Flyboxer reached Silver City, NM on Saturday, and has spent the last two days there in a motel. A big winter storm churned its way through NM starting Friday and left a bit of snow. Flyboxer said it is now melting rapidly, and he set out today for Deming, NM, which he expects to reach in about three days (red pin on the map). He left the trail a few days ago for the road because of poor conditions in the mountains, and plans to road hike from Silver City to Deming. He'll then set out for Columbus, NM, just north of his final destination (flag on the map). He says there about 100 miles left.
View Mark's CDT Hike - 2013 in a larger map
Monday, November 25, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Shoes
Flyboxer recently sent a disk full of amazing photos from his hike, starting in Yellowstone and ending somewhere in Northern New Mexico. These three photos give you a taste of the brutality of hiking in final days in Colorado. The tennis shoes on the left were replaced by the shoe on the right, but only after he abandoned the snowy hills for the long road into New Mexico. Late this week another snow storm is expected to hit New Mexico, so he's not out of the woods yet.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
CDT Progress Update - 11/14
After months of deprivation along the trail, you bet your life Flyboxer enjoyed a pie today in Pie Town, NM. Thus fueled, he plans to arrive in Doc Campbells in seven days (red flag on map). Looks like he'll soon pick up the Gila River and get very familiar with its meandering ways as he closes in on the homestretch.
View Mark's CDT Hike - 2013 in a larger map
View Mark's CDT Hike - 2013 in a larger map
Friday, November 8, 2013
Ghost Ranch to Grants, New Mexico: CDT 2013
Ok, ok, ok. I admit it. I AM "a little late." I was hit by two more arctic blasts in the last week and a half. The first storm arrived just as I was leaving Ghost Ranch. Several inches of snow fell on the mesas, and a good 4-10 inches of snow fell on the CDT in the San Pedro Wilderness, creating tough, slow, hiking conditions. The second storm arrived just before I entered the Cibola National Forest, once again dropping several inches of snow on the mesas, and on and around Mt. Taylor.
"Embrace the reality" was another saying of Captain's.
"You have to embrace the reality of what this trail throws at you," Captain told me a few weeks ago.
I did not expect to see snow south of Salida, CO. I did not expect to see snow south of Creede. I did not expect to see snow south of Chama, New Mexico. I did not expect to see snow south of Ghost Ranch, and I did not expect to see snow south of Cuba. Basically, poor planning on my part. But there you have it, I guess I should expect snow anywhere, anytime on this trail, especially this time of year.
I had to laugh out loud a few days ago after experiencing the coldest night on the trail by far, followed by the coldest morning I may have ever experienced in all my days alive on this planet. It was so cold it felt like my face was going to shatter and fall onto the trail in a hundred pieces. My beard had turned white due to frozen crystals forming from my breath. It was so cold, I had to jam my ice cold feet into ziplock bags and into my frozen shoes as if I was attempting to achieve "lotus feet," the art of Chinese foot binding. At the same time, it was so incredibly beautiful on the mesa, the ice crystals reflecting the morning sun. Thankfully, despite the cold mornings, it warmed up quickly each day.
Even though the snow once again took center stage in my mind this week, I have to say that from Cuba to the Cibola National Forest was one of my favorite sections of trail so far. The trail traveled through canyon country with fantastic colors and sandstone formations. I also found my first arrowhead, and a few pieces of indigenous pottery, from who knows what day and age. The open spaces of the desert once again made me feel just plain happy.
Just a few weeks left to go before this journey comes to completion. I am hoping to do my best to simply take my time and soak it all in, even if it comes in the form of snow.
"Embrace the reality" was another saying of Captain's.
"You have to embrace the reality of what this trail throws at you," Captain told me a few weeks ago.
I did not expect to see snow south of Salida, CO. I did not expect to see snow south of Creede. I did not expect to see snow south of Chama, New Mexico. I did not expect to see snow south of Ghost Ranch, and I did not expect to see snow south of Cuba. Basically, poor planning on my part. But there you have it, I guess I should expect snow anywhere, anytime on this trail, especially this time of year.
I had to laugh out loud a few days ago after experiencing the coldest night on the trail by far, followed by the coldest morning I may have ever experienced in all my days alive on this planet. It was so cold it felt like my face was going to shatter and fall onto the trail in a hundred pieces. My beard had turned white due to frozen crystals forming from my breath. It was so cold, I had to jam my ice cold feet into ziplock bags and into my frozen shoes as if I was attempting to achieve "lotus feet," the art of Chinese foot binding. At the same time, it was so incredibly beautiful on the mesa, the ice crystals reflecting the morning sun. Thankfully, despite the cold mornings, it warmed up quickly each day.
Even though the snow once again took center stage in my mind this week, I have to say that from Cuba to the Cibola National Forest was one of my favorite sections of trail so far. The trail traveled through canyon country with fantastic colors and sandstone formations. I also found my first arrowhead, and a few pieces of indigenous pottery, from who knows what day and age. The open spaces of the desert once again made me feel just plain happy.
Just a few weeks left to go before this journey comes to completion. I am hoping to do my best to simply take my time and soak it all in, even if it comes in the form of snow.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
CDT Progress Update - 11/2
Flyboxer texted from Cuba, NM yesterday after a few days of snowy hiking from Ghost Ranch. Next stop, Grants, NM in about six days.
View Mark's CDT Hike - 2013 in a larger map
View Mark's CDT Hike - 2013 in a larger map
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