My hubby had surgery yesterday. He had a hernia that was plaguing him with constant pain. Needless to say, I had little sleep worrying about him and praying for the best outcome. This morning, he was released from the hospital and is home recovering. What a blessing and relief knowing he is on the road to recovery.

Fearless and I had many miles to cover, especially with the waterless stretches we’ve been covering. Jen suggested a road walk that would set us up for faster miles and quicker access to the spring/tank. I agreed and off we went. I typically don’t like road miles but I made an exception this go-around. It was a good choice and we met up with the trail in three hours, covering over ten miles. That’s fast walking for this duo.

Once on the Redline, we ran into Banshee. He’s another hiker I met in Glacier NP and here, some 2,000 miles later, we are seeing each other again. He’s been hiking with BumbleBerry who I met in the Bob. Her and Long Story are the two who had the dogs follow them all the way from East Glacier.

We all met up again at the Spring and shared lunch together. Banshee had miscalculated his days to Grants so he was shy on food. Good thing he was with Jen and I because we always have plenty of food. Typically there still is food in our packs when we arrive in town. We shared our lunch and gave him some provisions for the next couple of days.

The rest of our day was climbing Chavez Peak. It was a steep climb over 2500’ in less than three miles. But the good thing is we are off the desert floor as there were Flash Flood Warnings with the impending storm. They are saying we’ll have rain starting tonight through Sunday so four days of rain, ugh!

The locals warned us that this desert has funky clay that turns into impassable mud in minutes. Once it starts raining, watch out. I sure hope not, because that sounds absolutely miserable. I’ll report back as to the validity of this mud swamp. At this point, I might as well experience New Mexico all that it has to offer.

We made it to the plateau and it was heavenly. Nice and flat with tons of trees. As we were finishing up our day, I ran across a lone cow. Cows are herd animals so it was so odd to see her all by herself. I walked over towards her and she started mooing like she was quite upset. Lonely, afraid or just wanted me to leave. I tried calling her like a dog and if I had a leach or rope, I would’ve brought her with me. But I didn’t have either and she probably wouldn’t want to come with me anyhow. I marked her location and plan to tell someone. She needs to find a home for the winter.

Around 5-530pm, we found a resting place. The storm was moving in and it started to thunder with light rain. Jen found her trees and I moved a few rocks, pinecones, designing a makeshift bed for my tent. I’m pooped. No sleep tonight as I’m fretting over that lonely cow.

“For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭50‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

After checking out all water info on FarOut, I saw there was a spring near our camp. Jen and I were up early and headed out before sunrise. We walked straight to the spring. I was hopeful as there were lots of cow prints headed that way. When I got there, the spring was dry. Not a drop of water to be found.

Today’s focus was clearly on finding water. There was a water Cashe up ahead by fifteen plus miles. But I really am not a fan of cashes because there’s no guarantee that there will be water when you arrive. So I would rather have a creek or spring or even a cattle trough.As bad as it sounds, it’s better than nothing. Well most of the time it is.

The morning was so nice. New Mexico is my favorite state. I may have said that about all the states, but I hadn’t been here yet. It’s relatively flat. The elevation is around 8,000’ so much more better and manageable. The terrain is graded and has little steep climbs or descents. I think that’s why so many hikers go Northbound. It’s an easy breaking in period.

We stopped regularly to take photos. Fearless is a little Ansel Adams. She takes pictures of everything! I love that because it makes the hiking slow paced. We are in no rush, and that’s pretty obvious by the fact that we don’t do big miles. Fifteen to twenty is our max. I’m good with that. It keeps us from catastrophic injuries and we still are on track for reaching the border by our self-imposed date of Thanksgiving.

After a short break to shed our morning extra layer of clothing, we found a good sized puddle of water in a deep hallowed out rock. The water was cold and very few bugs were floating in the water. Both Jen and I filled up, not knowing if we’d find anything else. And yes, we filtered the water.

After lunch, we headed straight to the Cattle Tank and Tire Holding Tank. The Cattle Tank was bone dry. In fact it was terribly rusty, so it must’ve been empty for quite some time. Yet, there was a good sized herd of cattle so they must be drinking somewhere. That’s when we spotted the big oversized tire. That’ll have water. Fearless went over and was outright disgusted! There’s no way I am drinking that. And she was right. It was infested with dead flys and bugs and all sorts of things you wouldn’t want inside your gut. We moved on without H2O

Two miles up the trail was a possible water Cashe. It was getting close to dark and I was literally praying that we would find water there. I had been very conservative about drinking today and I was getting a bit concerned. Sure enough when we arrived, there was five to six gallons of water lined up under a tree. Glorious wonderful water! Thank you Trail Angel for supplying this Cashe. I never know who does this but we are eternally grateful.

After filling up, our next bit of business was finding a home for the night. And you thought backpacking was nothing but fun in the sun. This is, in fact, a lot of fun but there’s some days that seem more work than play. After milling around for a bit, trying to find a couple of trees for Fearless’ hammock, we finally agreed that trees are dwindling and maybe it’s time to try out the tent.

I helped Jen with her new borrowed tent and she succumbed rather well. It’s a Gossamer “The One” which is the same tent I used for years. We had it up and pitched in no time. It may never be Jen’s go-to but it’ll serve her well in the desert. Except for the fact that she is on the ground and we saw our first tarantula today. Big hairy spider! Definitely want to keep your shoes in your tent and the doors zipped closed. With that being said, it’s time for bed.

“When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. I will open up rivers for them on the high plateaus. I will give them fountains of water in the valleys. I will fill the desert with pools of water. Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground.” Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

After our pack fiasco, we decided to take a zero and regroup. Stress strips you of peace, and I feel there was a bit of uncertainty going on inside my mind. What I needed was a day of rest and some good worshiping.

The hotel we were staying at was owned and operated by Nathan Yang, a Philippine Missionary. He also is a worship leader and knows Thelma and Ron from Fresh Life Church. So on Sunday, Jen and I went to church with Nathan. And yes, we attended Fresh Life for the Pastor Appreciation Day. What a blessing that was. Pastor Bino led an incredible service and study on the Book of Esther.

After the church potluck, we headed back to our hotel, went through our food resupply, shopped for extra food, duct tape and fuel. Once back in our room, the inspection and repairs to our packs commenced. Honestly, both packs faired rather well from their road rash but there was some TLC that needed to take place. Mostly rips, tears and some minor battle wounds. Nothing that duct tape couldn’t fix!

In the morning, we headed to McDonalds for the Big Breakfast with pancakes and coffee. Then one more trip to the Post Office to send home treasures from the trail. My friend Natalya, aka Blue, loaned Jen her tent and sleeping bag. The desert is a bit scarce on trees so there’s going to be a time where Fearless will have to give up her hammock. She’s fighting this reality as she loves swinging from trees. But now she’ll have an option when the trees disappear.

Begrudgingly, I left town. I know we are running out of time and there are miles to walk, but sometimes you just want to stay another day. It was a nice day with pleasant temperature and slight breeze. Honestly, the CDT should be a Sobo hike. New Mexico in the spring is downright hot. There’s no water and it’s not a place I’d want to be if the temps are 90-100 degrees. In the Fall, it’s perfect. We still have waterless sections but at least I’m not sweating and dying of thirst. We packed out with 4-5 liters each of water. And we most likely won’t find water until tomorrow.

The trail was relatively flat and meandered through piñon trees, old growth cedars with junipers. It really is a gorgeous section of the trail. There are cliffs that we wind around with expansive views on both sides of the ridge lines. All was good until the trail took a hard left.

As I looked around, there were three CDT signs, with the last one heading us off the cliff. Seriously? This can’t be the trail but sure enough, it was. There was sandstone that the trail workers actually ground steps and handholds into. Well that was thoughtful but wouldn’t it be better if we just walked around the right side? That seemed much more doable. Once again, they definitely didn’t ask me where to place this trail!

We slowly worked our way down the precipice of this cliff. There was a narrow band of trail with multi-colored rocks. It was stunning and I had views for miles. There were two rocks that were balanced onto two separate pedestals that defied logic. They were huge yet what they were clinging onto seemed not fit for the job. Jen said she wants to return in 500 years and see if they are still standing?

We read that there was a water cache near the roadway. When we arrived, only half gallon of water remained. I filled half a bottle with two cups of water and left the rest for the next thirsty hiker. Hopefully, some kind person will replenish the water for the 20-30 hikers that are behind us. Our next “possible” water source is a cattle trough about fifteen miles south. This will be our biggest challenge going forward.

After fifteen miles, and because the sun is setting much earlier these days, we started our hunt for a suitable site. After passing the fourth or maybe fifth cattle gate, we stumbled upon a lovely spot. Trees for Jen and soft duff for me. I think that’s a wrap!

“For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children. They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Late last night, Fearless told me there is a road we are crossing that would get us into town earlier. Cuba was another days hike but if we hitched, we could be there before the post office closed. Sounds like a grand plan especially since both of us are low on fuel and we were concerned if we could even heat up water for our morning cup of joe. That would be a major problem!

We hit the trail and scooted to the highway. The morning stroll was easy with little ups or downs. We walked through pine and cedar forests when Jen came to an abrupt stop. Is there a bear? Nope, but there were some big cows right next to the trail, They certainly did not care that we were there, but you never know if a big bad cow will moo at you? We both gazed and then carried on. The cow kept grazing. Her morning breakfast was getting cold.

Before we knew it, we were on the road. There was little traffic but all we needed was one kind soul who felt the need to provide us a ride to town. Jen took off her pack and asked, how long should we wait? Half hour. We’ll get a ride within thirty minutes. A few cars passed but then we heard the sound of an old truck coming down the road. This is our ride. And sure enough Morris pulled over, stopped and turned off his engine. I thought that was a bit odd but maybe he’s conserving fuel. Sure enough, he was indeed, running on fumes.

I tried to open the tailgate but it was stuck, locked in position. I heaved my pack up and over and helped Fearless with hers. Both packs were leaning up against the tailgate, which I wasn’t concerned about since I couldn’t seem to open it up. We jumped in and down the road we went.

Thirty minutes later, we were in the town of Gallina. Morris wanted to stop to visit his cousin and check in on him. No worries. We waited in the truck. As he came out, he said I need to close the tailgate. What? I turned around and both our backpacks were gone. This is the absolute worst thing that could happen to a thru-hiker. Every possession we have, which at this point is little, is now gone.

Jen stated the obvious, we need to go back and find our packs. Morris felt terrible and drove us to the scene of the crime. No packs, no debris field, no Norman! Someone must’ve picked them up when they fell onto the roadway. Morris took us to the Gallina Post Office and we talked with Angela. She had not seen our packs but gave us her private number so we can check later, if a Good Samaritan returned them.

This is when the meltdown began. Now we have a rule on the trail. Only one person per day can have a bad day. So I pretended to be holding it all together while Fearless lost her Cheerios. Everything she owned, her wallet, her cash, her credit cards, her gear were all inside that pack. Me, on the other hand have a Fanny pack that is always on my person with my personal belongings, and my pack is equipped with an AirTag. So I totally believe that this is a temporary condition and in time, hopefully a short period of time, our packs will be returned.

Jen saw the New Life Church directly across the street and beelined towards it. Ron was getting out of his car and she started to explain to him our dilemma. He took us into the church and immediately told us that the girls would help us. Oh, and boy was he right. They immediately jumped online, posting on social media, and went into mission impossible mode. They knew that these packs are everything to us and by golly, they were going to get them back! And then they prayed. They prayed fervently for God to intervene, to return these backpacks of ours, so that we could continue our journey.

I was able to get in contact with both my hubby George and daughter Cherisa to start tracking my AirTag. They were already getting pings in Chama. Chama is where our friend Jonathan, aka JJ from Exoticpax lives. I called and send him a text and he jumped into action. Now before I go on, this is all God. He has his hands all over this entire episode of “what are my girls going to get into today?”

George contacts the Chama Highway Patrol who are the local cops in town. They immediately dispatch two officers to start canvassing the area. Jonathan calls me and reports that the address is in fact, the Chama Catholic Church and there’s a Memorial taking place. He had all intentions of making an announcement inside the church but felt, that might not be possible at this point of the service.

As Connie is driving me to and from, and Thelma is taking Jen to the local drug dealers house, to check if they may have knowledge of the whereabouts of our packs. These people are connected! They serve the community, all walks of life and left no stone unturned.

JJ realizes that the service is over and the patrons are starting to leave. He grabs a piece of butcher paper, writes a sign, “Did you find two Backpacks on the highway” and stands by the exit. As Uriah is pulling out of the church parking lot, he sees the sign. He turns around and hands our backpacks over to JJ. What a set of circumstances that God had to orchestrate, on this day of days!

If you ever think that our God can’t move mountains, you don’t know my God! The fact that we had the entire northern county of New Mexico searching for our backpacks is a feat in itself. The fact that less than two hours later, our backpacks were back in the hands of our friend JJ, is nothing short of a modern day miracle.

Thelma drives me and Fearless some one hundred miles one-way to pickup our packs. Before today, we didn’t even know Thelma! She dropped everything she was doing, to help two sisters in Christ, retrieve their worldly possessions. I just can’t imagine a greater love than a complete strangers love for another.

And so, the journey continues. We have another 500 miles to go and who knows, what will happen next. God directs our footsteps and makes sure that we are covered. Even when we do the unthinkable, like get in a pickup with a faulty tailgate!

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬, ‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Plans, plans, plans. We wanted to get out early and we did, sorta. Guess it depends on how early, early is? We were stirring around at 6 or 6:30 and on trail before 8am. But everyone is telling us how cushy this part of the trail is. It’s easy breezy, so fifteen miles should be a piece of cake.

The morning was fabulous. We finished up our roadwalk to the Rio Chama Bridge then headed south into the Chama Wilderness. It was fairly flat with such diverse terrain. We had brown, tan and red rock walls in front of us. It reminded me of Neapolitan Ice Cream. That tells you where my mind goes. To the west of us were Guardians that were watching over us as we passed through. Tall and majestic, weathered by thousands of years of wind and rain. They call New Mexico the “Land of Enchantment” for good reason.

The trail tried to hide from us from time to time, but we kept finding it. That was until we hit the river. Canada Garule is more like a wash that gets too much rain from time to time. The last couple of weeks with the barrage from the hurricanes down south, turned this river into a loud and menacing torrent of water. The trail was literally washed away and all that was left was either walking up the creek or bouncing back and forth from sand bar to mesa to sand bar and back again.

After an hour of this game of “where’s the darn trail” we resigned ourselves to hiking straight up the Canada Garule. We tried our best to keep our shoes dry but we all know how that ends up. Finally we saw the trail exit the river and started up the mountain. I’ve never been so relieved to climb.

The trail headed up to the Chama River Canyon Wilderness which welcomed us with pine forest, shade and a flat plateau for a couple of miles. We ran into Turtle Tracks who is probably the only person on trail that I could easily pass. We had met back in East Glacier and this is the first time I’ve seen him since June.

We shared stories of the trail, who we’ve been hiking with, what’s our goal for camp tonight. Just the normal stuff. As we were talking, I realized we had passed our last water for the next fifteen miles. I backtracked a bit and found the game trail, moose, elk and deer prints that led directly down the ravine. The water was a small supply but the only one for quite a while. We filled up and moved on.

Turtle Tracks caught up with his hiking partner and they stopped for camp. Fearless and I had high hopes to make it our fifteen miles but after our river fiasco, and the fact the sun is setting much earlier, we stopped just short of our manmade goal. But we did find a perfect spot with nice piñon trees and cedars, and I have a perfectly level place to pitch my tent. As far as I’m concerned, that equates to a perfectly fine day. And we have had sunshine, glorious sunshine for two days! That’s some kind of record for us. Thank you Lord for your unfailing grace and love.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

All good things run their course. I could’ve spend another day or two at Ghost Ranch. This is what hikers call a vortex. You go in, you get comfortable and you don’t leave. I remember many a hiker that have overstayed their welcome. Whether it’s at a Hostel, Trail Angels home, you name it, it is very easy to find reasons to extend your time. Ghost Ranch was definitely a place I could have vortex’d. It was that nice.

Jen was packed up and headed to the Visitor Center. She had some last minute business to take care of. I took a long hot shower, packed up slowly and made my way. We met and said our farewells to a few hikers, Grouse, 23 and Newt. Grouse and Fearless hiked together in the Bob Wilderness and have a special bond. That was the first time they saw each other since early July. Hard to believe we are still running into old friends from days past.

After grabbing a drink for the road, dill crunchy pickles for lunch and delaying our exit as long as I could, we finally headed south. This is, in fact, our direction on trail. Yet, of the past two days, we have managed to upset the apple cart and head north, east and west. But we accomplished what we came to do. Now we can go Sobo and finish up New Mexico.

The day was glorious. Not a cloud in the sky, cool breeze and perfect temperature. At this point, I think we have earned it! It seems that we are ahead of the bubble right now, but they will all be passing us soon. Mostly all the hikers who were attempting to finish up Colorado have been kicked off the mountain by these early winter storms. They are making their way to Chama and Ghost Ranch, just as we are leaving.

Jen and I headed out, following the property line of Ghost Ranch. It extends over 20,000 acres so we were able to enjoy much of it during our morning hike. The beautiful views kept us from moving too fast, and the lack of signage had us meandering around. At one point, the trail had us following a dry creek bed which if there was rain, would be the absolute worst place to find yourself. It really makes me wonder, do they, the builders of the trail, like hikers? This seems like the last place you’d place a trail, but who am I to question the trail engineers.

We crossed the highway and then went back to the desert. By afternoon, it was getting a bit warmer. We found shelter under a cedar tree and had lunch. No cactus, no scorpions and no clouds! It was a nice place to sprawl out, do a little yoga session and take a quick nap.

Out last few miles we’re on a dirt road with a handful of cars, trucks and campers. After a bit, Sarah stopped and asked us if we needed anything. I immediately asked for water as our water source was the Rio Chama. It was a murky milky gray torrent of water. With the recent rains and storms, it has churned up the river and honestly, doesn’t seem much like water that I’d like to digest. She halfway pulled her car over, and walked to the back hatch. She had the biggest water dispenser. Both Fearless and I filled our bottles as she started directing traffic around us. We had a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere New Mexico! Then she pulled out her secret stash of Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries. This gal is a Saint! Thank you Sarah for supporting us hikers.

After being filled with nourishing water and chocolate, we bounced down the trail. We had high hopes of reconnecting to the Redline, but we found the sweetest campsite tucked away in the woods, next to Rio Chama. Oh, this is as far as we need to go. Jen so wanted to sleep in her hammock tonight as she was tent camping at GhostRanch for the past two days. It was perfect. She got her trees and I found a super flat spot too. Such a pleasantly sunny day on the trail. Gosh, I don’t get to write that very often!

“For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We slept well last night. After the dogs stopped barking and the children went to sleep . I guess they, being the rest of the world, don’t know that hiker midnight is 9pm. We haven’t slept in a community campground for a while. The crazy amount of people, the animals nearby and the countless incoming headlights. I’m starting to sound like the old man who tells you to “get off my lawn!” I don’t mean to, but after being off the grid for a bit, excessive noise, vehicles and people, are out of the norm.

Jen and I have taken in a hiker from Canada for the past couple of days named Low Bat, short for low battery. She chirps like a smoke detector when she hiccups, hence her name. Sophia is in her 30’s, and is heading out Nobo today. Jen and I are in no rush to head out. We are discussing our strategy. Nobo is most likely our route of choice.

The biggest factor is the weather. We were fortunate, in the fact, that when we were hit a couple of days ago, we had an option. Get off the mountain relatively quickly and back to the safety of town. From the sounds of it, there have been hikers stranded on top of peaks with limited shelter. Wolf Creek Pass, where Radio and Coyote got married less than two weeks ago, reported blinding snow just yesterday. Winter is here and she’s not relenting!

Jen and I wondered to the Visitor Center to weigh our options. Yes, we can camp one more night and slackpack today. This is great news and so we packed our lunch and water to set off for the day. We plan to head up Box Canyon and reconnect to the Redline, then circle back to GhostRanch.

Ends up that Ghost Ranch has a long jaded history. Back in the late 1800’s, a bandit of Horse and Cattle Thieves named the Archuleta Bros, were feared by many. They made up stories of monsters that lived in the canyons, the same place they hid all the stolen animals. After a long battle, the older brother shot and killed his younger brother. A posse was formed to hunt down the murderer and he was captured, then hung. For years no one wanted to come to Ghost Ranch until the deed was won in a game of poker. The new owner gave it to his wife and she reclaimed the area as a Dude Ranch. For years, many of the rich and famous starting back in the 1920’s came to visit this place. If you’ve ever watched the movie “City Slickers,” with Billy Crystal, it was filmed at this location.

Georgia O’Keefe arrived in 1934 and felt that her soul drew her to Ghost Ranch. She became a permanent resident and began her painting career. She painted over 100 captivating images that inspire artists to this day. At age 98, she passed and her ashes were spread over the mountain top that she painted regularly, Cerro Pedernal.

The hike up Box Canyon was super. Since we’ve been on trail, it has been mostly high mountains with pines and wildflowers. We are in such a different environment now, with scenery that boggles the mind. The cliffs, the mesas and plateaus, the cacti, sage and cottonwoods are absolutely stunning! I couldn’t walk too far because the beauty just stops you dead in your tracks. This has been such a sensory overload.

This is a spot on the map that I want to come back to. It’s so much different than anything we have passed through. And I can only anticipate more of this ahead. New Mexico is such a surprise for me and I just can’t wait to see the rest of this spectacular state.

After the day of slackpacking, I made my way to the Agape Center. Chaplain Tami, a Methodist Pastor was offering a service on healing, grief and forgiveness. I so miss my church at home and this is exactly what I needed to fill my spirit. What a blessing to have an opportunity to pray, sing and process these past four months on trail. The congregation shared communion and released burdens that none of us were intended to carry. Tami shared scriptures and poetry that all walks of faith could relate to. What a gift she has, offering love, empathy and compassion to each of us that walked through these chapel doors. Thank you Tami for your heart and passion for Christ Jesus. What a wonderful evening of pray and worship.

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oh how this trail has turned my hair gray. Oh, that’s right, it already is a shade of whitish gray courtesy of the last long distance trail I hiked. The Appalachian Trail, that is. So I guess it’s fair to say, the CDT is making me loose my hair!

We checked the weather report today and anyway you slice it, it ain’t good! So our next option is take a bus to Ghost Ranch and head Northbound. It’s much lower elevation, which means we will be climbing! At least we won’t reach snow covered peas for a few days.

Jen needed to pick up a parcel from Chama Post Office, so in reality, it all worked out. We left the comforts of our hotel and walked. Something we have greatly refined. We arrived and the gal working the front counter had not seen her packages. Oh no, this is the elusive box of cookies from Aunt Ellen. They have to be here! Thank goodness, she checked again and found both boxes, cookies, assortment of hot chocolate and Jen’s itty bitty teeny tiny light with a new charger.

With boxes in hand, we walked to Jonathan’s, aka JJ, to pick up Jen’s new and improved tarp. Thank goodness, Chama is a well-contained town. When we arrived, JJ was still working on it. Talk about a custom job. This will be a one-of-a-kind tarp that will keep her warm and dry even in an Arctic freeze! What a work of art Jonathan created.

JJ gave us a ride to the bus stop just as it was pulling up. This is a free transit that takes locals from Chama to Espenola, It runs three times a day and we climbed onboard. Next stop, Ghost Ranch.

We passed through the gate to Ghost Ranch, a unique place with landscape that I have never seen on the CDT. It is a mixture of desert meets multi-colored mesas adorned by piñon, cedars, cottonwood, cacti.

By noon, we were walking in sunshine! I had forgotten how nice it is to feel warmth deep down inside your soul. I was dressed like I just came out of the Swiss Alps. Black long sleeve shirt, white smartwool hoody, down vest with wool pants and a down skirt. I was actually hot! Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. However,I did think to myself, I need a tank top!

We had little to no idea as to what we should do once at this unique location. Possibly head northbound and finish up what we started before the big bad storm. This seemed like the best chance and most probable scenario to escape the weather for a minute. Once we arrived at the Visitor Center, we received a free wristband that allowed us assess to all the museums. I think I like this place.

After our introduction to Ghost Ranch, we found a campsite for the evening. It’s situated on the CDT, has running water, flush toilets, showers and our own picnic table. This is living! Plumbing is my favorite luxury item while on trail. Anytime I can turn on a faucet, flush a toilet or have warm water stream overhead, I’m one very happy camper. Then add a table to cook and eat upon, what else could a hiker dream of?

Now we have a dilemma. Should we stay or should we go? I’m thinking we are quite content to stay in this very attractive place and slackpack a couple of days. We can get our miles in without carrying our overstuffed backpacks. With the bus running all week, we can take the bus north and hike back to camp. I think we have a plan! As long as Jesus blesses it.

“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oh what a night we had. We stopped early due to the rain and thunder. And then we stayed put all night due to the thunderous thunder, frightful lightning and sideways 50mph wind gust. I do believe it was the most amount of weather we have had on this trail. And that is saying a lot.

I had pitched my tent under a canopy of pine trees. Jen had her hammock secured to two pine trees. She was not as protected but had her Sil nylon tarp overhead and in the past, it has provided her dry shelter. After falling asleep, she woke up to drip, drip, drip on her face. That’s odd, and then she realized her hammock was completely saturated including her under quilt. This is her warmth layer, yet it was soaking wet. We call this a catastrophic equipment failure!

When I woke up, Jen gave me her assessment of the evening. The winds were blowing in a chaotic manner, almost as thou a hurricane force would rip apart a house. I felt this in my tent, but the difference was, I was dry inside. Poor Jen, was wet to the bone. We packed up and headed back to Chama. I had made a contact with Jonathan Thomas, the owner and designer of Exoticpax and he sent Nate to come pick us up.

We decided on the roadwalk out as this would be less muddy and easier to navigate with heavy packs and wet gear. The road was, in fact, filled with mud puddles. There were even moose prints that were sidestepping the puddles. I thought moose like water? Evidentially only when they choose to eat sludge.

We ran into some hunters from Oklahoma who jockeyed some gear around, and gave us drenched hikers a ride to the road. We arrived shortly after ten, and Nate came barreling in and drove us back to Chama.

Once at Jonathan’s house- Exoticpax, I hung up my tent, emptied my backpack, while Jen stretched out her hammock, quilt and tarp. This is where the magic happened. Jonathon came over, talked to Jen about what had happened last night. She explained her setup while he proceeded to customize her tarp for winter conditions. This is what Trail Family is all about. There always seems to be someone who comes to our rescue. Thank you Jesus.

I booked us a room for one night to ensure that Jonathan had enough time to sew together Jen’s tarp. This gave us a minute to regroup. So, the plan is, yes, this is when you laugh! We will head out of town again tomorrow and continue Sobo with dry and improved sleeping gear. And maybe, just maybe, we will make it to Ghost Ranch by the end of the week. You just can’t make this stuff up. And I’m thinking there will be more to come. New Mexico, wow, you really have showed us that this hike ain’t over till the Fat Lady sings!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Back to the trail again. As I have learned, plans are nice, but typically they don’t stand a chance in a snowball fight. Or something like that?! Jen and I penciled out a route for our upcoming hundred miles. The biggest reason for this is not that we have any intentions of sticking to it, but it’s more about how much food we need to pack. Four days of food is much different than six. After looking at elevation and altitude, we are bringing six days of provisions. My back and shoulders are already revolting.

We met a Chama Local named Chip. He’s very eccentric and if I didn’t know any better, I think he is a bit sweet on Jen. He picked us up at half past nine and gave us a ride towards the trailhead. The steam train was loaded up with all the many tourists leaving Chama and headed to Antonio. We made a few stops along the way to watch it take its voyage up and over Cumbres Pass. Chip dropped us off midway, as his truck was limping along. We took some pictures and bided him farewell.

Fortunately for us, a nice couple pulled over and after telling them our dilemma, they were quite happy to give us a ride to the trailhead. It all worked out perfectly. Both are teachers at a local school and wanted to go out on a Sunday drive. I’m so glad people still do this. I can remember as kids climbing into the back of the Station Wagon and driving nowhere in particular. Mom and Dad just wanted to go for a ride.

We hooked back on the trail, and this time we were on the right one. There was a note left at the alternate trail that read, “This is not the CDT!” Thank you whoever placed that note on the ground. I’m sure they went the wrong way.

We started our little climb, just as the Cumbres Locomotive was making its way up the grade. I’m not sure how many pictures I shot of this train, but I’m sure it was well over twenty! Just a side note: I will be coming back to ride it. And definitely, next fall with George.

Within a little over an hour, we made it. Our fifth and final state of the CDT. Goodbye Colorado. Hello New Mexico. The artwork for the Border Crossing was surely unique. There was a wooden post with barbed wire wrapped around it, license plates from both states Colorado and New Mexico, adorned with moose antlers. That’s a sign!

I made a phone call home to let George know I was on the final leg. We both shared tears of joy. This is such a milestone and a relief that I am closing in on the monument. Praise the Lord, I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

We made it through the woods, up into the fir trees and remarked that this does not look like Colorado. There was moss hanging from the pines, CDT signs were strategically placed along the trail, and we were not lost anymore. What a wonderful welcoming!

We stopped briefly, and I mean briefly for lunch. The wind was howling and the clouds were not as welcoming, as the state. After a few minutes, we gathered our Scooby Snacks and headed back to the trail. However, as plans go, we quickly realized that we were not going much further. The trail ahead was climbing over another 11,000’ pass just as the rolling thunder had arrived. Jen looked at me and acknowledged that we need to find camp NOW! I was all in agreement and so the hunt went on for two solid trees and a flat spot.

Within minutes, we both found exactly what we needed. Jen strung up her hammock and I pitched my tent. We are maybe, five feet from each other. And that’s the way we like it. The rain started, and we both were in our perfect little cocoons, snug and warm, and safe from the impending doom.

Once again, we did not make our miles. But what we accomplished is so much greater. We are in New Mexico. Come snow, hail, sleet or rain, thunder and lightning overhead, we have arrived! And by golly, we are going to finish what we started! Next stop, who know where. We sure don’t! But God always has a plan.

“Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven! Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭150‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬