Prairie Creek

Roosevelt Elk

Western Hemlock

Sitka Spruce

Drove up to Prairie Creek on Monday. An absolutely ridiculous forest. One of the best in the country I would presume. Barely scratched the surface of this amazing area. I just wanted to walk around and take it in a bit, couldn't help pulling out the measuring tape a couple of times. Big, big trees, and very lush environment.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

 I stopped by Humboldt Redwoods State Park for a quick 45 minute visit before heading to work yesterday morning. I just wanted to get used to walking around the forest again. Immediately, I regretted that I forgot to bring my boots, as there was a lot of moisture on the ground, despite the fact that it has rained little so far this year. Located a couple of giants in this particular spot. Will have to measure a circumference of the above tree, I'd guess it's in the 45 foot range. A real beast of a tree.

 Immediately I was struck how the redwood forest would not seem to be an ideal place to live if I had to camp outside on a regular basis. In Montgomery Woods, I read a plaque that mentioned the Pomo did not spend much time in the redwoods, instead found most of what they needed in the oak woodland valley areas. There just weren't enough resources to justify living in the forests. It's also much warmer and drier in those areas, a place I would probably rather be if I were living outside constantly as well.

 It's interesting to think that although native groups like the Pomo did not find it necessary to utilize the redwoods as much, our current culture probably would not exist the way it does today without cutting down almost every large redwood that was still alive in the 19th and 20th century.

Yesterday was another nice reintroduction into this amazing forest of ours.

Strawberry Rock

Tree sitters occupy a large second growth redwood

A couple days ago, we were enjoying a cloudless, warm winter day here in Humboldt. I mentioned to my new roommate that I was planning on going for a hike. He suggested I check out Strawberry Rock, a great spot to view the ocean on a clear, sunny day. It's a hike that appears to be popular among the locals here. Sounded good to me. It's also an area that is currently being pulled various directions by different groups with different visions and viewpoints.

Driving up the 101 towards Strawberry Rock, one can see the rock formation sticking out of the mountainside like a cork. As soon as I saw the rock, the thought occurred to me that this was probably a scared spot to whatever Native Americans lived in the area. Turns out, this is exactly the case. It is a sacred area to the Yurok tribe, which I know nothing about, but will have to look into. The Yurok want the rock and surrounding area protected and to keep tourists to a minimum. The logging company Green Diamond owns the area at the moment and is trying harvest the trees there. Earth First activists have occupied a few of the larger trees near the rock in an attempt to stop the logging of the second growth redwoods.

It's Going To Be A Great Year

2014 is shaping up to be a great year for walking, hiking, and exploring. I moved up to Arcata on the first and was immediately impressed by the smell of the ocean and redwoods upon arriving in town. My first walk was along the beach, just a few miles from town. I was excited to see miles and miles of open coast, the possibility of walking to my heart's content.

Before reaching town, I was able to spend a little time in my favorite redwood grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Just stopped by briefly to say a quick hello.  I am very excited about being able to explore Redwood National Park this year. It was too far away from my old location, now it's just a little ways north. Hopefully, as I get more established and back into the work routine, my weekends will be free to check out the area.

One unexpected development during my first couple days of walking here, was the sight of cows and walking along quiet country roads brought back positive CDT flashbacks. That was a welcome surprise.

On a side note, we are in a serious, serious drought at the moment. The day I arrived in Ukiah after hiking the CDT in early December, it snowed and rained. That was the only day it rained the entire month of December. The same seems to be true here in Humboldt. There has hardly been any rain so far this season, when it usually rains in buckets.

Goodbye Mendocino, Hello Humboldt

I'm excited to be moving up to Humboldt County on the first and resuming work once again. I've had three weeks to rest and recuperate from the CDT and I'm ready to go. I'll be in the heart of the redwoods and I am looking forward to more exploration and discovery in the forests during my free time. Once again, this blog will most likely be concentrating on our redwoods during my time here. Here's to a happy, healthy, and creative 2014!

Deming, New Mexico to the Mexican Border: CDT 2013

Cotton fields and the Florida Mountains

 "I'm a desert creature," my friend Answerman once said while hiking the PCT in Southern California in 2010.

 His words were ringing in my ears while finishing the CDT. While I am not of Middle Eastern descent as Answerman was, I still couldn't help feel that I really, really like the desert. In fact, I am looking forward to the day when I can return to New Mexico.

 The final two days on the CDT were more contemplative in nature. I decided to walk the highway and meet up with the final few miles of the Columbus route near the Three Sisters. There was snow in the Florida Mountains, and the route through them was described as "very steep." I couldn't bring myself to face any possible lethal snowfields during the final days. I was surprised by the amount of traffic and the amount of housing that exists between Deming and Columbus. As a result, I had a tough time finding a campsite along the road on my first night.

Colorado's roads were covered with banana peels. Southern New Mexico roads were covered with cotton and chili peppers.

 I set up camp in a spot along the highway that seemed hidden and away from any housing. Just as I was falling asleep, I could here a horse braying, and then a woman talking. It sounded like they were a few feet away from my tarp. As it turned out, I had set up camp in the dark and there was a house directly across the highway from where I set up camp. It was the night before Thanksgiving, the holiday's had begun. I didn't want to disturb any one's holiday so I quietly broke down camp and found a different spot farther down the road in a wash. I cowboy camped and nearly froze to death again as the dew soaked my sleeping bag and eventually turned to ice in the middle of the night.

Snow 10 miles north of the Mexican border!

Thanksgiving dinner

 The following day was Thanksgiving. I continued down the highway towards Columbus. Road walking really was and is dangerous. I always walked facing traffic. I was amazed how many times during my road walks along the CDT that a person in a vehicle from behind would attempt to pass another vehicle in the exact spot where I'd be walking on the shoulder, passing at high speeds just a foot or two from my right arm scaring the shit out of me. It's impossible to keep looking over your shoulder to see what the cars are doing from behind. Unfortunately, you can't trust them.

Last campsite of the CDT. Three sisters to the north

 I was so glad to get off the highway and rejoin the Columbus route for the final stretch of trail near the Three Sisters. I couldn't ask for a more peaceful campsite for my last night on the trail, Thanksgiving. I could see the town of Columbus, just three miles away, as well as the Mexican town of Palomas, on the other side of the border. I said a prayer of Thanksgiving. I was still alive and had survived and completed the CDT, despite my faith and belief system being shaken to the core. I am still processing what it all means.

Last mile

 When I reached the town of Columbus the next morning, Black Friday, I stopped by the gas station and purchased a cigar to celebrate the final three miles to the border.
"Are you starting the trail or finishing?" the man behind the counter asked me.
"Finishing!" I exclaimed, shaking off the final insult, the last explanation for why I was hiking so late in the season!

The end

An hour later, I was standing at the border. This journey, that words simply cannot do justice for, was over.

Silver City to Deming, New Mexico: CDT 2013

 After two days holed up in my hotel room waiting out the storm, I was itching to get going. I had eaten enough pizza, gummy bears, and drank enough Dr. Pepper to last an entire week. I had decided to road walk 54 miles along highway 180 to Deming rather than attempt to rejoin the trail to my north or east and then hike over 10,000 ft peaks in the snow. I was yearning for the border, and by walking the highway, I would once again gain a couple more days for my transition period post CDT. I was worried about the condition of the highway as local news reports were warning motorists about the dangers of all of the snow and ice. I felt uneasy about walking along the road with the possibility of cars spinning out of control. However, by the time I started walking, the snow was rapidly melting under the bright, New Mexico sun.

 Two events stand out in my mind during this road walk. The first occurred during my first night camped along the highway. Once again, I had to settle on a campsite that felt right, which was tough to do along the highway. Eventually, I found a spot nestled behind a bush, next to a barbed wire fence, about 50 feet from railroad tracks. The reason I liked this spot was because it was slightly downhill from the highway eliminating a lot of the highway noise, and I was hidden. The downside was the barbed wire fence which did, as it turned out, put a couple of new holes in my sleeping bag in the middle of the night. Of course the railroad tracks were also a concern. One thing I forgot to keep in mind was the likely possibility of dew. I had decided to cowboy camp to stay hidden, and woke up shivering around 8:00 pm because my sleeping bag was completely soaked and the dew had frozen into a thin layer of frost on my bag. I had to set up my tarp the best way I could, which wasn't very good, just to create a roof to keep the rest of the night's condensation off my sleeping bag and the rest of my gear. Needless to say, it was a frigid night.

 Around 10:00 pm or so, I heard this low, metallic sounding hum. The humming grew louder and louder with each passing second. I woke up and could see the distant headlight of a train. Laying only 50 feet from the tracks, I knew this was going to be intense. The tracks began to shriek as the headlight from the train flooded my campsite with light. Being so used to quiet, (an almost persistent quiet that exists in the wilderness), the noise was almost overwhelming. I turned over onto my side and watched as the train passed slowly, the box cars thumping along behind the engine, firing tiny orange sparks into the darkness from time to time. The train looked and sounded like a monster creeping through the desert, as I watched it pass through the thorny branches of the bush I was camped behind. What do the deer think of this creature?! It was moments and perspectives like this which reinforced my love of thru-hiking.

Campsite on night one

 The train passed just that once during the night. I woke up to a bitter cold, frosty morning, and once again continued walking south along highway 180. Later that afternoon, the second event occurred which stands out during this section. First, let me begin by saying that an interesting phenomenon occurs when walking through the wild. Maybe it's not that interesting, but I really noticed it on this CDT hike. Without fail, animals would run away from a human being walking on two feet. Bears, elk, deer, pronghorn, coyotes, cows, raptors, birds, ducks, sheep, amphibians, lizards, snakes, etc, etc, all get out of the way when a person approaches on two feet. Drive past in a car, and they will not even shoot a passing glance. There were only three types of animals that did not run or fly or swim away when I walked past. Dogs, the one donkey I described meeting below, and this one particular herd of horses which I will describe in a moment.

Mimbres River: It was excruciating walking past this wonderful river knowing that there must be Puebloan ruins or remnants along this waterway. I could not explore due to barbed wire fences designating private property.

 While walking along the highway, I noticed a herd of horses grazing in a field about 100 yards away. I paused to take a look at them and they paused to look at me. Suddenly, the horses lined up in a row, all of them staring at me in a way I hadn't seen any animals do before.
"What's going on here?" I wondered somewhat uneasily.
Suddenly, one of the white horses started walking towards towards me and then stopped. The other horses in the line did the same thing. The white horse then began galloping towards me and the highway, and the other horses followed suite, in a horizontal line kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Stampede!" There was nowhere to go, at least I had a fence in front of me, so I stood and watched.
The horses stopped a few feet from the fence and paused for photos. A poor scrawny white donkey tried to keep up with his horse friends but was pitifully slow in comparison. I continued walking down the highway, and the horses followed. They began galloping, doing little tricks while the white donkey again tried to keep up, and then would pause and wait for me to catch up. As I walked past, they would wait for me to get 20 yards ahead or so, and then run along the fence again doing tricks, and wait for my response. I gave them a round of applause, apologized for not having any food to give them and went on my way. Eventually, the horses reached the end of their property and I said my goodbyes.

Night two: A perfect hobo camp along with a memorable sunrise along highway 180.

 Eventually, after two and a half days hiking down highway 180, Deming came into view. I put on my headphones and tuned into one of the local radio stations, playing the "latest and greatest" hit songs. I listened curiously, wondering what has happened to the good ol' days of rock and roll?!!

Thanksgiving was just a couple days away. It was cold and overcast in Deming. I decided to resupply and hit the road once again, just two days from Columbus and the end of the trail. The journey was coming to a close. Before leaving town, Indie and my brother Michael both texted me saying I needed to get some turkey somehow before continuing south. I stopped by the Kmart and picked up a turkey and cheese Lunchable, some gummy bears, and some grape juice to celebrate Thanksgiving along the trail. The end was near!