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

What a great evening we had last night. Fire blazing and the stars were shining. I wish I knew how to photograph the night sky like the professionals do. But all I can do is aim my iPhone to the sky, hold it for three seconds, and see what happens.

It looks like a black screen, but if you really look closely, once you expand the picture, oh my. There are millions of stars and even the Milky Way is visible. Chama, New Mexico is one of the darkest cities in US. We are camped just outside of Chama, plus there is a New Moon, All the boxes are checked and so we get to see all the brightest stars in the night sky. It’s worth walking all the way from Canada to get a glimpse of God’s glory and His creation!

Today we are road walking. Flat Road is a smooth gravelly route that takes us to the Scenic Steam Train. It’s the main reason people come to Chama. We are going for resupply, rest and some town food. And if we can hitch a ride on the train, that’d be a big plus.

It was a short walk down to the main road, Highway 160. Our FarOut app told us that many hikers waited for hours to get a hitch. We tried our luck and decided to walk up to the Train Station. There were tons of people waiting for the train to arrive. This is a perfect place to get a ride, train, truck or Subaru.

Within ten minutes, the big black steam locomotive cane chugging up the hill. Kids were clapping, parents were taking pictures and several professional photographers were set up to take their once in a lifetime photo with a train and all the fall colors. This has to be he best time of the year to ride this scenic train.

After talking with the conductor, the train was headed to Antonito today. And it was fully booked. Well, there’s always a ride with a kind hearted soul. Sure enough, Rick, a Photo Tour Guide was more than happy to give us a ride to Chama. We put our packs in his truck and off we went.

Chama is a small town that is fairly spread out. Very eclectic place to land. Obviously the number one attraction is the train. After that, maybe fall color chasers and after that, I’m not sure. It boasts 907 residents and if you want to buy property, a house or business, you have much to choose from. Just about everything in town is For Sale.

Jen and I landed at the Cumbres Suites courtesy of Jen’s Dad Stephen. Thank you so much. We desperately needed a bed to rest on and a place to get out of the weather! I think this is one of the biggest rooms we’ve had. It was once a Lodge for Hunters. There’s a big open concept downstairs for gatherings and nice backyard for sprawling out.

We were able to get much accomplished while in town. Hit the Post Office, Grocery’s which is also the Hardware and Sporting Goods Store and found Hunters Restaurant, a recommendation from our ride Rick.

Back to the trail we go. We’ll be crossing over the Colorado/New Mexico Border in four miles. That’s hard to believe! Four states walked and one to go. Our next stop will be Ghost Ranch in about a week. Hogged Up has found her trail legs and she is well ahead of us. She took a different route out of Creede and is carrying on. I’m not sure if we will ever catch up with her, but crazier things have happened. We wish her well, safe hiking and God’s grace. .

“Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you ever had a night where you couldn’t sleep? It didn’t matter how many sheep you counted or how bottles of bear on the wall you sang, there was nothing that would turn your brain off? That was me last night. At 2am, Jen awoke in her hammock to ask if I was okay? I must’ve been one loud non-compliant sleeper.

Our morning start was rather late, even for our standards. Finally we were on the trail by 10am. I know, it was really tough getting motivated this morning. We stopped by Dipping Lake, filled our bottles with water and headed up the pass. It was a quick 750’ in less than a mile.

Once on top, I pulled over and laid out my mat. I had all intentions of drinking my thermos of coffee. Jen showed up and I gave her a tour of the place. We were on a flat plateau with many lakes and a massive canvas tent that was most likely, an outfitters. We wandered over to see if anyone was home. No one was there but it had four beds, Coleman stove, fireplace insert, four chairs and some boxes of provisions. Now that’s glamping!

We sat by the lake, drank our coffee and Fearless shared her Cinnamon Rice Pudding inspired by her mom Sylvia. It is one of my favorite meals that Fearsome Fuel will be launching next year. Jen and her business partner/friend Dave, who is a commercial chef, have created autoimmune friendly meals that are delicious. I believe they’ve created a dozen different recipes so far. I’ll be their first customer as they are quite tasty and healthy to boot!

We had planned for a leisurely day today after our hardcore killer day yesterday. Following our long break, we headed to our next destination, Rock Bivy, some five miles south. The terrain was mellow, with expansive golden meadows. The mornings during this past week have been lovely. The sun comes out, the temperature is mild and the white puffy clouds add drama to the sky. It’s what happens afterwards, that has been our nemesis.

After wandering a bit off-track, we bushwhacked through some willows, scraped up our legs and made it back on trail. Story of our lives! It’s pretty much the same scenario everyday. We follow a trail, which we assume is the CDT and after a bit, we instinctually check our map and realized we are not on the CDT. How does this happen you might ask? There are so many criss-crossing unmarked trails, some are game trails, some are routes to far away places, and we just follow them. Hence the reason some of our miles seem off. They are. We add bonus miles almost everyday.

Once we were redirected, we made it to Rock Bivy. It’s a small rock wall that we sat inside and had lunch. It is a pretty tight space but Jen and I fit quite well inside. The sun was bright so Jen grabbed her umbrella for shade. Before we knew it, a gust of wind came up, and off her umbrella flew like “Mary Poppins!” Jen jumped up, tried to retrieve it, but that golden umbrella launched over the mountain side and rolled into the valley below. She might be lucky and find it in New Mexico next week!

The storm clouds started building up pretty quickly. This was our clue to pack up and head south. Before I could get my wind jacket on, a big ominous cloud was thundering from behind. We move pretty darn fast when white puffy clouds turn gray and dark. Then add in the cracks of thunder, and we beat feet. About 500’ below, I passed a red sign warning of dangerous conditions on the mountain. Really?!?!

A couple of thru-hikers passed by and told us of an alternate that drops off the mountain and into Chama. Sure enough, when I opened up my CalTopo, there it was. Jen and I arrived at the junction, just as the big bad cloud was thundering. We wasted no time taking the alternate. From all the footprints, it looked like everyone else was doing the same thing.

We dropped down in elevation fairly quickly and ended up on Flat Road. It’s an old forest service road that must of been used for logging. We followed it for a bit and found a nice area to camp. There was a grassy meadow with a creek nearby, and all the provisions for a lovely evening. Before I knew it, Fearless was gathering wood and we had the warmest fire on trail. This is only the second time we’ve had a campfire on trail. And just to be clear, fire bans have been lifted and we had a absolutely perfect stonewalled fire ring. It was a perfect ending to a pretty darn perfect day.

“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a difference it makes when you get a good nights sleep. Jen and I were up and out by7am. The sunrise was bright oranges and pinks as we crested the pass. Once again, there was no name for our Passat 12,20’ so I dubbed it Prayer Pass. I turned on my phone received a blessing from my hubby George. It was exactly what I needed.

Our game plan was to hike to some perfect campsite that was over sixteen miles south. It was next to a lake and had live trees and an improved dirt camping site. Sounds wonderful. Knowing we’d be covering some miles, Fearless and I decided to hike to Blue Lake for breakfast. It was another 4-5 miles with lots of down. Easy peasy.

If you have ever been to Lake Tahoe and hiked fromDL Bliss to Emerald Bay, the trail around Blue Lake reminded me of that. It followed the edge of this pristine deep blue lake with Gray Scrub Jays following us. I think they were hungry or maybe just curious, but not afraid and keeping a close eye on us.

We had our coffee and breakfast next to a fireplace. It was the only thing left standing from a homestead that used to overlook the lake. It was a massive chimney so I can only imagine what the house looked like.

Our next destination was Mountain Pass. As I was looking at the map, we have climbed many passes named Mountain Pass. That gets quite confusing if you want to tell a friend to meet you at Mountain Pass. Which one? We hiked for another six miles, watching the clouds build around us. Every direction that I looked, there were rain clouds, thunderheads, black skies and just about every possible cloud formation God created. But it was, as if, we were in the eye of the storm. Nothing was showering us. Well at least not yet!

Once we reached the pass at 12,318’ there was no escaping the weather. I put on all my layers, sweater, rain jacket, vest and gloves. As we headed over the pass, it started snowing. This was bonafide stick to the ground kind of snow. It was blowing sideways as times, and then, like a switch, it would stop.

The scenery was so different from what I’ve hiked in the past. It was moonlike with tundra and small alpine lakes with rocks all around. I could see areas where no rain was falling, then curtains of clouds that were producing snow. When you are on top of a plateau, you can see for miles in every direction. It was truly a weather phenomenon that I’ve never experienced before.

We walked for another six to seven miles in search of this perfect campsite. After hiking over dead trees, uncleared trails, and a war zone of fallen pines, we found it. The absolute worst campsite ever! There were dead trees everywhere which doesn’t help Jen and her ham mocking possibilities . So at the bewitching hour of 6pm, we still had no home.

We kept walking, crawling over fallen trees and pretty darn beat up and tired. Then we stubbled upon a flattish piece of real estate with some live trees, next to the trail. Home, not so sweet, home but it’ll do. Just as we took off our packs, it started to rain. Go figure! So is the life of a praying thru-hiker.

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m pooped. Last night was the absolute worst camp selection of my hiking career. When you show up under duress and a headlamp, the pickings are slim. Fearless didn’t do much better. We both had rocks to negotiate, creeks and marsh areas around us and tons of condensation in the morning. Jen couldn’t get out of her rain poncho/tent fast enough. We packed up all our wet gear and carried on.

We are hiking in the South San Juan Mountain Range so we seldom go below 11,000’. The air is thin, it’s hard to catch your wind, and all I really want is to take a deep cleansing breath. Both Jen and I were lethargic, light headed with a mild grade headache. After thinking about our symptoms, and the fact that we both were having the same issues, I diagnosed us with Hypoxia. Whether we actually have hypoxia or not, I’m not a doctor. But it sure seems like we do. Jen’s appetite has been lacking, I feel like a drunken sailor and we haven’t been below 11,000’ for four days. It seems to me that this could explain our lackluster performance of late, or we could just be plain tired!

So my sights were low today. Let’s do our minimal amount of miles, get over the passes and find camp early. Our first pass was named Pass at 12,021’. Very little creativity on this trail when it comes to naming peaks and passes. It was a slugfest getting up and over it but once again, the views were tremendous.

Our second pass was Mountain Pass 12150’. Both of our climbs were a bit over 1000’ which isn’t much. Except for the fact, that we are not able to replenish our lungs with enough oxygen to account for the mass amount of effort we are exuding. But a big plus, today we did not get rained upon. We heard thunder all afternoon, saw black nasty clouds, but they never showered on us.

Around 3:30pm, I announced that I was ready to find camp. We were heading down to a valley and there were a few trees. But after scouting around, there really wasn’t anything flat that wasn’t completely covered by cow pies. Fearless checked FarOut and there was a comment regarding nice camping in a mile or so, up on a plateau.

We headed onward, crossed several creeks and climbed up, up and more up. As we crossed a rocky shale slide, we both noticed a stand of pine trees off the trail. That’s our home for the night. We crossed over a rock bed, and be-lined to the trees. It was perfect. Tucked away from the trail, fairly protected from the wind and flat with plenty of choice trees to hang a hammock. The only non-negotiable, we were sleeping at 11,595’ but that’s pretty much how it goes in the San Juan’s. Well God, all of my boxes were checked and we were in camp just after 5pm. Thank you Jesus.

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a day I had! First of all, I slept much too late. It was after 7am when I woke up! I’m usually on the trail by then. Even Fearless was out of camp before me. Good gracious! Around 8:30am I was packed and hitting the ribbon of dirt.

It started out as a beautiful blue sky day. I even had a chance to dry my tent out at our second breakfast. We always have a stop about 3-5 miles in. We drink the rest of our coffee, typically read Our Daily Bread and eat a snack. This usually covers us till lunchtime.

The climbing was mild as this entire section to Chama is manageable, so I thought. The ups are reasonable and the downs are tame. We are in the South San Juan’s which many hikers love. I second it. Mountains are plentiful and they are all so different. You have jagged peaks, table tops, there are rounded mountains and ones that you would think you’re in Switzerland. They are all so unique and beautiful.

There were two peaks in particular that we have been watching. One is Summit Peak and the other has no name, which really bothers me. It’s so spectacular and it needs a name so I’m calling it the Triple Matterhorn. As we approached Summit Peak, there was lightning, then the loudest thunder I’ve heard in quite awhile. And it just started hailing. Big chunks of ice falling from heaven above.

We were well over 12,500’ and there are no trees for shelter. That’s when I told Fearless, I’m pitching my tent! This is downright ridiculous to be hiking in an ice storm with thunder and lightning overhead. I had my tent pitched in less than two minutes. We were tucked inside watching the storm from the safety of my single walled home, which only provides protection from the impending elements. Not much more than that. But we were warm and dry, and I felt safe.

The storm moved north and we continued on. We went around Summit Peak and continued towards Triple Matterhorn. I honestly didn’t think we’d be right in front of it, but that’s exactly where the trail took us. The thunder kept thundering and we had snow flurries most of the afternoon.

Fearless wanted to hike till 6:30 which would’ve been fine last month. But it’s getting darker much earlier. We fished around for our headlamps, just in case. And we needed them. We started downhill and there was no suitable landing spot to be found.

The meadows were wet, and the hillsides were sloped. We walked, then we split up trying to find anything suitable. After hiking in the dark, I finally found a quasi flattish area and called it camp. We are smack dab between two tributaries and that’s where we landed. Definitely one of the worst camping sites of this trail!

New rule imposed as of today. We find camp no later than 6pm and that may even change the farther south we get. The days are shorter and it’s getting colder by the week.

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬