WalkingCarrot

We’re in Grants NM; generally, our halfway mark, about one month and almost 400 miles done and about the same to go this year.  June sure went by fast.

Since leaving Reserve, for the last week we have been mostly hiking on roads, some asphalt, some gravel, some dirt, some slippery clay, but all were made for other purposes.

Water - either not enough, or too much, has been a constant concern. It has been a long dry sections of “trail” where there is no natural water.  We’ve had to rely mainly on stock tanks fed by windmills and have had to deal with the uncertainty of their availability by carrying 2 …

The hike up lush, green Bonita Canyon was pleasant under clear morning skies, bur our minds were busy thinking of the getting to Grants for cheeseburgers. It’s “Going to Grants” day and food is what occupies the mind with each footfall.

Each step is one step closer to burgers, fries, salad, soda, beer and maybe ice cream. It’s not that we don’t eat on the trail, but granola, peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit and pasta get a bit old after a few weeks.

At the head of Bonita Canyon the road skirts lava fields and turns down Zuni Canyon towards Grants. Zuni Canyon is narrower and lined with cliffs. …

After a couple miles of road walking we came to the trail head for the Acoma/Zuni trail. We followed this trail across the “El Malpais” (”badlands”) lava fields located in the National Monument of the same name.

The landscape is twisted and tortured. Young lava, laid down maybe no more than a few thousand years ago, the formations are rough edged and not yet eroded. The Acoma and Zuni pueblo people used routes that were probably established by their ancestors. Some rock cairns are thought to be a thousand years old; built, no doubt, by some sadistic chieftain who must have sent his people across it for punishment.

Crossing “El Malpais” …

Storm clouds were already swirling around as we packed up camp and headed up the canyon. Ponderosa pines began to appear again as we got higher in the canyon.

At Armijo Springs (bone dry) an abandoned ranch house still stands. Made of Adobe brick, a wood addition and pressed tin, it looks like a storied history of more than one use.

We crossed over a low divide into Sand Canyon and onto a better jeep road. Cows and occasional rabbit were all the wildlife these canyons seem to hold.

Midway down Sand Canyon we took a lunch break and I went for water, a half mile walk down a side road to …

North from Pie Town, the trail follows roads for the first 28 miles. We’ve been walking York Ranch Road most of the way. It’s a quiet road, and well maintained, nice packed dirt and gravel. But it is a road. The landscape’s mostly flat and the direction varies only slightly. In short, it’s just a dry, mind numbing slog, with cows.

We stopped for a late morning break at the Thomas ranch, a hiker-friendly place with a sign directing CDT hikers to a water hose. We drink up and fill up and get back on the road tanked up again with 2 gallons each of water.

The feet take a toll, with …