Day: 019
Date: Saturday, 25 May 2024
Start: Hwy 12 (but staying in Reserve, NM although, as we learned later today, some non-resident locals call it ‘Reverse’ which may not be inappropriate)
Finish: Martin Canyon
Daily Kilometres: 35.0
GPX Track: Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos
Total Kilometres: 532.0
Weather: Cool early then warm, sunny and windy.
Accommodation: Tent
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Breakfast burritos
Lunch: Trail mix
Dinner: Tuna/chicken rice
Aches: Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.
Highlight: In the early afternoon, after a long climb, we reached the top of Mangas Mountain (9700’) and its fire tower. The firewatcher waved us to come up from the cabin atop the tower and we climbed the narrow steep staircase, blasted by a strong wind, reportedly measured at 80kph a few hours earlier. The firewatcher, Patrick, was very welcoming and informative, and we learned and saw a lot about what he does, and admired the stupendous views. Patrick also told us that less than four weeks ago, there was four feet of snow at the summit. Hard to believe given how dry it is now.
Lowlight: None really.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
Our shuttle driver, Daryl, arrived on time and we left around 8am for the drive back to the trailhead. On the way out of town, we picked up a hitchhiker, also a CDT hiker, Geoff, from California. He is only the third CDT hiker we have seen in the past two weeks, and he soon left us behind.
For this leg we are following the Pie Town Road Walk Alternate rather than the official CDT. It is a bit shorter, but road walk is a bit misleading term because we were on 4WD tracks or gravel forest roads all day and only saw two vehicles. Also, the official CDT has a 12 mile road walk along a sealed highway, which we will avoid.
Apart from the highlight visit to the fire tower (see above), we mostly passed through lovely pine forest with a grassy floor - park-like - today on undulating terrain, though there was one section across a grassy plain.
There was a strong wind all day and today was another in a sequence of Red Flag fire warning days for our area and Patrick, the firewatcher, said he would be on duty until sunset.
We have been told that the CDT is closed by a wildfire burning on the trail about two weeks hiking ahead, so we are already anticipating having to make a lengthy road walk detour.
We wanted to do 32km today so that we can get to Pie Town mid-afternoon tomorrow, leaving time to pick up our mailed food parcel from the hostel there and to get an “evening” meal at the only cafe in town, which closes at 5pm. To that end, we hiked until 7pm tonight and found a site for our tent by the side of the road. We may be on private property!
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