Monday, May 21
Today was an interesting day! I use several apps on my phone for trail navigation. They don't require cell service, but use the satellite based GPS (global positioning system) and a receiver in my iPhone to pin point my location on a map. (I pretend to understand how this all works, which makes me feel very smart.) For about three hours in the morning, I couldn't get any of these apps to "find" my location. In spite of this technological challenge, I followed the occasional CDT sign and used observable landmarks on my map to confirm my location and continued to make good progress.
The last time I talked to Eva was the day I left Grants, so as soon as I had cell service I was excited to call her. She didn't have much time to talk and she was having a challenging day. As our conversation ended I prayed for her and my heart was heavy as I continued hiking. I stopped early for lunch because a storm was moving in my direction and I wanted to eat before it started raining. It wasn't long after I began hiking again that the rain began.
I continued hiking through the rain and eventually reached a plateau with an amazing view where I decided to set up my tent during a break in the rain. I ate dinner in my tent as it poured outside and then came the wind. The gusts were so strong at times that I feared my tent would be destroyed. I made the difficult decision just 20 minutes before sunset to pack up and find a better campsite with shelter from the wind. If the wind and rain wasn't enough, my campsite had now turned to a giant mud puddle, which only made packing up more challenging. I hiked another mile or two to find shelter from the wind and set up camp for the second time that day. The nice thing about this new campsite, besides the lack of wind, was I had cell service and was able talk with Eva as I set my wet muddy tent for the second time today. Her day had improved and I slept better knowing she was OK and that I would see her soon.
Tuesday, May 22
I woke to clear skies and delayed my normal start time to allow the sun to dry out my tent a bit before I packed up. I found this section of the trail to be both the most interesting and challenging to date. Views from the mesas were breath taking as were the climbs to the tops. I had been warned by several hikers to watch for rattlesnakes in this area, but I didn't see any. Water was again a challenge, but was made easier by a family who maintains a water cache near a road crossing approximately 30 miles before Cuba.
When hiking on exposed ridge lines, the wind was very strong and at times it could be a challenge just to stand up. Check out this panorama video on the rim of a mesa.
Near the end of the day, I drank a liter and grabbed 3.5 liters of water at a spring 16 miles from Cuba. I hiked two miles from the spring before camping because a local rancher had complained about a hiker disturbing cattle in the area and I didn't want to create any more tension between the local ranchers and the hiking community. I found an area where I could camp close to the trail, but hidden in some trees, to be as inconspicuous as possible. It was a beautifully clear night and I looked forward to hiking into Cuba early tomorrow afternoon.
For additional content, check out Flickr for images, YouTube for video, SoundCloud for audio, and the Postholer Map with my most recent location.
Thanks for following along!
Comments
Denise Hughes