CDT Day 13 (5/31/23)

Miles 312 (Blue line 13.7)- 336 (Blue line 37.7) (24 miles)

Verbatim

I made it to the Davilla Ranch. I’ve met Christoph and Dianna here, and Adjunct has just arrived. Seeing Cristoph and Dianna is making me a bit sad. I don’t really have the capacity to imagine being someone’s person unless it’s L. That breaks my heart, and it breaks my heart —. I’m just out here walkin’. That’s enough for me.

It doesn’t really help that the next section is all road walking to Grants. I’m not very excited about that at all. I’m not sure I’ll have enough time to hike to Cuba afterwards either in time to make it to San Diego to see my brother. I’d really have to put the miles down. I think I’m ready to be in CO, and am feeling a bit discontented in life generally. It’s hot and I don’t like the desert. I’ve showered and eaten and I’m clean and sleepy.

Man, road walking can be tough. There’s no protection from the sun, hard packed sandstone or loose and choppy gravel to either pound or grind out your feet. It’s one continuous road walk from here to Grants. I’m here for it, but man is it miserable. On the bright side, I’ve made some serious progress through NM. It’s good to look on Guthook and see the milage and spaces increase. There’s only about three more resupplies from where I’m at to the border of CO. They’re serious resupplies and are no joke, but they’re becoming fewer in number. It will be so exciting to hit Colorado. I wouldn’t say it’s the pinnacle of the trail, but it’s certainly going to be a more consistently enjoyable experience. I’m thankful to be starting so late so the snow calms down.

Today I ate three cans of beans, nine eggs, a French fried potato, two candy bars, and a spoonful of peanut butter mixed in with two breakfast essentials. I feel so bloated and gassy. Tomorrow morning’s bowel movement is going to be a powerful experience! I’m camped two miles short of Pie Town so that I have the space and time to poop in the woods. I would not want to arrive at the Toaster House desperate for a bathroom. No thanks!

I’m planning on hitching tomorrow to the Top of the World general store for a resupply to Grants. I hope the hitch is easy! And, I wonder how much of the resupply I can do from the Toaster House hiker box.

Scrambles is going to the Ski Haus tomorrow! I told her to tell me if Brenda is there!

New Mexico is quite nice. It makes sense why the Southwest is so popular for car camping. AC during the day and cool dry temps to play in during the evening. And pretty rocks and sunsets.

Post Note

Ah. Road walking. The CDT’s finest miles are all on road walks. Quite a few hikers, I’ve come to discover, skip road walks! And for good reasons. Road walking is dangerous. Both imminently and cumulatively. Sometimes you’re walking on a road that’s got a two foot shoulder and the cars are flying back and forth at 70. You can die right now. Right… now. Right now. That’s the thought every time another car or bus whooshes past. It’s sort of intimate, in a way. Because you can see the human being in the car as they approach. Go for a road walk sometime. Preferably on a rural state route for at least 6 miles. That will give you the thruhiker’s perspective. If you can find a windy mountain road that would also be appropriate. You’ll never pass a pedestrian, cyclist, or animal on the road the same way again.

Recently, while picking the kids up from school, I saw three cars go bumper to bumper because the lead stopped abruptly at a rise when a large Snapping Turtle was revealed on the other side. I remember slowing down and checking the humans. They were okay. The Turtle was in its shell. The situation did not need me, so I continued on. I thought. Nice. The people are okay. That turtle’s life was totally worth it. Fuck cars. At this point a turtle’s life is totally more valuable than cars.

Other times the damage of a road walk is cumulative. Hurray! You didn’t get hit by a car or truck! But, you did just walk 30 miles on hot asphalt with no shade for 13 hours today. The pavement was angled to shed rain. So your right leg has walked “cramped” all day which means your left hip his hurting and raw. Your ankle hurts as well on the left side. The bridges of your feet are strained and it’s time to break out that cork ball and torture yourself to sleep by rolling in under your feet. You’re gonna feel these things for the next five days. Thanks road!

Road walking sucks. There’s no way around it. Some real Striders (crush miles bro) like to walk road because they can do 4 m.p.h. I get it. The flow on road can be immaculate. A sort of…what’s the word…sacred? No. Revelatory? No. Ah. I give up. It’s a profound experience that flow. But in general road walking sucks. But don’t skip it! You’re walking from Mexico to Canada, remember? And more importantly you’re walking across the USA. Walk the real USA, which means walking its roads. You’re missing something special if you don’t suffer those roads out. Remind people that everywhere is within walking distance if you’ve got the time for it. Cars are not necessary.