Week 7: The Mystic Biscuit

Chama to Del Norte

June 10 – June 15

97 miles

Day 38: Low route / High route

We didn’t die. Charming Chama looked amazing. Della, who could just about see above the wheel, swung us into the car park of the Y-Motel. It’s about a million years old. Apparently it was grimey but I liked it.

How much road do you need?

We immediately acquired a room to split with Maps and Cliff. Colorado is looming and we hear it’s expensive so saving pennies is key.

Chama was due an electrical cut for 5 hours just one hour after we arrived. Who the hell arranged a middle of the day, whole town electrical test for 5 hours?!

This was a bit crappy. We had to move fast and prioritise.

One hour before no more hot water….

We went to the store for all manner of snacks, then to Subway as all the restaurants would be closing.

A group of hikers had swarmed the veranda and we sat for a wonderful afternoon drinking and eating together.

Hiker summit meeting.

The snow this year has been 200% of the average. This is ridiculous. The last stretch was tough going and that was nothing compared to what was to come. Colorado got another fresh dump in early June. Talk of snow has been bubbling since September last year.

Snow shoes, ice axes, crampons, avalanche gear, winter gear would all be necessary to stay on the trail.

Chama is the point at which a decision needed to be made.

Luckily, the Continental Divide is full of alternates…

The Great Divide route is the cycle trail (popularly raced Canada to Mexico) which we’ve decided to walk to avoid death in an avalanche. Sensible hey?

The majority of hikers will go this way too.

Two hikers attempting the high route have already pressed the SOS button on their emergency devices. Helicopter rescue ensued.

We need a new tent. Remember? Our pal Maps, who loves logistics and problem solving called REI in Santa Fe to ensure they had the one we wanted. When discussing the logistics of getting it, our pal Baby Food said he was making the 4 hour bus ride in the following day and offered to pick it up for us. Dear friends.

We just get people to do our town chores for us now. Its much easier.

We added to his list. New socks, Snow baskets (for our poles) and gas.

The very best kind of shopping trip is one I don’t have to attend.

Now the electricity was back on. We should probably all shower, or, eat again…?

Maps, logistics addict, called the saloon bar and asked that they come and collect us as we didn’t want to make the 1.4 mile walk. We were 8 hikers so they surely couldn’t refuse.

Off to the bar we went in the worlds biggest and most ridiculous truck, for the worst food in New Mexico. My enchilada tasted like bottoms. The wine was nice though. A small hiker party formed and it was nice to celebrate New Mexico and bleet on about the worrying snow pack. Snakes and I enjoyed the walk back, in the dark peaceful moonlit night. while Maps convinced a barman to ferry the remaining hikers back after his shift.

15.5 miles on the day

Day 39: Zero 6

Upon waking Snakes immediately got to work in her role of looking after me while I do absolutely nothing. She loves it. She walked to the gas station next door and brought back coffee, then headed to the hiker box to get shampoo (we still hadn’t showered, it’s really no longer a priority).

In the meantime Cliff Jumper had offered to go and do all our laundry. I could see Snakes wincing at the idea but I forced her to concede as it would provide more time for eating and socialising.

Having someone else do laundry is better than free tiramisu.

We went to the diner next door for endless coffee and a huge burrito. Snakes had a stack of pancakes bigger than her face. Our new best pal Oakley (Elk) from Australia and Maps joined us.

We planned (Snakes planned) the next sections’ mileage and logistics while I wrote post cards.

We’re now off Snake’s miraculous spread sheet and are making our own way through the Colorado wilds. Who knows where we’ll end up?

We needed a resupply for 4 days.

We had a kitchen in our room and I was moderately exhausted by Mexican food. I suggested a mega spaghetti feast for dinner. Everyone agreed.

To the food shop we went. The store was playing Stevie Nicks, it won points for this, then lost them for having a massive dear head on the wall. Why would this be in a supermarket?

Can you imagine this in Waitrose?

When our laundry was delivered back to us, I dressed and went to the visitors center. They offer many things to aid CDT hikers and I was after one of the three bikes chained up outside.

I cycled the 1.5 miles to the post office to collect our bounce box (sent from the very beginning) and my new Darn Tough socks (have I talked about how great their lifetime warranty and customer service is yet!?) The helpful post master couldn’t find our bounce box so I went through to the back to help them, and found it immediately.

Back to the motel to sort gear.

Resupply box = mailing yourself food

Bounce box = mailing yourself items you may or may not need and sending it up the trail as you hike.

If unopened, a bounce box can be sent on to another post office free of charge.

In this box we’d packed spikes for the snow, an extra layer of clothing, blank journals, trousers, mosquito repellent and mosquito head nets (for Wyoming) I took the spikes and the extra layer, Snakes took spikes and a new journal. We packed the box to bounce up the trail again once more.

Chores complete. We returned to the veranda and proceeded to loiter around with our friends for some hours.

Snakes completing her chores (sewing my sleeping bag liner)

Snakes and I got to cooking and soon everyone could smell what was going on and wanted to join in on the spaghetti mountain that we were preparing.

Everyone contributed, with wine, carrot cake, freshly baked cookies, a mega salad and veg.

Baby food returned from his jaunt with our gear and we fed him well.

The feasting went on until after hiker midnight (9pm).

Day 40: Returning to Cumbress Pass

We woke and swiftly packed gear.

Back to the diner for the exact same breakfast as yesterday.

We erected our tent to be sure it was all as it should be and excitement grew for our first night in our new home.

We said our goodbyes to pals not leaving today (some had been there for 4 days, awaiting snow to melt or snow gear to arrive) and went to get a hitch to the post office.

Before long a truck bigger than my house pulled over to let us know that he would give us a hitch but couldn’t.

Helpful information.

Baby food made a sign ‘Post Office’. It often helps if the driver knows what they’re letting themselves into.

Maps and Cliff had just got a hitch before us after going into the supermarket car park and accosting old people who were scared of them.

After about 12 minutes a waitress from the bar stopped and picked the three of us up.

At the post office we packed our bounce box and sent it 2 weeks ahead and packed some items we wouldn’t be needing anymore (the old tent) and sent them off to my Uncle in New Jersey. Thanks Unk.

I made another sign for Cumbress Pass and we made for the curb. 15 minutes later we had a hitch from Marlena. Bat shit crazy and utterly hilarious. We asked if she had room for more hikers, she did, and 1 minute up the road we collected Maps and Cliff too.

Who wouldn’t pick this up?

8 miles back up the road to where we came off trail and we were hiking again. We had a swift 12 miles on a paved road with very little traffic and stunning views.

After stopping for a communal lunch and comparing lunch tactics, Snakes and I powered on as we read that there were sodas ahead. We cut through the woods to take miles off the switch backs on the road and made it to 13 miles (half a mile off our route for this special occasion) and to the supposed soda spot.

Of course everything was closed.

I started poking around the clearly closed building until a lady came out. I let her know that we were just looking for sodas and she said we could have some. These moments are the very, very best.

I made sure to add the opening times on the notes on the app so no other sucker made the same 0.5 mile mistake we did.

After Cliff and Maps arrived we set off once more. Hoping for another couple of miles to make our 15 mile target. The walking was good, the views were incredible Snakes met a horse and called it ‘Milky’ and sunset was starting to burn bright pink. We kept going until 9pm, our latest finish yet.

19 miles on the day.

Day 41: Platoro

Todays aim was 16.7 miles to Platoro for lunch.

Platoro means ‘silver gold’.

We made it 5 miles before a glorious cereal breakfast in the sun. Our tent had been great but it had frozen over night so we lay it out to dry.

We made the next 11.7 miles with barely any break.

Music exacerbated the beauty. Colorado looked like, what one with an imagination would imagine it to.

Guy Garvey, I liken to the needle I insert into a blister. He sings and everything pours out of me.

Listen to ‘Dear Friends’ if you get the chance will you?

I cried and walked for a good hour. Sobbing into the sun and into the mountains, it felt like they take it all from me as I give it to them. How very kind. I miss my brother so much.

Platoro was a cute little town nestled in the mountains. Mostly holiday homes and lots of outfitters who will take you into the mountains to kill something larger and more beautiful than you. If you pay them enough.

We sat on the veranda of Gold Pan restaurant and we’re warmly welcomed.

We were the only guests.

We all had veggie grilled sandwiches and fries, they were completely delicious but unfortunately they were also the size of the palm of my hand. Then the girls ate Amish pie, while I ordered another sandwich.

We made full and complete use of the bathroom, the soap, free coffee refills, and electricity. We signed the trail register and loaded up on fresh water as the next 20 miles was run off from the mine and the water was full of acids and hard metals.

We made it another steep 6.3 miles to a campground (all this means is there are benches and a really warm loo) we sat together and ate lunch for dinner (as we’d bought extra lunch in Platoro) seeing as it’s a heavier meal. Between us we had humus, cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, ranch, crackers, wraps, cranberries, croutons, peas, honey mustard and green onions. All that was missing for this ridiculous hiker picnic, was wine.

Mega Zip Lock picnic

23 miles on the day.

Day 42: On the snow again

Snakes and I departed first and executed our usual 5 miles before breakfast. Today we were climbing up and patches of snow had returned.

Unusually the girls hadn’t met us before we’d finished supping our coffee, so we hiked on without them.

After a further mile, fully on snow, Snakes had the bright idea of wearing our 400g micro spikes, rather than just carry them. She’s a smart one.

It was considerable, how much they aided us.

Back in a sunny winter wonderland we made good time moving through the valleys, cutting corners where we could.

The occasional posthole made me ever grateful for choosing this route.

After passing a junction to the official CDT, not even remotely remorseful, we came across a small rent-able cabin. I made use of the unlocked pit toilet. Even though the seat was plastic, not the porcelain I desired, I was grateful of the high altitude loo, as I don’t think digging a cat hole in snow counts as a proper poo burial.

Onward down and out of the valley past a mine, not active but restorative, cleaning up the mess they’d made, and hence we still couldn’t drink the surrounding water.

We began to climb a hill and would be climbing for what felt like too long. Atop one of the many false horizons we saw a deer bolt across our path and into the woods. Leaving behind a real life Bambi, flailing about the place.

Of course this was extremely exciting.

We approached slowly, knowing that sometimes a new mother deer would not return to a faun (but sometimes they would) we tried to pass by with minimum impact but MY GOODNESS it was cute and, KEPT FOLLOWING US.

Snakes assured me we had to be it’s mothers now. I was almost convinced she was right, but just about managed to drag us away.

We slowly went on. Our breathing was heavily laboured now we’re just under 4,000m.

We hadn’t seen our friends all day. I was leaving notes for them in the snow and mud, but this was futile as they were probably dead.

We got to our mile marker for the day and Snakes found a suitable camp spot, on top of a ‘natural gas line’. Should be fine.

I’m tired, I’d sleep on a crevasse, should be fine.

After we’d set up camp and began cooking, our pals arrived. Hoorah, they aren’t dead. 3,600m and our warmest night yet.

19.5 miles on the day.

Day 43:

After what felt like a hot summers night, Snakes and I evacuated the mountain.

We agreed we preferred getting into town in the morning so we have effectively all day off and can make full and complete use of every article in the room we purchase.

Maps and Cliff agreed so today we were aiming for just 3 miles out of Del Norte.

The day transpired like the others, with breakfast at 5 miles, we largely stayed as a team of 4 today as we descended down the mountain we’d spent 3 days climbing.

Patches of snow dispersed as we came back to an altitude where inhaling was no longer considered and trying, but automatic.

It looked like the biosphere altered again and felt like we were back in New Mexico.

The road became paved and my feet began screaming at the familiar pounding.

Nap time.

Conversation kept us going.

4 miles out of town and we were surrounded by private ranch land. Luckily my Father has brought me up to trespass so I have little issue with the prospect of camping here.

3 miles out of town and the fencing ended. We left the road and found a lumpy patch by a sad looking creek.

Sexy hey!?

This sad patch produced some golden nuggets of joy in the form of a Bald Eagle (does that need capitals?) whom I named Sebastian. He watched us eat from a tree for a good while. And a Coyote which I’ve always wanted to see. Maps scared him out of a nearby hideaway when venturing out of a poop.

Good times.

19 miles on the day.

44: Del Norte

We lay in until 6:30 then packed up quick as today was town day.

It was 2.5 easy miles to the hostel in Del Norte.

We bypassed this to food. Picking up Pooch (Who’d already spent the night in town) en route.

Pretty much everything was wrong with our orders, comically so.

Apparently one piece of ham in my vegetarian breakfast is less bad than many pieces of ham.

Snakes got an extra pancake than she ordered and got called ‘dear’ by the server, neither of which she liked.

We’ll rest our weary stinky selves here and make a plan for either rerouting further or heading up high to Monarch Pass and re-joining the official CDT.

After a lot of loitering about we found lodging in an old café mid-refurbishment. This included a working washing machine.

I spoke to my mum, have you met my mum? She’s bloody great. Dad is off cycling somewhere, I didn’t speak to him but he’s great too.

We resupplied. Our resupplies are getting more and more ridiculous. I have a green pepper longer than my arms.

Then to the brewery for much needed calories.

We’ve decided to take the high route, as planning the logistics for it is way less complicated than planning around it.

Thunder is due for tomorrow and Pooch was sure his beer tasted like a double zero.

Love you guys.