hiker named Top Shelf; she and I chatted for a bit. I purchased GF donuts and ate them on the sidewalk out front. Then I booked a hotel room at the Y Motel, conveniently across the street. While I waited for my room to be ready, I hung out at a picnic table outside Santy’s Taco Shop. A hispanic guy pulled up and gave me $20 to buy lunch.

About 1:30 pm, I got the lockbox key to enter my hotel room. After settling in, I got a late lunch at Santy’s Taco Shop: two cheese enchiladas with rice, beans, and a side of guacamole. I returned to my hotel room and watched a movie, Crimes and Misdemeanors, for my film club. While I watched, I used the room’s coffeepot to make hot water, which I applied to a washcloth and put on my right eye. The hot compresses made the pus spot on my stye grow in size, hopefully drawing it out.

My stomach was very gassy. I went to the supermarket to gather my resupply, getting a lot of gut friendly foods like prunes, kimchi, and banana chips. I also got a can of cat food for a little, black stray cat that I’d seen earlier. The cat eagerly ate the food. Apparently my gut did not appreciate the Mexican food and I was very glad I had a private bathroom. After expelling most everything from my system, I drank electrolytes and kombucha. So much for filling up on calories while in town.

Day 103

In the morning, my eye looked better, the pus spot was gone. My stomach was tender, though I did drink coffee and eat breakfast. After packing, I went outside to wait for the shuttle I’d arranged with the outfitter. I found two other thru-hikers waiting, Safari and Ruby Red. Safari (the woman of the pair) and I chatted, while the black cat got pets from me and climbed on Ruby Red seeking attention. Eventually Molly pulled up with a hiker named Butter already in her vehicle. She returned the four of us to Cumbres Pass.

It was three miles to the Colorado/ New Mexico border. I missed the signage, retraced my steps, and saw why; it was amidst a tangle of downed fence. A little anticlimactic, however I was still happy to be in a new and final state. It felt like Colorado with miles of gentle ridge climbing, surrounded by pines and aspens.

A light rain began around noon. It fluctuated from spitting drops to a drizzle to a light fall that dampened my pants. At times, it ceased all together, and during one such time I ate a bar and tortilla chips. My stomach ached so I wasn’t very hungry. In the late afternoon, the sky became a patchy blue and there were patches of sunlight. For the last 1.5 hours of hiking, I had intermittent stomach pangs and yet my spirits remained high.

Throughout the day, I’d seen the others from time to time. We were all headed for Lower Lagunitas Campground. It was 23 miles from the pass and had a pit toilet. We pitched three tents amidst a grove of tall, thickly branched pine trees. Butter started a fire adjacent to a picnic table and I joined the others for dinner. We chatted during and after the meal, sharing trail and adventure stories. Safari & Ruby Red summited Kilimanjaro after Katahdin and used the same guide company as me! The temp was only in the 40s, it was so nice to spend time outside my tent and be comfortable.

Day 104

I woke early and couldn’t fall back asleep so I decided to get up. Besides, I aimed to hike 27 miles and an early start could only help. By 6:15 am, I headed out of camp, my headlamp lighting the trail in the pre-dawn darkness. It’s so much easier to get up early when it is warm outside! My stomach felt good, however my right eye was stinging a little bit. When it got light out, I stopped to apply ointment and the eye felt better.

New Mexico is similar to Colorado with its pine trees and colorful aspens. Yet, the terrain is gentler. Last night was my first time camping in the state and now it is the 27th one in which I have backpacked! As I contemplated such things, I hiked along the top of rocky cliffs. Eventually the trail dropped into a valley and I took a coffee break beside a winding stream. Next came a forest which rained golden aspen leaves.

After a vast stretch of rangeland, I started to think about lunch. Then I spied a familiar hiker sitting on a log. I angled over to join her, it was Top Shelf, who I met at the Chama grocery store. She thru-hiked the CDT in a past year and is section hiking Colorado and New Mexico. After we’d been chatting and snacking for a time, Butter joined us. Then Safari and Ruby Red hiked up and sat on the ground to assemble their lunch. Safari asked about my stomach. I enjoyed the camaraderie!

Following lunch, the CDT was mostly dirt roads mixed with sections of trail. A short distance past a paved highway crossing, I stopped at Hopewell Lake for water. It was a busy place with at least a dozen people fishing. In the lakeside pavilion, I found Butter. We threw away trash, ate a snack, and filtered water. In the next several miles, I came across a lot of car campers. I looked at my phone and discovered it was Friday – people getting out of town for the weekend.

Another 8ish miles and I startled a group of five mule deer. They were adjacent to my next water source, a flowing stream. After gathering water for the night, I went a short distance further, up a hillside and past several cows, to a flat area with giant pine trees. I pitched my tent beside one, having gone 29.6 miles. Woohoo, New Mexico is cruisy!