Grinny thought he’d flag down the train to get to the Land of Enchantment. But he was facing the wrong way and the train never stopped .
So they had to walk .
… and travel by horse.
Finally, the last of the mountains. And there it was , THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT on the other side–(no wonder Grinny is smiling . . . )
WATCH OUT ROAD RUNNER: THE RACING RABBITS ARE COMING TO NEW MEXICO!!
The world would be a much drier place if it wasn’t for cows (at least for hikers). Thank you cows!
Collecting water in a cattle trough. After hiking almost 60 km without water, it was simply mooovelous!
Well we did it! Our final US state! I just can’t believe it – the end is in reach (sorta). New Mexico is still large (the 5th largest state) and we have 1000 kilometers to go. Nevertheless, it’s exciting times! Here are a few pictures of our last couple weeks:
Some snowshoeing in Southern Colorado. Blah!
Although this cabin had a rat feces problem, it was most welcome in the snow and cold.
The snow is getting high! Yikes!
I don’t even remember where this is…Colorado? Yes, lets say that.
Breakfast at camp.
We had a three day highway walk. Highway walking is the worst. Going to the bathroom is difficult as cars go by every 2 minutes and it’s dead flat. Practically no trees. What little water remains is heavily infested with cow, and camping is a problem. Everything is private property and since everyone is gun crazy, a farmer could shoot you for using a small rectangle of their land for our sleeping pads. The pavement is also very painful, I even tried walking with no shoes on, but that was much MUCH worse.
Having some roadside fun.
Passing a dispensary. Marijuana is legal in Colorado. This wooden shack was in the middle of no-where. One side was a cafe, the other sold pot.
Hitching from Cumbres Pass to Chama. It was in the back of this truck I realized that I haven’t been warm since the beginning of September. Brrrr!
The joys of meeting other long-distance hikers. We met “Kickapoo” in Winter Park, Colorado. She sent us a package of food to Chama, some dehydrated goodies with jokes (What do you call a pile of cats? A meowtain!)
Omg! Omg! New Mexico! Yay! Happy dance! Happy dance!
Selfie!
Brazos Ridge. Our first summit (86th total) in New Mexico.
Canada Creek (but pronounced in a spanish way…)!
We ran into hunters, who gave us left over turkey from US thanksgiving! I love hunters!
Oh solid ground – Thank goodness! Jake is so happy he is kissing the ATV tracks.
Entering New Mexican Enchantment. Stunning!
There are positive aspects about being the very very dead (very dead) last people on the trail – we get the left overs. Food from mail ahead packages of people who never showed up or quit the trail. Free grub! Yay!
I like New Mexico! So much colour!
The Rio Chama. This was the first decent river we had seen since Northern Wyoming. Oh boy!
The CDT in New Mexico. Good thing we have snowshoes, those sage bushes look daunting!
We left our home in the snow and it appears we have made a circle. We’re back in the snow. Spring came and left in a hurry, summer stayed longer than expected, fall lingered and we grew comfortable, until winter crashed the party and chased us for a few thousand kilometers until we tripped and stumbled. Alas! Winter eventually gets all of us. However, recently winter may have coughed and sneezed…Let us hope we don’t have too much more snow between now and Mexico.
We have been to so many places during the “off season”. Yellowstone was empty. The Winds of Wyoming vacant. The crowds of Colorado gone. It was mid-way through Colorado when we ran into our first hikers since the middle of Montana. Yes, you read that correctly. We walked 2000 kilometers before we saw other hikers. They emerged out of the mist and snow, like phantoms. We were eating lunch. I nearly dropped it in shock. Although they were just day hikers, to us they meant so much more. For once, there were other walkers. We weren’t alone.
As winter’s grip tightens – the lakes begin to freeze. And we enter every now and again a Winter Wonderland.
This adventure has had it all. We have never done anything like this before. Not even close. For both of us, it’s been a journey of firsts and trying new things (for better or worse). Here’s how:
Have you ever tried hitching from outside a prison? We have.
Trying to get a ride back to the trail from Canon City. It’s a town with 13 prisons. We just didn’t want to hike anymore to a more suiting place to get a ride, so to hell with it! We hitched right from the front. The weird thing is it only took 20 minutes to get a ride. I mean, who picks up bearded men from outside a prison?!
Have you ever walked for three days in a perfect straight line? We have.
We walked along a highway in Southern Colorado for three days. It was straight. Like really straight. Like wanna-bash-your-head-in-straight.
I call it the Oh-thank-godness-I-can’t-hold-it-any-longer bathroom tree. There was one every 40 kilometers. Just don’t eat any ‘funky’ food.
Stop the presses! Stop the presses! A turn! Get the camera!
Have you ever eaten a roadside banana? We have.
Walking up the road to Monarch Pass we spotted a freshly thrown, half eaten, ditch banana. Sadly, it was the first piece of fresh fruit in a week. This picture was taken soon afterwards. During a blizzard. Btw the banana was amazing!
Have you ever camped beside the only water source for miles in a desert only to find after making tea and dinner that the water is heavily alkaline and therefore poison (I guess that would explain why all surrounding vegetation was dead. Ops!). We have.
No water pictures from the red desert, so this picture from Glacier National Park will have to do. It has water, thus close enough.
Have you ever knitted yourself across a country? We have.
Knitting across the Red Desert. Made two hats in this section! Of course, might have knitted through a couple intersections. ..gotten lost or had to stop due to motion sickness. Oh dear.
Knitting in Central New Mexico.
Liam's Dad enjoying A Doorstep Adventure hat on a wintery day in Jasper
Have you ever crossed a river 205 times in December? We have.
We crossed the Gila River 205 times. As it got to -15 degrees at night, the water was the North Pole.
The canyon along the Gila was amazing! Wow!
Have you ever gone from snowshoeing along the mountain tops to passing cacti larger than yourself in one day? We have.
This doesn’t look like New Mexico to me…Where’s the margaritas?
It’s larger than one Liam!
And a Jake!
Have you ever slept under the stars across an entire US state? We have.
If the weather is good, we don’t use a tent. We made it across the state of Wyoming without using a tent. Pretty neat, eh? This picture is all the way back in Montana, going through the Pintler Wilderness.
Have you ever spent 4 months cooking over a fire? We have.
Boiling water for tea in Northern New Mexico.
Have you ever walked far enough to be the guy who heckles the I’m Goinna Be (500 miles) song by the Proclaimers (500 miles?! That’s it? And then maybe 500 more? That doesn’t even get you to Yellowstone! You call that love!? Whimp!). We have.
“But I would walk 500 miles.
And I would walk 500 more just to be the man who walked a thousand miles.
To fall down at your door …la la de da”
I think this is an appropriate song for most adventures. I would like to thank a Miss Allie Strel for introducing it to me all those years ago. Enjoy!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fmhzSx02AhA
Scarpa Ignites. Worn from Helena, Montana to Grand Lake, Colorado. Not bad, eh?
Colorado is a beautiful state, probably our favorite. However, it’s very mountainous. Some days we go up 7 000ft, and descend the same. We even went up a couple 14 000er’s. And my sister and bro-in-law came for a visit in Denver where we went on an eating and drinking binge. It was a splendid weekend!
Summit of Mount Massive at 14 521ft.
Oh the odd things people donate to us.
Our 200th day.
Summit of Massive.
It would appear that Old Man Winter has finally caught up to us.
Hitching to Denver.
Driving to Denver. Oh Dear Godness. I’m driving in a city of 3 million and I haven’t driven since August. Help!
My Sister and Brother-In-Law came for a visit.
We went to the Avery Brewery in Boulder. It was fantastic! And if you walk there from Canada, they shower you with free beer. Totally worth it!
They even gave us a beer that hadn’t been released yet called Tweak. It was almost 18% strong. Now that’s what I call an energy drink!
Afterwards we went to a meadery. Yum!
Going on a beer tour.
Sister and I heading to a brunch all-you-can-eat and drink buffet. How civilized!
And now we head back to the trail, hitching from Canon City. A town known for having 13 prisons. That can’t be good for hitch hiking. Oh dear. Really oh dear!
We haven’t stayed in a hut for 3300 km, aka since the Wapta Icefield. However, a few days ago we came across some backcountry club hut. It was cold. It was snowing. They had left the window unlatched. And when you have a see-through tent and a sleeping bag for only -7C, anything goes.
If only they had made the window slightly wider…
Two men reached the edge of the trees. The wind was a hurricane and mountain pines shook and thundered. The beards of the men were covered in frost as they went in and out of mist, kicking steps up the long long slope, muttering, “Only 1600 km to Mexico…only 1600 km..”
They paused and looked up at the lofty summit.
Gasp wheeze cough sputter. ..
…step step step…
Pause.
“Only 1599.9 km to Mexico…”
Last week we managed to slog up Mount Elbert – the Roof of the Rockies and the 2nd highest mountain in the Lower 48. The view was magical. Even though it’s huge, it’s not difficult. Just a matter of placing one foot in front of the other and carrying on.
The trailhead and the beginning of the never-ending-stairwell.
Stairway to heaven?
The top! Yay! Since people are always interested in ascent time, here’s ours: 201 days. And that doesn’t even include the return journey.
A DoorStep Adventure 