Big Miles, No Water

Beaker and I knocked out this last 106 miles in a little over 4 days. The trail has been well marked and really beautiful. We are both feeling pretty good so the miles came easy. The hard part was the lack of water. This part of New Mexico is suffering from a 10 year drought. Places on the map that promised a water source were bone dry. You can't imagine the disappointment in hiking all day without water only to find a spring that dried up long ago. 

We've hiked on and off with some of the Warrior Hike guys as well as some section hikers but usually, we're the only people out there. I'm glad for Beaker's company. He's an experienced hiker and he's better at navigation than I am. I hiked with him and his wife on the AT and they angel'ed me on the PCT. Good people. 

My Honor Point pack continues to kick ass and my Stormy Kromer keeps me warm even when my water is frozen.  Please leave a comment below and stay tuned for more gear updates. 

The tiny green speck at about 9 o'clock is Beaker. There are a dozen radio towers on the mountain ahead but I still can't get cell reception. 

I love that warm, early morning sunshine. 

This guy was blocking the trail. Not sure what species.

Beaker and our new friend. 

Looking out over the desert. 

HillierHikes.com

Life on the Trail

As I open my eyes early in the morning, I can see that it's just starting to get light. I can hear birds chirping in the distance. What a wonderful way to wake OH MY GOD MY FEET HURT. Still lots of blisters and swelling. And it's freezing outside. Literally, freezing... My water bottles are frozen and SO ARE MY SHOES. While I'm glad to be on the trail, I do not look forward to fording the freezing waters of the Gila River another thousand times today. 

Yes, it's a cold morning and my feet hurt but there is no where else I'd rather be. This is the middle fork of the Gila River. The land of the Warm Springs Apache - the Burning Eye People. Geronimo was born here and his birth place is a sacred thing to the Chiricahua. I don't think they like us being here. I can feel the spirits of Apache warriors looking down from the high cliff walls. 

At this point, we're still 3 or 4 days out from our next stop: Pie Town, NM. We'll pick up our resupply boxes and rest up a bit. I can't wait to get there. I need the rest. My body is pretty beat up. This trail is much more difficult than either the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail. Navigation continues to be a challenge.  Water sources are still very far apart and a couple of times, they have been bone dry when we finally found them. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll pass through Grants, NM and Cuba, NM on my way up into the south San Juan Mountains of Colorado. That will be a whole different set of challenges: snow, altitude, heavy gear and a barely defined trail. 

I'm so grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this point: Lynnae and Will in Mimbres, Nita at the Toaster House in Pie Town, the men from the Forest Service who work the fire lookout towers: Phil, John and Dave. And, of course, all my friends at Honor Point, Running Fit, Moosejaw, Fitbit, Stormy Kromer and the Burning Boots Trail Club. 

Please leave a comment and stay tuned for more soon...

Hydration is so important. I need about one liter for every 5 miles I hike. 

I think of my friend Astro every step of the way. 

Made it to Pie Town. 120 miles in 5 1/2 days. 

Nita has helped hundreds of hikers over the years. 

HillierHikes.com

Update 5/1/2014

Happy Thursday!  I thought I'd give an update on Chris/Wolverine. He's hiked about 200 miles so far and sounds great.  He says his "spirits are soaring!"  Which is fantastic to hear
He will walk into Pie Town New Mexico in about 6 days.  Check this place out: http://www.pietown.com
His stop after that is Ghost Ranch near the New Mexico/Colorado border.  This is where I will send his winter gear, for the Rocky Mountains, things like an ice ax, crampons (these hook to the bottom of your shoe and have small spikes on them to help you walk on ice, heavy boots, warm socks, and his stove so he can have hot meals.

Have you seen the video on how to get water on the CDT?  Take a look.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=451330071664231&l=5839163658972826169


If anyone out there would like to send him a message or anything else, let me know and I will get it to him.
Thank you all for your support.  Keep those positive thought, good vibes and love coming for our hiker!

Update from Chris 4/27/2014

Hello all, Martha here:

I talked to Chris on Sunday the 27th and all was well.  He and Gary and Beaker ( Bob Turner) had stopped in Mimbres to take a well eared zero.  Everyone was tired, a bit sore and just needed to relax.  Gary has taken some great photos.  Are you following his blog, Our Endless Earth too?

Chris started hiking again Monday, 4/28 and will hit Pie Town (!) then Grants and Cuba.  the stop after that is Ghost Ranch where I will be sending all his winter type gear, ice ice, crampons, gloves, lined pants, stove and more.

I'm sure you have read of Chris dedicating his hike to Andy-Astro.  Read here for a post from Andy's Mom, Elizabeth Gosselin http://hikingthepacificcrest.wordpress.com

I'll continue to update here when Chris doesn't have time or connectivity.  Feel free to join me on my Facebook page,  https://www.facebook.com

Some very nice and generous donations have been coming in.
A HUGE thanks to everyone out there.

This is what a zero day looks like:

And They're Off!

I'm finally home, where I belong. Back on the trail. 

After two hellish days and nights on a Greyhound bus, Gary and I finally met up with Beaker and made it to Deming, NM. Trail Angels Keith and Mary Schwarzer helped us with local info and made sure we made it down to Palomas, Mexico. We ate a huge meal while a Mariachi band played. Getting back across the border was no problem and the hike had begun. Didn't get started until about 2pm and did a straight road walk about 12 miles north right back to Willie Pritchard's ranch. He kindly let us camp and water up on his property.

First full day on the trail was a blunt reminder of how harsh this environment can be. Every plant wants to stab you - each of us had 1 1/2" thorns poke through the soles of our trail shoes and into our feet. The sun is intense and there is absolutely no shade to be found. Sand and wind that can blast a license plate clean. Carrying enough water to get to the next source and navigation are the main concerns. Made 23 miles today and set up our tents in 30mph winds. 

Stay tuned for posts about the prototype backpack that Honor Point made for me, using Fitbit to track my mileage, staying warm with Stormy Kromer and my Montrail shoes from Ann Arbor's Running Fit. 

Gary and Beaker mark the GPS location of a water cache in the middle of the desert. 

Trail Angel Keith Schwarzer.

Gary and Chris hold the CDT bandana in front of the Pancho Villa statue in Palomas, Mexico.

Chicken mole and a Mariachi band to celebrate the start of the hike.

Mostly road walking the first day. 

FITBIT!

Huge thanks to Megan Serow and the good folks at Fitbit. I'll be using their technology to track my hike. I'll be carrying both the Flex and Zip models for comparison but it will be hard to keep the Flex charged up. The Zip has a battery that last 5 to 7 months.

The devices themselves were easy to set up. I assigned an account for each of them. I look forward to posting some big numbers.

Thanks, Fitbit!

Fitbit Flex

Fitbit Zip

A Dedication

I had the honor to hike with Andy 'Astro' Lyon during our thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail. Astro was young, educated and full of life. Yet he was dying of cancer. I came to regard Astro as a teacher and a healer. We had hours and hours of great conversation while we hiked and I learned a great deal from him. We had some crazy adventures and some serious situations but we both finished the trail.

Astro and I toasting our completion of the PCT

Astro passed away not long ago. I miss him terribly. Fortunately, I'm able to keep in touch with his mother, Betsy and his step-father, Michael. Betsy was kind enough to send me a bandana that belonged to Astro and that he carried with him on the PCT. I'm going to carry it with me for my thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail.

I'm carrying this bandana to remind me of Astro and all that I learned from him.

I hereby dedicate this hike to the memory of Andy 'Astro' Lyon. I am so glad to have known him, so grateful for all that he taught me and so lucky to know his mother, Betsy and her husband, Michael.

Betsy and Michael

Astro and I in the Goat Rocks Mountains of Washington

There's the bandana!