Day 42: Treasure Mountain Trail and porcupine hill to Wolf Creek Pass, ~11 miles, ~727 miles total From camp, we didn't have many miles to reach Wolf Creek Pass. With easy to scramble peaks nearby, we deemed it a good morning for some leisurely exploring. First stop, Treasure Mountain. Up trail through meadows and recently … Continue reading Mountain meals and perspective

Day 41: First Inn in Pagosa Springs to Treasure Mountain Trail and porcupine hill, ~21 miles, ~716 miles total Slept in til 7:00. Our bodies needed it. A little tired and foot sore from those road miles. But there would be fewer today. Instead of walking up Highway 160 to Wolf Creek Pass, we'd take … Continue reading Return to trail

Day 40: New Mexico-Colorado state line to First Inn, Pagosa Springs, CO, ~34 miles, ~695 miles total Dear Private Property Landowners, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Our trail was not certain to deliver us away from evil [avalanche conditions]. And so we followed a map that brought us … Continue reading We are but trespassing elk

Day 39: Cumbres Pass to New Mexico -Colorado state line near NM Hwy 29, ~21 miles, ~661 miles total Two days off has us itchy to start hiking. But where to? Some route that contributes to our effort to walk from Mexico to Canada, mostly along the CDT. This hike, a journey, is guided by … Continue reading Hardcore cuckoo

Day 38: Chama, NM, 0 miles, ~640 miles total Much of today we enjoy the comfort of our room at the Station Inn. Gabriel reads. I blog. We sit on the porch and watch the magpies walk about the lawn. They have a determined graceful stride. As they dip beaks into the grass, tail feathers … Continue reading Magpie watching

Day 37: Chama, NM, 0 miles, ~640 miles total Summer is indeed coming to the lowlands (7,800 feet). The lilacs are blooming, the trees are new spring green and the hummingbirds fly busily about. The tourist shops are readying to plant their flower beds for another season. You can smell freshly mowed lawns. I see … Continue reading Livin’ in Chama time

Day 36: meadow along Osier Fork Rio Brazos to Cumbres Pass, ~15 miles, ~640 miles total Camping in a meadow is lovely in the evening, but has morning repercussions. We woke to dew and frost and the realization that the sun wouldn't transform our side of the meadow from cold and damp to golden and … Continue reading Make our own way

Day 35: Hopewell Lake Campground to meadow along Osier Fork Rio Brazos, ~23 miles, ~625 miles total We woke around 6:00 am to sunshine filling our tent. Here's to the longer days of late spring. While packing up chipmunks scurry about, bolder than the chipmunks on trail they don't shy away when we near and … Continue reading Just a pleasant day

Day 34: spruce and fir forest between Mogote Peak and Banco Lona to Hopewell Lake Campground, ~25 miles, ~602 miles total Our camp amid the spruce and fir proved to be the nicest spot we could have hoped for last night. For the first hour of this morning found us walking through spring green aspen … Continue reading Taking alternates

Day 33: Ghost Ranch to the spruce and fir forest between Mogote Peak and Banco Lona, ~20 miles, ~557 miles total One more Ghost Ranch breakfast before returning to the trail. So much good food, it's hard not to be in zero day hiker mode and eat until we are full. Knowing there is climb … Continue reading Amid hail, lightning and mud