Doc Campbell’s Post is literally run by one family, the Campbell’s. It is an outpost on your way to the Gila Cliff Dwellings in Membris, New Mexico. We met the entire family. from Angus who picked me up on that cold wet day, Christie who runs the Outpost, and Elizabeth who drives around in her golf cart and rents out the one and only apartments in the hood. The Apartments, which is actually a barn converted into three apartments was completely booked by close to fifteen soaked, wet and stinky hikers! This was no problem for the Campbell’s. They love and cater to the thru-hiking community.

There really is nothing that brings you to Doc’s unless you are a hiker or maybe a river rafter. There is a Hot Springs but they are on the Gila River and not accessible due to the enormous amount of water that was received in the past 24 hours. For Northbound Hikers, who typically arrive in April or May, they advise not to enter the river if the flow rate is more than 180-200 CFS. As of today, the flow rate was 2,170 CFS! I’m not a flow rate expert, but that’s ten times over the safe and acceptable range. Everyone who was near or camped at the Gila River Campground were evacuated. And all reservations have been cancelled.

Needless to say, the place was deserted. Jen and I decided to take a full zero. After the past week, we were physically and emotionally exhausted. There’s no TV, which I haven’t watch but once in the past four months. The internet is spotty and there is no phone service. My focus was doing laundry, posting my blog and writing postcards. It was the most relaxed I have been since August, when my hubby came to visit. If you ever get a chance to go so far away, or off-grid to speak, give this place a chance. You will not regret it and you just might find that it truly regenerates your soul. This place just beckons me back to return and possibly, write a book!

But we still have more miles to walk. The options going south were two, hitch or road walk to Silver City. Both the Redline and the Alternates were under water. So Jen and I resorted to doing my least favorite thing and that’s walking the road. I think I’ve accepted this part of hiking as I have been doing so much of it lately. The good thing is if we had trail to hike, we would have 60 plus miles. But the roadway is much more direct so we will be in Silver City in two days.

We did have a ton of climbing today. There was a group of twenty or so bicyclists that were on the same road as us. They actually paid to ride their bikes up this intense and wicked grade. As they would approach us, Fearless and I applauded them for peddling up these steep hills and switchbacks. I was glad to be walking, and they were glad they were biking. At least that’s what they told us.

We finally stopped at what we thought was the top. Jen found a dirt road and we ate lunch. Typical tuna on a tortilla with sliced English Cucumber, fruit stick and protein bar. It was okay. But in all honesty, we indulged in two pints each of homemade ice cream for breakfast! So tuna seemed like the sensible choice for our mid-day meal.

On road walks, you need to pay attention to water supplies which are few and far between. We also need to confirm that we’re not sleeping on private property because that can be frowned upon. Fortunately, there are a number of campgrounds along the way. My CalTopo had a few highlighted and around 5pm, we arrived at Pine Flat. It has a ton of pine trees which means pine covered forest floors that are extremely comfortable to sleep on. Home sweet home for tonight. And if all goes well, we will be in Silver City tomorrow. It’s getting closer!

““Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the LORD rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.” Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fallback. Doesn’t that mean an extra hour of sleep? Not when you’re hiking the CDT. The plan was to do our 17 plus miles and get to Doc Campbell Post before 3pm. That was all fine and dandy until we missed our turn!

Let’s first share all the good things that happened today. It rained all night but around 3am, it abruptly stopped. There was a slight breeze which helped dry our tents. We were packed, and on the trail early.

There was promise of one little climb, and a lot of down. Jen took the lead and we were walking through forest and some wet grasses. We arrived at an Old Cabin and Water Cistern. Jen was quite upset because the screen that covers the collection hole was uncovered.

What if an animal falls in? So of course, next action is to cover that hole up. Her pole was too short and so I tied the handles of my poles together. And we started pushing the screen back into position. Only problem was we cannot slide it far enough. Before I could say no, Jen was on top this flimsy metal cone and scooted the screen back where it rightfully belonged. All squirrels, chipmunks and mice are now safe!

The trail zig-zagged and before long, we were out of the forest and up on a bluff. The most marvelous view of Gila River and Canyon appeared. We headed over for a few photo ops and went back to “a” trail. This is where I made the most rookie mistake of all. Following the wrong trail down the very steep slope.

I had looked at the map in the morning and knew we were eventually going down to Doc’s but not by way of switchbacks. But instead of consulting FarOut or CalTopo, I followed my partner straight off the cliff. Nearly 1000’ down, we reached the Gila River. That’s when I realized the critical mistake we made. The Lower Route of Gila River is inaccessible due to the recent storms. The trail has literally been washed away. Unless I have a kayak or raft in my backpack, we can’t go this way. So, what did we do? Climbed back up 1000’ to the top. We added four extra credit and unneeded bonus miles to our day.

I was flat out mad that I didn’t even think for myself and never looked at the map! What a boneheaded thing I did. So now the chances of getting to Patsy’s Diner for some fine cuisine were dashed! But Jen saved the day. She put on her Super Woman Cape and flew done the trail. We still had over seven miles to go and less than three hours to get to the road. Save the day Jen. I’ll see you in town.

Ends up that there really isn’t a Diner in town. The Diner is a Roach Coach and has very limited operations. But there is the DocCampbell Post that has Ragu Sauce, Spaghetti and Pre-made Salads. Jen caught a ride in the back of a horse trailer in the pouring down rain. I neglected to add the fact that the Super El Niño has arrived with heavy winds and torrential rains. Minor detail.

Once Fearless Cape Wearer got our provisions for dinner, she searched for a driver to pick me up. I was on the final section of the road to Doc’s. I tried to get a lift with National Park Personnel. However they have a strict policy not to pick up and transport any persons, even if they are wet from head to toe and beginning stages of hypothermia. Unbelievable! I told him that I served as a CHP Officer and I picked up all sorts of people, homeless, vagrants, down on your luck kind of people. He once again, explained that it’s a Governmental Policy. State policy’s are different. No, you are misconstruing policy with common sense and compassionately . Well, I didn’t say that, but I sure did think it.

Fortunately for me, my friend Jen found a ride and picked me up about two miles short of Doc Campbells. There were twelve hikers that arrived at different times of the day, both today and yesterday. Everyone is licking their wounds and drying out. This has been one heck of a year for Sobo Hikers. I believe there may be an upcoming movie, the year CDT hikers were washed away! Never has there been this amount of rain! They’ve called it a Historic Rainfall in Glacier when they closed the park in June. Then Generational Storms that are once in a generation occurred in Northern New Mexico. And if that’s not enough, tornados that show up which haven’t been recorded in over fifty years in Grants and Santa Fe. Mass flooding, early snowfall, rain that has been prayed for, and now has arrived. Well, on the bright side, I have less than 250 miles to go. I’m sure the next few weeks will be nothing more than what I have already experienced. But then, don’t tempt Mother Nature! She seems to have the final word. At least in 2026.

This is my “Life Verse” and feel it is appropriate for this time and place.

“I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I had a little visitor last night. Pew the Skunk walked right in front of my tent. I typically keep my vestibule closed but I was warm last night and decided, why not? It was early in the morning and at first I caught a whiff. Then I saw its little black and white body waddle in front of my tent. I didn’t breath, didn’t turn on my headlamp and just remained as still as possible. Thank goodness, she kept on moving and no harm was done to either of us!

Today was such a variety of terrain and ecosystems. We started out with fog and it pretty much followed us all day. Well, with the exception of rain. As we left, we had Juniper Trees the size of heritage oaks. In fact we slept under one last night. It was massive. Before long, we were climbing back into the pine forest with cactus. It’s just not what you expect. The route we are following is the Gila River High Route. I actually wanted to do the low route but it’s too dangerous with flooding, intense water rushing down the canyon and chest high river crossings. So the High Route it is.

Once we climbed the hill of sorts, we dropped back down to Lodge Pole Pines with wet grasses and tons of delicate spider webs. The trail led us to Aeroplane Mesa Campground. We stopped for our morning coffee break and second breakfast. There was a picnic table and Privy’s so it was quite a civilized place to hang.

Then we climbed again. This time it was a fairly steep horse trail with loose rocks. Once on top, we could see rolling hills with Oak Trees, Pines and Junipers. There were orange grasses that covered the hills, and oversized flower stalks. Then we meandered around the bend, the terrain quickly turned to granite and started a steep descent into the canyon and Middle Fork of Gila.

Middle Fork does not have a bridge. It is a “take your shoes off and hitch up your skirt” type of crossing. The river was maybe 30-40’ across and the deepest section today was knee high. Not bad. And my hiking poles did not vibrate as I crossed. It was one of the nicest river crossings I’ve done. Even Fearless was pleasantly surprised.

Once across we headed back up the canyon to a flat plateau. All was well until Jen jumped off the trail with a loud cry! What the heck? We saw not one, but two tarantulas today. It was appropriate I suppose as it is the Day of Hallowed Saints- Halloween. There are three things that freak Jen out. Metal Cattle Crossings, Fast Rivers and Spiders. She experienced two out of three today. Sorry Fearless!

The day was full of variety of terrain, plenty to peek our interests and just an all around splendid day. Even the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. And tomorrow we will be at Doc Campbell Hot Springs. Rain or shine, I’m soaking in that hot spring. This has been our longest stretch out on trail since the Bob Marshall Wilderness in July. Eight days and I’m out of food and smelly! It’s time to get to out of these stinky hiking clothes and post my blogs.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Last night we did a hasty setup on the side of the road. Not my favorite site on trail but we were wet and cold. I had no idea that trucks would be using this road until midnight. That was a bit unnerving but evidently, they all knew the hairpin turn and avoided landing in our temporary home. God protected us and indeed, we’ll hike another day.

Jen and I were hoping and praying for a boost from a kind soul along this deserted road walk. Evidently, the only traffic that drives this is after dark. We hiked down the very long road through forests, oaks and mossy rocks. It was beautiful with running water next to the road. We stopped within the first mile to fill up, as we were plum out of water.

The road was a steep downhill. Then it turned into a flat road walk that appeared to be crossing the Serengeti. At least that’s what Fearless called it. It was wide open plains with yellow grasses. No lions or zebras, only a few cows. We have deemed cows the mascots of the CDT. Every state has them. Some, just more than others.

We stopped for lunch around 2pm and just as we were packing up, it started raining on us. Well we had a most the day rain-free, so I felt that was a win. Just as we were getting our packs on, a young man stopped and offered us the boost we were praying for. Five miles up the hill, out of the rain and back to the next plateau. We gratefully obliged.

Once we were dropped off, the rain stopped and we carried on to yellower pastures. We were close to 8000’ and there was nothing but grasses and sporadic trees here and there. Well, except for the threatening clouds all around us. The trail had changed. It looked more like a basin with little more than a tree, here and there. We saw another tarantula, the most gorgeous squirrel that was a cross between a rabbit, skunk and bushy tailed squirrel. Never got a picture but if I find another, I’ll definitely snap a photo.

We headed down towards a pond and a creek, which was a good thing as we both needed water. Once topped off, Fearless was in charge of finding camp tonight. She wanted as many extra miles as possible because she is more than ready for Doc Campbell’s Hot Springs. I am more than ready for a hot shower and a warm bed to sleep in.

After four months, it gets to a point when all you can think about is getting home, sleeping in your own bed and being back with the ones you love! That is number one priority at this point and the more miles we do, the faster we are back where we both belong. And I truly believe with the Lord’s help, mountains will move and our feet with travel faster!

“For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We did it. We actually hit the trail by 7am. After falling short of our self-imposed goal, we thought we’d try it again. This time we would leave earlier. That’ll get us our twenty miles. What we didn’t account for was close to 4000’ climb. So once again, we had good intentions.

Let’s start with our morning climb. It is especially nice when we stop to take pictures and videos. This surely eats up time. But honestly, what difference does it make at this point? We are so close to the end game that I really feel we should enjoy our last few weeks on trail. If I want to take pictures of rocks and trees, so be it! I guarantee you, I won’t be coming this way again, so I plan to savor each and every moment on this trail.

We had quite a few options today as to what trail, Redline or Alternate? The Alternates win out most of the time. Govina Canyon was our first choice. It followed the river Lopez Creek most of the five miles. It meandered back and forth, crossing the trail with lots of rock hopping. The trees have plenty of moss and the ground was wet. I don’t think it sees much sunshine here.

Once we connected back to the CDT Redline, we climbed for the rest of the afternoon. At this point, it was obvious that we would not get to water before the sun set. Fearless and I had one liter of water left so we were looking for any puddle or pool that we could collect from. No luck.

As we reached the summit, just as the black storm clouds were rolling in. I was hoping we would escape them, but no such luck. It started as a little sprinkle but within minutes, we were in another, all out, hail storm. We grabbed our umbrellas but this was a bit more than our chrome domes could handle! We found a big tree, Jen threw on her rain poncho and I put on my rain jacket. Here we go again!

At this point, we should’ve pitched our tens but that wasn’t an option. We headed up to the road, which is our trail and found another tree to hide under. I saw a truck from down below but it disappeared and never saw it again. So Fearless and I waited for the hail to stop.

Now we just needed to find a place to pitch for the night. We headed down the other side of the road, found a rocky spur trail and called it home. It wasn’t my intention to camp next to the road but we were both wet and cold. So that’s where we landed. It appears that our pristine weather has come to a halt. I am extremely grateful for the three days of sunshine. Now we are back to stormy days and wet, cold nights for a bit. So the weather guessers are spouting.

“You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you. You will know that your tent is safe. When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing.” Job‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s cold in the desert. I have woken up to frost every morning. Ice plastered to my tent with considerable condensation on my sleeping bag. Thank goodness I always find time to dry gear out during the day. Daily its’ wake-up, walk, rinse and repeat.

The morning stroll followed a forest road. I’m not sure why roads hurt my feet so much? But boy oh boy, my feet are sore at the end of the day. I think Jen and I are at the end of our rope. We are both just so tired! After talking to other hikers, everyone’s ready to finish this tale of trails.

The road walk continued for the first half of the day. We had lunch under a tree, saw Grouse, Bumble Berry and Banchee several more times today. We definitely are in the midst of a bubble as there are ten to fifteen of us that keep hovering.

We headed to the Aragon Well which is a water tank. You have to open the gate which is Barbed Wire wrapped around sticks. High Security for us water thieves! Then you step up on the cow trough and dip your water bottles into the tank. The farmers put goldfish in the tank to keep the algae at bay. Yep, this is my life!

Once we filled up, Jen and I went down the road and finally were back on the CDT Redline. We had been following the Pie Town Alternate for days. As soon as we hit the trail and not the road, I had a sense of relief. I guess I just know what to expect. Rocky trail with some ups and downs, but no more roads. We headed through the forest and before long, we were back into wide open meadows and grasses.

Fearless and I had big goals today. Get to the Gila River Alternate. I must’ve miscalculated the miles because we were still off by fifteen to twenty clicks. So tomorrow, we will be close enough to start the infamous Gila Route. We won’t be doing the low route as the previous storms have virtually erased the trail. Crossing the river is no less than chest high at the shallowest. Hikers stated that you would have to swim to get from one side to the other. So we have, along with the rest of the hikers, are restricted to the High Route.

As we came into camp, Glass and Fancy Pants showed up. I have been wearing a new hat, “Adrian for Sheriff” courtesy of Paul from the Gathering Place. My hat was temporarily lost but returned tonight by Fancy Pants. A Farmer on the road found it and gave it to the first hiker he saw. And Fancy Pants knew exactly who belonged to it. Now, I am wearing my intended lightweight, form fitting hat. But I will need to find a new owner for Adrian. Hopefully he is running a good campaign and will be the best Sheriff in town.

As I think about my aches and pains, my complaining, I realize that I am so blessed, so fortunate, so incredibly grateful for all that I have accomplished. It is only by God’s grace that I have made it through this journey. Wow, how glad and joyful I am!

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The gang all slept in. Accept for Nutella and Bat6. They were up early preparing breakfast for ten thru-hikers. Nutella and Bat6 started Sobo and flipped at the border. Then Bat6 pulled a tendon and was done hiking. Rather than leaving the trail, they became Trail Angels. Heading Northbound, they rented a 4WD Jeep and started driving the backroads looking for thru-hikers. We were fortunate to be in the right place, at the right time and see this lovely couple again.

Breakfast Burritos with fruit, coffee and juice was on the menu. The fire was blazing as it was pretty dang cold in the morning. But on the bright side, we have not had any rain since we left Grants. Praise the Lord! Everyone was huddled around the fire, eating and filling up with needed calories. We finished every last burrito and even took fruit juices for the trail. Thank you Bat6 and Nutella! What a great and rememberable time we had at Davila Ranch.

Jen and I hit the trail just before 11am. One of our later starts but it was well worth it. We all bided farewell with hopes of seeing each other down trail. The past few days have been mostly forest service roads. But not asphalt. Just nicely graded with trees and duff. We were able to do close to 3mph, which helped, with our late start.

Around noon, we stopped for lunch. Yes, we do eat a lot. Talking with the other hikers, they are putting down 4000-5000 calories a day. I’m not sure what in the world they are carrying in their packs that equates to that many calories? A stash of honey buns, a stick of butter with a tons of nuts and cheese. That’s all I can imagine. I’m probably closer to 2500-3000 calories, if even that.

As we were sitting having lunch, Bumble Berry passed us. She asked if we knew we were sitting next to a cow? What? Sure enough, about 50’ from us was a black cow sunny herself. She was laying down behind some trees and I never saw her. But what we did see was a doe being chased by a buck. It is the rut so he was frisky and she was having nothing to do with his antics. It was a game of cat and mouse and I think the mouse won.

Our climb was Chavez Peak which was a nice gradual uphill. It was over four miles and topped out at 9500’. I believe this is the last time we will be close to 10,000’ the rest of the trail. I’m fine with that. All downhill to the monument from here out. Dreamer!

It was a leisurely hike today but my feet are so terribly sore. A couple of months ago for my birthday, Hogged Up and Fearless gave me a patch that reads “Everything Hurts Hiking Club.” All three of us have this patch but today, I was totally embracing it. Or maybe I’m just feeling it more!

We ended up stopping at the Valley Tio Campground and decided, we are done for the day. It was just past five, and both Jen and I were spent. With the night last night, the late start this morning, the lack of quality sleep, I think we just needed to get back to our usual schedule. We found a nice picnic table and some flat spots to pitch out tents.

We searched the campground and found no water spigots, no running water, no stream or spring. Our neighbors had a pretty big RV and we figured that they had water. End up that they had been supplying hikers with water all week and were running short. But the did have a cooler of melted ice water. That’ll work! So we filled up our bottles, chatted for awhile and returned to our site for dinner. It was a day but we are on target to get to water in seventeen miles. Standby feet, you will be working tomorrow.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today was the first of many things on trail. I woke up to a rooster crowing, before the sun rose. Then a cow mooed’ for quite awhile. I also had an extremely difficult time unzipping my tent, being there was 2-3” of snow and frost attached to the vestibule and side walls. Yep, many firsts!

Jen and I hit the trail just after 8am. We were not the last to leave but close to it. Foggy and Choker were still milling around. Everyone was headed to Pie Town. The roadwalk continued with easy terrain and most of the mud and puddles had dissipated. We arrived in Pie Town and met Paul. He’s the owner, operator, head chef, mail delivery person, and well, anything else that needs to be done at the Gathering Place. Fearless and I sat down with four other hikers who were finishing up slices of pie for breakfast. Why not?

We ordered omelettes with a side of pancakes. I so miss a good breakfast. Beef sticks and cheese are definitely not doing it for me any longer! But an omelette with bacon and tons of vegetables, now that’s breakfast. We finished with a couple of cups of coffee and postponed pie for later. As we were talking with Posiden, Jen came up with a brilliant idea. Posiden has a van, and is willing to transport our ten pound food bags to Davila Ranch. Brilliant!

After eating, drying out the wet gear from mornings hard frost, we headed out for an afternoon stroll. The weather has been perfect! I know, it’s about time. We finished up our miles for the day when Nutella and Bat6 drove up. They are Sobo’s turned Trail Angels. They stopped and gave us soda and promised to come to the ranch and make us dinner! Seriously?!?! We will be there.

Before long, there was close to ten of us at Davila Ranch. Foggy & Choker, Sundial & Low Bat, Banchee & Bumble Berry and Fearless and me. Everyone had got word that Trail Magic was coming our way. We’ve have been recipients of more than our fair share of goodwill on the CDT, but no one has offered to cook for us.

By 7pm, Nutella and Bat6 arrived and started preparing a feast for us. All the food and more that hungry hikers can eat. I had a hamburger, two hot dogs, chips, margarita and smores! I know, that’s a lot of food. We all sat around the camp fire and talked about trail stories till hiker midnight. That’s translated to 9pm.

Today was a feast! Breakfast at the Gathering Place, Burgers and dogs at Davila Ranch, with Lemon Custard pie and Pear Ginger Pie, just because. My belly will be asking me why I ate all that but boy oh boy, what a great day!

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is something beautiful about being inside when there’s a downpour. We spent the morning doing chores. First bit of business was heading to the Post Office. Most people would jump in their car and drive there. But our car is our feet. We wanted to get there as soon as it opened. Jen and I headed out for the two plus mile walk. We hadn’t made it quarter mile before the rain started. This is getting ridiculous. We stuck out our thumbs and cars whizzed past us. Doesn’t anyone feel bad that we are getting soaked. Finally Diane pulls over. She was just getting off the graveyard shift at Walmart.

Diane drove us, waited for us and drove us back to the hotel, with our resupply boxes. Our next dilemma was finding a ride to Albuquerque so I can go to REI. Diane calls her sister Darla and secures us a trip to and from. Wow, we are so fortunate.

Post Office, REI to replace my broken hip belt buckle, then back to the room to get our food packed. Dinner at Denny’s, then finally Walmart for last minute items. In bed by 10pm and out in the morning. Both Jen and I are wondering when do we get a day off in which we can just rest? Not until we get back home!

Our plan to getting to Pie Town is find a five miles hitch down I-40 to County Road 117. This will set us up for a long road walk. Why on earth is the CDT on a two-lane road is beyond my understanding. It’s an asphalt roadway with literally no shoulders. We walked for a very long, long time.

Fearless’ friend Grouse caught up with us. None of us like the road especially since the cars are whizzing by at 60mph. Finally a flatbed truck stops in the middle of the road and asks if we want a ride? You know it! The three of us jump up on the flatbed and we’re off. What a blessing even if it was a bit scary without side rails. We all held for dear life. If one fell off, we’d all slide together, as a neat little package.

Fifteen miles later, we were closing in on the Pie Town turnoff and a dirt road. Our driver pulled over, nodded us farewell and within thirty minutes, we were back to walking on a proper roadway, wide and asphalt be gone.

At Pie Town Road, Fearless and I stopped for lunch, and Grouse continued on. We’ll definitely see him again. The hikers he was walking with, Newt and 23, are doing the 24 hour challenge. Walk for 24 hours without stopping. No thank you! Grouse decided not to partake, but instead walk with the rest of us sane people.

We still had another sixteen miles to TLC Ranch. After lunch, we put our heads down and walked the rest of the day. It was a dirt road, fairly straight and flat. That was doable and we made good miles. We ran into Low Bat and Sundial. Everyone had the same idea about staying at the ranch tonight. The options out here are pretty slim, and mostly private property.

As I was closing in on the ranch, the sun was setting and the moon was rising. It was quite the contrast with a colorful sky both to the east and the west. A Rancher and his wife stopped and talked for a bit. He was checking out his cattle and the roadways after all the storms. It’s a tough life being a rancher but he seemed to enjoy this life. If you can find a job, or better yet a career that you love, then you win! The two were like teenagers driving around and checking on their cattle. What a life they have made for themselves.

Around 7pm, I pulled into the TLC Ranch. Larry the owner, has quite a piece of property and welcomes hikers to sleep on his land, and supplies water at no expense. It is another unexpected place that you just have to experience. God’s people loving on one another. Thank you Larry for your hospitality and support of this hiking community!

“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a night we had! For the matter, it seems to be par for course in this neck of the woods. The lightning show was like no other. We were surrounded in every direction by what seemed like strobe lights! This went on for the majority of the night. I finally was lulled to sleep by the rolling thunder.

We wanted to get up and out as soon as possible. Just after 7am, we were on trail. Honestly it’s hard to get out much earlier being the sun doesn’t rise till close to 7:30am. I’m not looking forward to the standard time change as then, we will have even less daylight hours! So is the struggle of a Sobo hiker.

The trail was nothing but mud. Thick, gooey, stick to your shoes kind of mud. At times, both Fearless and I were slipping and sliding from one muddy mess to another. But somehow, we stayed upright with Bride of Frankenstein Shoes of Goo! We made quicker than normal miles being we both were low of food, and honestly just wanted to get to town.

After our lunch, we saw a couple of trucks and a trailer parked off the roadway. Maybe they are headed to town. Ends up that Ray, Roy and Sylvia just pulled their Elk tag and are hunting this weekend. They invited us in for coffee and tea just as it started to rain. What perfect timing. We talked for a bit and once the first round of rain stopped, we headed back out.

Before we left, I was sharing with Roy the lone cow I saw near Chavez Peak. He quickly asked if it had a green tag on its left ear? It sure did! Ends up that Roy’s’ friend has been looking for this cow. Fortunately I had dropped a pin and knew the exact location. The lone cow will be rescued after all. That just made my day!

Within half an hour, the sky turned black and you guessed it, round two began. This time it was accompanied by thunder and hail. That lasted for close to an hour. Now mix in a bunch of hail with a lot of mud. Well you get the picture.

After that was over, we hit our junction. If we stayed on the Redline, we wouldn’t make it to Grants until tomorrow. But if we continued on our road, there was a slim chance we might meet someone headed to town. Well, we met several hunters heading Nobo but not a single vehicle headed towards Grants. And so we walked.

After we cleared just over twenty miles, Andre comes down the road. He’s a Lineman Supervisor and was out inspecting the powerlines that were hit by a tornado last night. What? There’s tornados out here? Well that just makes me rethink this whole nonsense of hiking the CDT! Sure enough, while we were tucked inside our single-walled piece of nylon, a tornado, no less than ten miles from us touched down and took out the powerlines. Well, that’s reassuring, not!

Andre was more than happy to give us a ride to Grants. He’s on his way home to Albuquerque and it’s on the way. What a godsend! We honestly were not sure how we would make it to Grants without a kind soul picking us up. It was well over another thirty miles to town.

On the way, we passed several washed out areas due to the heavy rains we had last night. Roads were closed, mud and water was flowing across the roadways and here we are, nice and dry inside a Ford Bronco with more mud on it than our shoes. And that’s saying a lot. Andre drove us directly to our hotel and said that he’s planning a hunting trip in a couple of weeks near Silver City. Hopefully we will see you again.

This has been a tough week. The weather is always an issue. The winds were blowing constantly and now we have tornados! Our miles have picked up and just when I was getting comfortable, believing we got this trail in the bag, we are both dragging! Like they say, if it was easy, everyone would do it! And tomorrow is indeed, a new day!

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬