Day 000 - Continental Divide Trail - Lordsburg

Day: 000

Date: Monday, 06 May 2024

Finish:  Lordsburg 

Daily Kilometres:  0

Total Kilometres:  0

Weather:  Warm and sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel

Pictures: Click https://photos.app.goo.gl/XENDnVHnxkPe5bUCA

Map and Position: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1KZ8wIU-Y-YFdXf0Z3d6gHQZ1vZmk0BiJ&usp=sharing

Journal:

We are in Lordsburg, a remote small town in southern New Mexico, ready for our three-hour 4WD shuttle to the Mexican border early tomorrow to begin our hike northbound for 4,300 kilometres along the Continental Divide Trail to Canada.

After flying out of Sydney to Los Angeles last Friday lunchtime, we journeyed by hire car to Tucson over the weekend via the impressive Joshua Tree and Saguaro National Parks.  Along the way we also made last-minute purchases, mostly food to cover the first days of our hike and to mail ahead to a small store we'll pass in about ten days time.  We mailed off the latter along with a separate package, to Dave's nephew in Denver, of clothes and stuff we don't need on the hike.

This morning we caught a train for the four-hour journey to Lordsburg from Tucson and met two other CDT thru-hikers while waiting for the same train.  We are now holed up in a cheap motel about 20 minutes walk from where we get the shuttle early tomorrow.  It's nearing the end of peak season for hikers and, though they usually take about a dozen to the border each day, we've heard only five are booked tomorrow.  The shuttle price also covers the supply of water at several caches in the desert that we will need for the first four or five days.

As usual, Julie is super fit while Dave is relatively unfit and feeling sorry for himself with some niggles.  We have cut some weight from the load we carried on the Appalachian Trail last year, with lighter packs and a lighter tent, so are hoping that will make life a bit easier.

We expect to take up to six months for the journey and some flexibility may be required, depending on snow conditions in Colorado.  We may have to skip Colorado and return to it later in the trip.

We are both very keen to get hiking tomorrow.