Day 13 - Gila Cliff Dwellings, Little Bear Canyon and more River Crossings
Day 12 - River Crossings to Doc Campbell’s Post
Day 11 - Getting to the Gila River
Day 10 - Leaving Silver City
Day 9 - Silver City Zero
Day 8 - Road Walk to Silver City, NM
Day 7 - A Great On-Trail Birthday
Day 6 - The Long Long Flat
Day 5 - To Town! Lordsburg, NM Once Again
Day 4 - The Long Flat
Day 3 - Bad Scratch Day
Day 2 - Follow the White Rocks
Day 1 - Crazy Cook to Cache #1
Travel Days - Denver to the CDT Southern Terminus
April 11th, 2021
It’s 5am and I pour myself a cup of Coffee. The feeling is of electric excitement for me. But there are still 20 things I need to get done before heading to the airport.
I run back and forth from the car. The final moments before Launching out are here and I still have things to take care of. I wish I had more time. I’m running at this point. As my Mom and Dad load into their car, I run to my car, grab a different pair of sunglasses and bring my Camera and Climbing rope inside. I run back to their car and take a few calm breathes as I make sure I have my travel bag with me in the seat. My Dad asks “final call, ready to go?” I reply with cautious certainty, “yes” and away we go.
The drive to the airport is familiar. A nervous excitement passes with each racing thought. Did I pack my socks? Did I grab the water filter? What am I doing? What if I don’t complete the trail? What if I do? Will there be other hikers out there?
My parents do a great job asking me easy questions, which distracts me from the endless stream of questions in my head. Before I know it we are at the airport, checking my bag and saying our goodbyes. It all happens so quickly. I arrive at my gate and have a moment to sit by myself. Everything slows down.
As I board the aircraft, flight to El Paso, the nerves calm down and the excitement goes up. I’m actually going on my adventure. I sit down next to a young man heading home and we talk as the aircraft deals with a maintenance delay (flight control issues). I stay awake until the wheels are retracted, then sleep until just before we land.
I pick up my checked bag which feels really heavy. One of the wheels broke off, so carry it I must. Shortly before getting a ride to the hotel, I deal with a pesky nosebleed. I keep my mask on to hide my blood covered nose.
I get a ride to a nearby Walmart to buy a fuel canister, lighter and some last minute items that I didn’t have time to buy before Launching. Back to the Hotel and sleep.
April 12
Woke up early enough to relax and pack my backpack. I decided to throw out my suitcase instead of using it on the greyhound. It had to have weighed 10lbs while being awkward to carry.
Checked out of the hotel at Noon and got a ride to the Greyhound station in downtown El Paso. Waited patiently for the bus to arrive… it was delayed by 4+ Hours.
Sat next to guy slightly older than me. Shrimp is his name and he is traveling around the country for the warm season, living out of his backpack. My Greyhound arrived in Lordsburg, NM around 9pm, I was able to make my way to a taco stop, Los Victors, for dinner and then checked into the Econolodge. I had to get a few last things packed before the morning. 4 Liters of water was the main concern. Then sleep.
April 13
Awoke around 4:30am to pee and was too excited to go back to bed. Reorganized some things and confirmed I had water then waited until 6:15am to go down and meet for the shuttle. There were already some hikers there. Tapo was the first one I’d introduce myself to. Thirteen, Crocs and Colleen we’re also there.
Ray was our shuttle driver and we were on our way to an unknown world. Along the drive we’d talk gear, water, general strategies, and see coyotes and the vast desert wilderness that seemed to never end. And it didn’t. We’d make one stop at the Hachita Store for last minute goodies. A short distance later the nicely paved road turned to dirt and then soon after that it’d become rough and slow going.
Ray did a good job showing us a couple of the water caches and give us some tips on bad water to avoid.
About 2 miles from the Mexico boarder, the road became too rough for anything smaller than the small red SUV we were riding in. A few minute later I was unloading my pack, putting it on and taking some pictures. I made it. I actually get to begin this crazy adventure. Here we go.
A New Adventure Awaits
It’s the beginning of a new year. That means it’s thru-hike prep time! I never really imagined I’d be in this position, getting ready to thru-hike the CDT. I can clearly remember walking through the beautiful, but long section of Northern California while hiking the PCT. I called home and said I’d likely never hike another long trail again. It just takes too much time. It was during that time that I learned to let go of my expectations of what the trail would be. Because me not enjoying myself, was simply a state of mind that wasn’t going to allow me to continue to my goal of Canada nor allow me to live up to my trail name, Sunshine. The adventures that have passed since that change in the state of my mind have been endless and have never failed to spark that part of me which I enjoy most. The Thru-Hiker.
Here I am. With another adventure around the corner, I slowly contemplate all that comes with planning a thru-hike. How much water will I need to be capable of carrying, how many miles do I expect to hike in each section and how many calories will I need to carry, where are the best locations to resupply and will I need to prepare of box to ship in the remote areas? Where is the best burger and which towns are hiker friendly? Who are the well known trail angels and which towns are worth spending time in along the way? That’s just to name some highlight decisions for the trail.
I must make some decisions from home before even launching. Subtle things like which tent should I take. Indestructible MSR hubba hubba (heavy), Light-weight but not so tanky MSR hubba hubba NX, or the ultra-light Z-pack duplex which is likely get get blown over in the wind. And there will be wind…
The CDT will be a different kind of thru-hike for me. With widely varying information about distances, logistics, actual route of trail and many other variables; I expect many decisions will need to be made on the way. To meet challenges, such as Yellowstone NP not allowing back-country camping at this time (Jan 2021), I’ll need to be patient, flexible and aware that I can pick my own way north following along the CDT. Who knows… I may find some hidden gems long the way. It feels a lot more like venturing into the unknown, which kindles a certain kind of excitement. That which leaves room for things beyond my wildest dreams along side a nervousness that brings along a heightened sense of what’s around you.