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66: Fin

Waking early, I was on the trail comfortably before sunrise, eager to make some miles in the cool of the day. My day began with delightful singletrack winding through the desert and between knobs and bluffs, with rain clouds on the distant horizon and a bit of lightning adding drama to a gorgeous sunrise. These are very much moments and miles to savor.

By midday the heat set in, 90°F+, under an unrelentingly sun. Being utterly alone in the landscape (I filled my water in the early afternoon from a spiderweb-covered CDT water cache, where the log book indicates I was the first visitor since the last of the NOBO hikers in April), I stripped down boxers and shoes in hopes of keeping a bit cooler and evening out the outrageous farmer’s tan I’ve developed over the last two months.

While predominantly road the last 30 miles along the Hatchet Mountains, the road surface was rough and slow going. The final mountain pass consists almost entirely of a rocky wash. The final two miles to the border continued the pattern of intermittently discernible trail, but passing through several areas of some terrible week, grown up like densely planted corn stalks. Reaching these thickets, there was nothing to do but push straight in, with the weeds often above my head and producing almost a sense of claustrophobia when standing still, and enduring the scratch and pull of 1000 rough weeds dragging on every exposed bit of skin, and just push through, bellowing like a bull, and trusting that I would eventually emerge from the other side. And eventually, indeed, I did, sweaty skin covered in dry plant matter like I’d been tumbling in the bottom of a hay pile.

After an interminable last two miles, I finally reached the monument marking the border and official end of the trail… the bushwhacking at the end oddly mirroring the bushwhacking through the overabundant foliage in the rainforest-like Flathead region of northwest Montana.

A few quick selfies and then I pointed the bike back in the other direction, hoping to be able to ride most of the ~20 miles of rough road back to where Sagar was waiting to pick me up before full dark. The miles back proved faster and easier. Sagar met me on the road by headlamp, handed me a beer, and with that a great bike ride was complete!

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64: Burro Mountains

I’m very much savoring these last few days.

I lingered around Silver City this morning, going from shop to shop, and barely making it out of town by noon. Silver City is, without a doubt, one of the most charming towns along the CDT.

After a few quick highway miles and a few slow miles up a sand wash, by 2 PM or so I was back on CDT single track. The trail through this section has been rather slow but extremely pleasant. It is well constructed and on the whole very rideable, with periodic vistas and views.

In part because of the heat of the day and in part due to simply enjoying the aesthetic quality of pedaling decomposing granite single track through Piñon and Juniper forest, by riding this afternoon and evening was leisurely and very well enjoyed. The last cumulative 45 miles or so of singletrack has really been quite delightful.

The trail has been remarkably quiet. I’m weeks ahead of even the vanguard of southbound hikers at this point. On road segments I’ve seen plenty of hunters, mostly driving their noisy side-by-sides or trucks, or with their large hunting camps set in the woods with campers or canvas sidewall tents. But no one on the trail, casual day hiker or otherwise, in at least a week. Today I haven’t seen so much as a footprint.

I’ve seen so much more of the night sky in New Mexico than earlier in the trip. The longer and warmer nights certainly help. I have always loved camping in the desert—the carefree easy living it affords.

Listening to: “Ultra-Processed People” by Chris van Tulleken

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62: North Star Road

After some tossing and turning, at 5:30 AM the first light appeared on the eastern horizon and I deemed it late enough to begin the day. After an oatmeal breakfast while still half wrapped in my sleeping bag, I packed my tent (thoroughly sodden with dew) and got on the road.

Today’s ride is predominantly on the GRMBR on the North Star Road, built by the CCC, and cutting the former Gila Wilderness into two units (the eastern unit is now the Aldo Leopoldo Wilderness). The miles were largely unremarkable, save for a striking concentration of the largest grasshoppers I’ve ever seen. Many were mating, one upon the other, and many of the mating pairs were perched upon the corpse of another road killed grasshopper. I entertained myself for a spell by narrating grasshopper fetishes. When I reached the highway, the grasshopper carnage was even worse, speckling the asphalt.

Upon reaching the CDT I pitched my tent to let it dry out and pedaled on to the Lake Roberts General Store. I wish I had thought to take a photo… the selection of food items available was the most bizarre I’ve ever seen. E.g. there were four cans of Vienna sausages on the shelf of three different brands. I spied a single box of macaroni and cheese, in a faded store brand box, and nabbed it for my dinner.

On my way back, I stopped off at a canyon labeled on the map as “pictograph canyon.” The Mimbres valley here was home to settlements since at least 300 AD through 1100 AD. The canyon flooded recently, but today was cool and inviting. I found a few and enjoyed a few panels of pictographs in a red pigment against white sandstone walls, and took a few minutes to savor being in a quiet desert canyon with a small stream running through it before turning back.

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