CDT: Gila River alternate

The Gila River alternate is a stunning canyon trail that is 106 miles long. There is so much beauty in the canyon, we decided to do a post about it. 

The Gila River is a major tributary of the Colorado River. It begins in New Mexico and runs to Yuma, Arizona. It is 630 miles long. 

The alternate trail is a favorite of many CDT hikers because of the beauty of the canyon. 

For the most part, the trail is straight forward and easy enough to follow. However, there are plenty of sections where you lose the trail and have to bushwhack. Bushwhacking is tiring and losing the trail is frustrating. The rule of thumb is to follow the river. If you lose the trail, eventually you will find it again by following the river.

Here it's easy to see the trail

The biggest challenge on this route is water crossings. We've heard the crossings number between 100 - 200. Pooh thought this sounded like a challenge and decided to count the number of times we crossed water. It wasn't 100 or 200. It was 318! One day we crossed the water 120 times. 

The water varied in depth. This was a low snow year and we believe we got lucky because the deepest crossing was mid-thigh for Pooh and just above the knees for Captain Scoot. We've read that some crossings can be up to your chest. 

With so much time spent in the water, it's impossible to keep your socks and shoes dry. Every time we stopped for a break or meal we took off our socks and shoes. Even with the abundance of water, the air is very dry. Laying our socks and shoes in the sun dried them out a bit while we were resting or eating. 

At night, we hung them on a tree branch. 

The canyon isn't just about water. There is plenty of wildlife here. We saw two bears, several snakes, and countless ducks. 

The beauty of the canyon comes from the walls and rocks. Sometimes it was difficult to enjoy because we were so focused on the water or finding the trail. We would stop occasionally just to look around or look up.

The Gila River canyon is truly amazing. We're glad we decided to take this alternate route. Enjoy more beauty from this remote area of New Mexico.

Here's some video highlights: 

CDT: Doc Campbell's to Reserve

We left Doc's at first light Monday morning heading to the trailhead which is near the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Of course we had a 3 mile road walk ahead of us to start the day. Our plan was to hitch as much of the road as we could. We started off, but no cars were to be seen before sunrise. About half way to the trailhead, we got lucky! As a small pickup approached, Scoot stuck out his thumb and the pickup stopped. The driver was a ranger at the National Monument. We hopped into the back of the truck and we were off. A huge thank you to the ranger! 

Once we were back on the trail, the hike went pretty smoothly. It didn't take long for us to come to another water crossing. Having dry shoes for a couple of hours was nice. 

We saw our second bear. This time it was much further away. 

The views in the canyon continued to amaze us. Constant water crossings and wet feet were getting old. There are several trails that you can take to the rim the canyon, and we decided to take one. The trail was going to be a steep climb out of the canyon, but the thought of dry socks was too appealing to pass up. So after 5 days of wet shoes, we left the canyon. 

This alternate route took us up to a ridge and across a barren grassland. It's really amazing how quickly the landscape changes. 

While waiting for Pooh to catch up, Captain Scoot took a short hike up the ridge to take some pictures. To our west he noticed smoke and what appeared to be a forrest fire. Using our garmin in- reach satellite device, he called in the suspected fire. The forrest service was aware of the fire. You may have heard about the Hummingbird fire in New Mexico. This is the fire we saw. Since Scoot saw the smoke on the ridge, the fire has grown to over 2,000 acres and part of the CDT trail has been closed. Fortunately, we were ahead of the fire and the closure didn't affect us. 

By the time we reached the ridge, we were ready for lunch. The wind was fierce and cold. We decided to hike to a lower spot and try to get out of the wind. Soon after leaving the ridge, Scoot noticed a campsite below and we made our way down to it. The campsite had picnic tables and a toilet! When you eat sitting on the ground for days on end, a picnic table is a beautiful sight! 

As we were getting ready to hit the trail, we started talking to a camper, David. David was turkey hunting and was loaded with supplies. He was kind enough to top off our water, gave us oranges, and much needed lotion for our legs (it's incredibly dry here). We enjoyed talking to David and can't say enough about how kind and helpful he was! Trail angels are the best and really help to keep our spirits up! 

From the campsite we had more road walking to do. This time it was a dirt road which is a little easier to walk on. Our destination was Snow Lake, 5 miles away.  We were making really good time. But things happen. When we got to Snow Lake, we missed the CDT trailhead and continued on the road. This wrong turn cost us several miles on the day and really dampened our spirits. Once we were back on the trail, we decided to camp for the night. We needed to recharge. 

Road walking to Snow Lake 

Our destination, the town of Reserve, was getting nearer. We still had a lot of road walking ahead of us. We took it in stride, keeping our sights on getting to Reserve while hoping to get a hitch for at least part of the walk. Two days out from Reserve, we woke up to a 10 mile road walk. After the first 5 miles, we stopped for breakfast. As we were eating, a pickup with two hunters stopped and asked if we needed any water. Scoot replied we had enough water, but we could use a lift to the trailhead (still 5 miles away). Almost immediately they waived at us to jump in even though they were heading in the opposite direction from where we needed to go. The driver sat in the truck bed and held our packs while Scoot drove to the trailhead. We can't thank them enough for the lift! This section of the road was up, up, up.

From the trailhead we began our descent to Reserve. The path wasn't straight down, but it was more down than up. There was a fire in the area in 2018. The forrest is a long way from recovery. 

On our final day before reaching Reserve, we climbed Wagontongue Mountain. This put us at  9,000 feet of elevation. After summiting, we looked for a spot to have breakfast that was out of the wind. From our breakfast spot, Scoot was able to call the hotel in Reserve and book a room for us. The hotel, Mountaineer Inn, would also pick us up from the trail. Bonus! Reserve is 25 miles from the trail.  Our pick up time was 2:30. After breakfast we were on the clock! We made it to the trailhead with time to spare and Leslie, the hotel's owner, was right on time. Beds, showers and clean clothes were within reach!

Water on this section was scarce at times. We're thankful to our fellow hikers who updated FarOut regarding the water sources. What was already dry for the season and what was available.  We used this information to determine how much water to carry between water stops.

Filling up at a pond.

We decided to take two zero days in Reserve. We both developed a rash on our legs while in the Gila River canyon and decided to give ourselves some healing time.

Reserve is the county seat. It is a tiny town, but a busy place. We can easily walk to the grocery store and the many restaurants on Main Street. Reserve even has a brewery. We went there Sunday night and a few of our fellow hikers joined us. 

Hanging out with Gerald, Rockin Robin and Magic Mike

Our next destination is Grants via Pie Town. We should be in Grants on May 4th. 

Let us know if you have questions and enjoy the additional pictures on Instagram. 

Days hiked this section 6

Total days hiked 21

Miles hiked this section 87.9

Total miles hiked 297.9

CDT: Silver City to Doc Campbell's

Thursday April 16th we were ready to hit the trail. The trail from Silver City begins with a 6 mile road walk. Road walking is hard on our feet and ankles and we try to avoid it if we can. Captain Scoot found a trail angel who was available to drive us to the trailhead. Thanks Margie!! 

The true CDT trail is referred to as the red line. There are many alternate routes you can hike that branch off of the red line. Some make the trek shorter. Some make it easier. Some are more scenic. Until Silver City, we were following the red line. Out of Silver City we picked up the Gila (pronounced hee-lah) River alternate. Most hikers take this route because the Gila River canyon is stunning. It was incredible! The big downside is that you cross the river constantly for about 5 or 6 days. Be sure to read the post about the Gila.

First of many water crossings. 

Views from the trail 

The path was a racetrack.  We made great time until the second day when we had two challenging climbs that took us to Tadpole Ridge elevation 8,000.

Part of our first climb 

Pictures don't really capture what the trail actually looks like. Captain Scoot shot some great video while walking. Be sure to check it out. 

Along the way, we met Doug the Hermit.  Doug has lived in a 12x16 cabin for 27 years just off the CDT. He goes into town once a year for supplies. He felt that this was his calling from God to be a hermit and to pray everyday. We ran into Doug and talked to him for about a half an hour. He's 73 years old and doesn't plan on ever leaving his cabin. The story he told us is that he cleared the way for an ATV trail to the cabin and the owner of the land built the cabin for him and said that he could stay there for as long as he liked. The rancher that now owns the land appreciates that he lives there because he keeps the well and spring open for cattle. 

On the third day of this section, we hit the 200 mile mark.  We're still feeling some aches and pains from the first 200 miles. We hadn't at this point earned our trail legs. Trail legs generally kick in around 300 or 400 miles into the trek and your legs start to crave walking all day long.

We also saw our first bear!  Captain Scoot was 100 yd in front of Pooh and rounded the corner and there was a full-sized, adult black bear. The bear didn't know we were there as we were walking upwind and it was on the opposite side of the Gila River. The noise from the Gila masked the noises from our walking. He was less than 100 ft from us and it's a bit nerve-wracking even though black bear attacks are extremely rare in the US. After we announced our presence, he took one look at us and ran up the walls of the canyon. He was looking back occasionally to see if we were following. 

That night, we hung our first bear bag. A bear bag is where you put all of your food and anything that might smell like food into a bag and hang it at least 15 ft above the ground from a tree. Prior to that, we've been sleeping with our food in the tent.

Part way through this section, we visited Doc Campbell's Outpost. This is a great place for hikers to resupply, rest and let your shoes dry. They also have laundry and showers available for hikers. We arrived around 11:30 and grabbed some sandwiches for lunch. We ate with Bootstraps, a fellow hiker we met on the trail the day before. There is an RV park across the street from Doc's that has space for tents. It also has mini apartments for rent and there was one available! A bed for the night! There were several hikers coming and going throughout the afternoon. It was fun getting to know the other hikers. 

The area around dock Campbell's and the RV park is the site of a geothermal hot spring. Captain Scoot attempted to get in the hot spring but it was too hot and he abandoned this effort. The spring also fed the hot water for the faucets and the shower directly. The shower was set only on cold water and the water was still so hot you could barely wash your hair. And if you closed the lid on the toilet, condensation formed pretty substantially. So we agreed to leave the toilet seat up.

After an afternoon of relaxation we were ready to get back on the trail. We were up early Monday morning and were back on the trail by 7 a.m.

Look for more photos on Instagram. 

Days hiked this section 4

Total days hiked 15

Miles hiked this section 47

Total miles hiked 210

CDT: Silver City layover

On April 12, we arrived in Silver City. Our plan was to take a zero day on the 13th and be back on the trail the 14th. Well, as we've learned on the trail, things change and you need to be flexible. We spent the 13th doing our trail chores and preparing for our return to the trail.  Unfortunately, we didn't get as much rest as we had wanted to. On the 14th we woke up early, took advantage of the hotel breakfast and went back to our room to finish packing. While packing we started talking about how we were feeling. Captain Scoot had walked 19,000+ steps the day before which is definitely not a zero day. He was feeling ragged. Pooh had some pain in her lower right leg which was pretty swollen. We decided Pooh should have her leg checked out to rule out anything serious. She was able to get an appointment at a local clinic. After a check by the doctor and x-rays (just in case), the diagnosis was tendonitis. Resting and icing the leg was called for so we made the decision to stay in Silver City until Thursday the 16th. 

A huge shout out to everyone I interacted with while having my leg checked out. Dr. Susan was great! She makes jam and gave me a jar of her cherry berry jam.

We liked Silver City which has a cute downtown area. We wandered into a pottery shop that had whimsical pieces that we loved. If we weren't hiking, we would have bought something. We also stopped by one of the local outfitters. Pooh bought some new socks and a new sleeping pad. Scoot picked up a fanny pack. 

CDT: Which way is Canada?

If you drive from Mexico to Canada, you would use a map or the navigation system in your car. Walking from one end of the country to the other also requires maps and navigation systems. How do we know where to go?

Luckily for us, there are plenty of online resources to help us navigate the CDT. We are mainly using two apps - Gaia and FarOut.

Gaia is a topography trail map app. It shows distance, elevation and is great for getting a feel for what the trail will be like coming up. Will the trail be steep or flat? Are there trees for shade? We have the CDT map downloaded so we can check it at any time. 

FarOut is the app we're using the most. FarOut shows the route plus other key things we may need to know about the trail. For example, where is the next water source or which way to go when you come to a junction. FarOut is interactive and hikers can leave notes along the trail. The notes are especially helpful for knowing if an upcoming water source is dry or has water. 

Both of these apps are great and extremely useful. However, we can't constantly be looking at our phones while hiking. Thankfully, there are trail markers along the way. There many types of markers. Sometimes the markers are highly visible and sometimes they are a bit hard to find. Sometimes there are plenty of markers and sometimes you walk miles without seeing one. 

The best thing is to use all of the tools we have and be vigilant. Missing a turn and having to walk extra miles is never fun.

CDT: Lordsburg to Silver City

This section brought a lot of changes in regards to what we saw and what we experienced on the trail. We began this section in the desert, passed through a mountain range and ended in a stunning canyon. 

We started with a three mile road walk out of Lordsburg. Our plan was to hitchhike to the trailhead and avoid the road walk. We made a sign and hit the road. At first we didn't have much luck, but about halfway to the trailhead a car pulled up and offered us a ride. Our first trail angel! Thanks Marteen! We gladly accepted. Any time we can cut road walking out, we will. 

This last day in the desert was awful. It was hot, cloudless and dusty. As you can see in the picture, there was very little vegetation. Good riddance desert hiking!

On the first day of this section, we hit the 100 mile mark! Only 3,000 left!

As the miles wore on, our surroundings changed and we started gaining elevation. The trail was a series of small climbs and descents. Part of the trail was on a jeep road. Then the trail turned into a well designated path.

We summitted our first peak on the third day of this section. Burro Peak elevation 8,020 ft. 

To help with the desert heat, we used hiking umbrellas. Unfortunately, on the way down from Burro Peak, Pooh lost her umbrella. We posted a lost and found snippet in FarOut and hoped for the best. As luck would have it, someone found it! Thanks Joja for carrying my umbrella!

People come from all over to hike the CDT. One of the experiences we were looking forward to was meeting other hikers. On this stretch of trail we met several hikers and one night we camped with a few other hikers. A good portion of the hikers are from other countries. So far we have met two hikers from Switzerland and one from Italy. 

As mentioned above, this section ended in a beautiful canyon. After walking through the canyon, the trail turns into a 12 mile road walk into Silver City. No thank you! We made a sign for hitching and before we were even out of the canyon trailhead parking lot, we snagged a ride. Thanks Winnie! Winnie's nephew and his girlfriend were two of the hikers we had recently met. 

Water sources were scarce in this section. Thankfully there is a network of trail angels who cached water along the trail. We met one of the angels, BB, while on a lunch stop. He also gave us some tangerines. 

We slowed our pace considerably in the second section. In the first section, we'd done three 17-mile days in a row — not the plan, but cool and overcast days in the desert are not to be squandered. The original strategy had been to hike until midday, find whatever shade was available, siesta, then push on once the sun dropped lower in the sky. The weather let us skip all that and hike straight through what would normally be the strongest sun of the day.

Our original plan was to hike between 12 and 15 miles a day for the first month. This was to get our bodies accustomed to hiking 8 hours a day with 30 to 35 pounds of gear on our backs. Most of the people who have to quit their hike early do so in New Mexico with overuse injuries — sprains, stress fractures, soft tissue injuries, and the like. We planned to avoid this fate by starting slow and letting our bodies adapt before we picked up the pace. In order to finish the hike by mid-September, we need to average 18 miles per day. This doesn't include zero days — days spent resupplying in town. We also have two additional weeks of contingency built into our schedule so that if one of us does have a minor injury, we can take a few days off the trail and nurse it back to health.

To prepare for the hike, Pooh would walk at least 5 miles every day and do some stair work. She also swam laps to build her cardio. Captain Scoot does long cycle rides in the summer and is a Nordic skier in the winter. He was also walking 4 or 5 miles a day in the leadup to our departure.

To complicate our situation, we both had injuries that slowed our training. Pooh was diagnosed with melanoma at the end of February and the doctor immediately got her in for surgery. Two moles were removed — one on her ankle and one on her arm. The one on her ankle required an eight-inch incision, and the doctor ordered her off that ankle for the first two weeks of March, right before our departure. In addition, she has to wear a compression bandage for a couple of months after the stitches came out to ensure it heals properly. Pooh was unable to train for most of March.

It's worth pausing on that for a moment. Getting that kind of news two months before a major hike is a lot to absorb — and yet she handled it, got through surgery, and showed up at the southern terminus ready to walk to Canada. That demonstrates about who Pooh is and how much she is committed to the hike.

Captain Scoot had his own challenges, not nearly as dramatic. In November he had a prednisone injection for stenosis in his lower back, where a disc was pushing against a spinal nerve and causing pain down his right leg. The shot cleared it up, though it comes back in a minor way from time to time. On top of that, he was dealing with plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, or both, and spent most of March trying to calm those injuries down. The first day of the hike he was in pretty intense pain — but as these things go, the pain ebbed overnight to something minor, and by the second week it was almost entirely gone. He's been fighting these tendon and fascia issues for 20 years. He knew how this would go.

There really is no substitute for walking 8 hours a day with 30 to 35 pounds of gear on your back. The only way to really get in shape for this is to do it.

Needless to say, neither Pooh nor Captain Scoot started the hike in the kind of physical shape we had hoped for. We both had solid bases and feel confident we can finish. But we would have liked to have started a little more physically prepared. We had planned for this contingency — we just assumed it would happen on the trail, not the month before.

Here's the video for this segment...enjoy!

Days hike this section: 5

Total days hiked: 11

Miles hike this section: 77

Total miles: 163