Today, I’m updating you all from Grants, New Mexico, having hiked from Pie Town in four days of 16.0, 33.4, 34.3, and 24.2 miles. It was a challenging and interesting hike, so let’s review it!
Day 1: Goodbye Pie Town, hello new pack and TLC Ranch!
Waking up at the Bunkhouse in Pie Town, we weren’t in much of a hurry to hit the road. For one thing, and most importantly, The Gatherin’ Place II didn’t open for breakfast until 8:00, and we weren’t going to miss one last meal in town before heading back to the trail, especially one that came with coffee! Secondly, I was still waiting for two packages: my food refill and a new package. Fortunately, while we were eating breakfast, I received a notification from USPS that both had arrived, so a quick trip to the post office allowed me to check on my replenishment and transfer the contents of my package from the old to the new.
The Gatherin’ Place II patio!
My new backpack is from the same brand as the previous one: Superior Wilderness Designs. They are a small company based in Michigan and I am a big fan of their work. This new pack has an improved frame that allows me to use lifting straps (the adjustable straps near the shoulders) and therefore I can carry more weight more comfortably than my previous pack, which is a big plus for longer hauls of food and water on the CDT compared to the Appalachian Trail. I have walked about 108 miles with it so far and am very pleased with it. It will be a great traveling companion for the next 2500 miles I’m sure!
A shiny new package! Don’t worry, it won’t stay this white for long.
After spending a good portion of the morning fiddling with resupply and the new backpack, I didn’t hit the trail until 10:30, so I chose a shorter 16.0 mile day to TLC Ranch. The hike to TLC was 100% on a dirt road, so it was actually a pretty easy hike. TLC Ranch is located on the property of a trail angel named Larry. Its main attractions are that it offers water, space for tents, apples, a latrine and a table for hikers. It’s people like Larry and his family who make the trail a truly hospitable place. I spent the afternoon debating whether or not I was going to take the official “red line” CDT route to Grants, or the alternative shortcut route to Onion that cuts almost 40 miles. After much thought, I decided on the longer route because I was interested in seeing some of the volcanic features prevalent in that direction. Ah, but if I knew how much more challenging that path would be…
A side note about the TLC ranch: they have some very enthusiastic roosters who decided that 3:30 am was a perfectly appropriate time to start crowing. I took it as the perfect opportunity to get up early and start hiking at 6:00, since my goal was to hike the next 90 miles in 3 days and meet up with Shaggy, Denver, and Pit Stop in 3 days in Grants.
TLC Ranch – A Hiker’s Oasis! Thanks, Larry!
Honestly, a table and chairs are a true luxury on the trail; Get it when you can!
Day 2: How far can you walk in 12 hours?
Leaving TLC, my strategy was this: start walking at 6:00 am and see how far my feet could take it to take me by 6:00 pm A good portion of the first part of the day was more walking on dirt roads, then followed by paved roads and then more challenging lava fields and desert hikes. To be completely honest, some of these CDT highway hikes can become a chore. When you can see the road stretching straight toward the distant horizon, sometimes the best thing you can do is put on an audiobook or podcast and keep going. The first half of the day was a lot of nothing, although Mosey, who drove by me in his pickup truck with drinks, treated me to a bit of trail magic, as did a group of donkeys who weren’t sure what to think of me as I approached their car on the side of the road.
Typical New Mexico road ride!
So many asses in the way!
The main reason I split off from the others was to check out some volcanic geology, so I was initially happy when I finally found my first lava flow. The lava fields in the area south of Grants at El Malpais (meaning “bad country”) National Monument emerged from a series of cinder cones over the past 200,000 years or so. They are quite a sight to behold. From the ridges of the rock you can see how the lava froze mid-flow, and there is a sharp divide between the furthest advance of the flow and the surrounding desert landscape. Although it is beautiful, it is a dangerous place to hike. The rock itself is a sharp, shoe-destroying igneous rock, often jagged and interspersed with deep cracks. Additionally, cacti are among the only vegetation that can take hold in lava fields, so each step must be placed carefully so as not to sprain an ankle or step directly on a cactus.
The first lava flow!
This first hike through the lava flow was quite short, covering only a couple of miles before I threw myself back into the desert to follow the Chain of Craters, which is a series of cinder cones of about 25 (not actually craters, as I ignorantly thought). Throughout much of this hike, Mount Taylor can be seen looming in the distance, which is itself an ancient stratovolcano rising to 11,307 feet. “Later down the road I will reach the top of that mountain,” I thought. I always love seeing a destination from afar.
It turns out that in 12 hours, with a reasonable amount of breaks, you could walk 33.4 miles. “Not bad,” I thought, as I rested my sore feet. «Let’s do it again tomorrow!»
Day 3: Truly “El Malpaís”
Determined to walk another 30 days or more, I left early once again. I think I forgot to mention it, but this stretch of trail is notoriously dry, so thank goodness for Trail Angel Jenn, who stores water in this section. If it weren’t for her, we’d be dying out there. This morning, I had 15 miles left before I had my first water and I only had 500 ml left. Oh. I promised myself a drink every 30 minutes until I reached the cache.
Twenty miles into the day, I took a quick break at the Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave visitor center, where I bought a chicken pot pie, two Cokes, a bag of Cheetos, and two popsicles. They charged for entrance to the cave and volcano so I declined, but the food was good. The real challenge of the day came toward the end, when there were nearly seven miles of hiking through lava fields that taught me that hell on earth can be real. This ankle-breaking death march was characterized by constantly losing the trail, as it was marked by cairns, which were basically piles of rocks between piles of rocks. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. However, there were some pretty interesting lava tubes, arches, and caves, so it wasn’t totally without redemption. Still, I found myself constantly wishing for the end of that atrocious section.
Seriously, this is the way!
Friends I made after leaving the hell of the lava field!
Exhausted, I finally finished my day at 34.3 miles and decided to cowboy camp under the open sky. There was a new moon that night, so I was hoping to get a good view of the stars, and I was not disappointed. New Mexico has some incredible areas of dark sky and the stars are truly spectacular.
Cowboy camp!
A great view of the Milky Way!
Day 4: The final push towards Grants
My last day in Grants had me travel 24.2 miles on dirt roads and then through the Bonita-Zuni Canyon Alternate. The road through the canyon was pretty neat, but I was eager to finish and take a break. When I got into town, I made a quick stop at McDonald’s (hiker gold!) before dragging my tired feet to Lava Flow Hostel, where I got a zero the next day. Lava Flow is a nice place, with lots of tasteful nudes adorning the walls (not shown here, to protect innocent eyes), a full kitchen that I took full advantage of, and good company from other hikers. With a full day to recharge, I’m ready to tackle Mt Taylor tomorrow – first stop out of Grants! Next time I’ll update you all from Cuba, about 100 miles away!
Spaghetti carbonara and broccoli cooked in Lava Flow! Delicious!
Just me, rocking my sexy pink bike provided by the hostel by Grants!
