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Backpacking The Continental Divide Trail
(1996)
I had a very rough hike on the CDNST in '96. I started late, 24 May, at Columbus, at the NM-Mexican border. As I found out, NM was having a severe drought. It hadn't rained for forty days. The state also had had a mild winter, and 99% of the snow melt was already gone. This combination, along with the 90 degree + heat, really made hiking conditions almost impossible. There was just hardly any water to substain ones self. I just couldn't carry three to four gallons at a time. Twice I had to catch a ride, just to be able to get water. This wasn't to hard, as there isn't much "actual" trail in NM, mostly road walking. When I finally got up into the mountains, in Gila NF, around Silver City, I expected some relief from the water problem. But here wasn't, as I said, all the snowmelt was gone, nearly every stream dried up. The fire danger was severe also. Rangers were on the public roads, stopping autos, warning people that no open campfires, or liquid stoves were allowed. Lucky for me, I carry a butane stove, but I had to get a permit to carry it, and the permit was only good for a week. Finally, I got to the Gila Cliff Dewllings. There was lots of water from campground wells here! I decided to rest up there, a least a day. Went to check on my food drop at the headquarters buliding, it wasn't there, a good excuse to stay! Spent the day climbing up to the cliff dewllings, and just relaxing, a resprite from hiking in the heat. No package the next day, and the second either. On the third day, the rangers advised me that they probably were going to close down the forest, including the campgrounds, because of the fire danger. They didn't have an exact date, so I asked them about hiking north. I was advised against doing so, due to the lack of water, fire danger, and the closing. 
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Took a bus up my bro's place, spent a week with him, getting used to the high air, before we went hiking together. We started above Leadville, at Tennessee Pass, hiking south. What a change from New Mexico! It was almost being back on the PCNST in the Sierra mountains. Water everywere, nice trail conditions. We spent a week hiking, and had a great time, before he had to return back to work. My plan was to continue south, back to the CO/NM border. But it was not to be. After two weeks of hiking solo again, I slipped on some loose gravel, on a downhill slope. Twisted my left ankle badly. Found a spot, set up camp by a stream, soaking the ankle. At least it wasn't broke. The next day soaked it again, as really couldn't put much pressure on it, while carrying my pack. On the fourth day, the ankle was somewhat better. So, I dropped (buried) most of my food, to lighten my pack. From the map, knew it would take me a least a day to come across a east-west road. There, I hopefully could catch a ride, east to a town. It took me a day and a half to get to the road, spent another half day on it, before catching a ride to town. There, phoned my brother, he came and picked me up. Spending a week at his place, I was torn between going back on the trail, or home. Decided for home. Anyway, learned not start in NM late in the spring. I know some started before me, and some made it all thru NM. CO is a great backpacking state. I don't know how many completed the whole CDT in '96. I'm planning my hike on the CDT in '97, starting at Glacier NP, MT, and hiking south towards Tennessee Pass, CO. |
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