CDT: Crazy Cook to Lordsburg

We did it! We completed our first section of the CDT and we did it in one day less than we were planning!

This section started early on April 1st. We had to be at the shuttle by 6:15 a.m. We woke up at 5, took our last showers for a week and ate a quick breakfast. It was a 15 minute walk to the shuttle and we arrived with plenty of time to spare. At exactly 6:30 we were on our way. There was one other hiker in the shuttle with us, Titus. The shuttle stopped twice before arriving at the trailhead. First, we stopped at the Hachita Convienence Store (a very liberal use of the word store) where we had one final use of a flush toilet for a week. Our second stop was at water cache 1 which allowed us to become acquainted with the caches. After arriving at the trailhead, our shuttle driver, Clint, snapped a few photos and we were off. 

The trailhead is in a National Defense Area so we needed a permit to enter the area. We had our permits, but no one asked for them. There is also border wall construction at the trailhead. Mexico is on the left.

The first day was actually a perfect day for us. Mostly overcast skies which is unusual. We got a little rain two times. We wore our rain gear for most of the afternoon. After the initial walk through desert prairie, I'll call it, we ascended into a high plateau where the wind was getting funneled between two mountain ranges. The wind was absolutely howling. At one point I took off my hat and just carried it in my hand. 

We stopped every 90 minutes and took about a 30-minute break. Our packs are very heavy. 

Part of the trail was well marked with signs. Part of the trail was not so well marked.  There were a few carins. We walked through a pretty significant wash for about half an hour. This is a picture of a really good carin.

We found a campsite after about 10 miles on a flat piece of dirt. This was around 5:00. Wind was howling so hard that we weren't able to set up the tent. The wind kept blowing it over. So we gave up until after dinner. Dinner was a delicious medley of ramen noodles, pesto freeze-dried chicken and some dehydrated carrots.

This section of the trail is all desert. Desert hiking is a challenge. You need to consider the temperature and water sources. We lucked out with the weather. High temperatures were between 65 - 80; not too hot.  Low temperatures were 45-65. Most days we had plenty of cloud cover and even some rain. We planned to hike most of our miles early in the day and later in the afternoon or early evening to avoid the hottest part of the day. Because the temperatures were cooler than normal, we were able to cover some ground mid-day on a few days. 

By using the CDTC shuttle service, we were able to have water cached for us along the trail. There are no natural water sources in this section so caching water is essential. We had five water stops over the 85 miles. We had to plan and think through our water use every day. Water is heavy and can add substantial weight to your pack. We each carried 12 lbs. of water to start.  We later backed off to 8 lbs-4 liters. 

The desert landscape is beautiful! In February, the area received a lot of rain which means everything is greener than it normally would be. Plus, flowers were blooming everywhere. 

The colors were amazing! Reds, greens, yellows, purples. The terrain changed daily. We walked on sand, rocks, gravel, and hard packed dirt. We walked up small hills and across barren fields. We crossed countless arroyos and made our way down several washes. 

We didn't see very much wildlife in this section. Mostly lizards. We saw one snake which, thankfully, was not a rattlesnake! We saw a large jack rabbit and plenty of cows. 

On the third day, we hiked up into the foothills of the Big Hatchet mountain range. A little while later three border patrol agents came up behind us on horseback. Border patrol had detained two suspected Mexicans about a half a mile ahead of us. The agents on horseback were going to collect them and bring them back for processing. We didn't walk on the path where the suspects were but we did see the activities and progression back to the road with the three people on horse back and two walking.

On the fourth day, we woke up on the foothills near the top of the summit to a gorgeous sunrise. We had a lot more down than up hiking and eventually arrived at an oasis. There was a water tap with a short hose and a functioning spicket. Captain did a little laundry. We had enough water but loaded an emergency 2 liter bladder just in case.

We finished this section earlier than expected, we decided to take a zero day in Lordsburg. A zero day is time spent doing trail chores (e.g. laundry, cleaning gear, food resupply) and just resting. Finishing early meant we had extra food from this section. We also have decided to cut one day off from the next section. Before hitting the trail, we left a box of food for the next section at the hotel in Lordsburg. After reevaluating our food needs, we shipped a box of surplus food to Silver City which is where the second section will take us.

I feel really good about what I accomplished in this section. It certainly wasn't easy. Hiking 17 miles a day, three days in a row is a challenge and hard on the body. I loved being in places that most people will never be. I loved the changing landscape and the freedom to set the pace of each day. I remembered to look around and soak it all in. Pooh

Wednesday morning we'll be back on the trail by 7 a.m. The next section will take us to Silver City. 

Let us know if you have questions about our trek. Leave a comment and we'll answer when we can. 

Days hiked this section 6

Total days hikes 6

Miles hiked this section 86

Total miles hiked 86