Day: 031
Date: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Start: Cuba, NM
Finish: San Pedro Peaks
Daily Kilometres: 32.8
GPX Track: Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos
Total Kilometres: 912.7
Weather: Hot, but cooler at higher altitudes, and sunny.
Accommodation: Tent
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Microwaved potato, egg & bacon meals
Lunch: Ham & cheese sandwiches
Dinner: Noodles & tuna/Rice & chicken.
Aches: Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.
Highlight: Our afternoon spent hiking through the San Juan and San Pedro Wildernesses was fantastic. Such a contrast to the equally stunning mesas, buttes and canyons of the previous few days. There was pine forest, alpine meadows with wildflowers, gurgling streams and even some snow patches, seemingly furtively hiding in the shadows to avoid their certain fate as summer progresses.
Lowlight: Mosquitoes were a bother when we camped tonight, but we know this is just a taster of what is to come.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
We had a relaxed start to the day, leaving our motel at 7:45am and beginning our road walk out of Cuba. It seemed appropriate that we encountered more snarling dogs on our way out of town, one of which was so determined to give us a send off that he ignored several vehicles that came close to giving him a send off.
Out of town, we had a day of climbing. Cuba is at an altitude of 6900’ and tonight we are camped at 10500’.
We started out through arid grazing country on a sealed road before taking a minor road which turned into a 4WD track. Once we reached the Santa Fe National Forest, the CDT became single-track and climbed relentlessly, though using switchbacks so the grade was never too bad. Here and there we could look down and see Cuba way below and in the far distance.
The trail was through pine forest and, as we gained altitude, the worst of the heat abated and the hiking wasn't too bad.
Around noon we neared the San Gregorio forest campground and met four volunteers out working on the trail and expressed our gratitude. From there we entered some declared Wildernesses (see above) and had some beautiful hiking, including along the shore of San Gregorio Reservoir where we were both tempted to go for a swim (not permitted).
As we passed 10000’ we even began to see some snow and enjoyed the sound of rushing creeks, meaning easy water access. In fact, there was too much water and the trail became boggy in parts while some of the alpine meadows were more like marshes. Dave was glad of his Goretex boots while Julie resigned herself to wet running shoes, socks and feet.
We were constantly on the lookout for animals in the big meadows but had to be satisfied with a couple of donkeys grazing in one meadow and some marmots(?).
At 6pm we picked a site on the edge of some woods to set up camp on a beautiful evening (apart from the mosquitoes), having had an excellent day.
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