5/27 In the morning we still had plenty of water, so we climbed out the side of Indios canyon via a series of ramps above our campsite, and rejoined the CDT cross country. After we passed the main turn off to the spring, a curious pattern emerged on the trail: paw prints. Bear prints. Fresher …
5/26 Beautiful sunset, beautiful sunrise. New Mexico’s puttin’ a little effort into the wooing now. Thick clouds kept the morning cool for hours, and I listened to the cottony hum of non-thought as I watched the forest turn into a perfect tree bouquet. Gambel oak clusters, ponderosa pines, some kind of smaller pine that I …
5/25 Our camp in the pines was perfect. Nowhere near 22 degrees, another rumor that had been flying around town when we left. We drank coffee and ate some bars, but saved our true breakfast, tofu scramble burritos, to cook at the summit of Mt Taylor, one of the Navajo Nation’s four corners of their …
5/24 I have no idea why I lay awake half of last night, from 2:30 on. I kept assuming if I waited it out I’d eventually doze, but I guess I should have gotten up and been productive. Luckily Murphy knew how to work the giant old percolator that lived on the stove, and he …
5/23 The sunrise was bottled at the end of the canyon facing town, and as we headed that way the sandstone blocks of the top layer dropped lower and lower. Soon we were out of the canyon into the bleak and desolate fringes of Grants, interstate 40 screaming close by. Many houses, or permanent trailers, …
5/22 The ground was surprisingly comfortable, the lumps somehow lining up in spots that worked. In the morning the sleeping bag was sopping on top, condensation from the unusual humidity. The coffee tasted extra good. The lava rubble was tough to warm up the muscles, dictating slow deliberate steps as I loosened up. Not many …
5/21 The morning arrived clouded and cool, thank goodness, after the cooker which was yesterday. My brain was slow to unfog this morning, the thick, dark, sky drowse-inducing, as we dutifully followed cairns through slash piles for fire management. A gash opened in the ground, and Prana stuck his head and lamp down in. “Stalactites!” …
5/20 The alarm beeped - time to return to the routine. Well, almost. My brother made a giant bowl of maple syrup flax milk latte, then cooked up pan after cast iron pan of French toast. It may have been the best I’d ever had, neck and neck with my mom’s. “Of course the French …
5/19 We stumbled out of bed this morning. I slept like garbage - wind too noisy, temp too warm, to bed too late, too much beer, dehydrated. Oh my god. Mistakes. Pie for breakfast and a big pot of coffee helped immensely, and then we hit the road. A few miles along, 3 dark shapes …
5/18 Time for road walkin’. We packed two days of food in our pack, a little water, ate pie for breakfast, agreed on the night’s meeting spot, then departed the van site. 35 miles of road faced us before we would set foot on trail again; unfortunate, but luckily it was mostly dirt. Crusoe would …
Continue reading Day 31: The Secret to Life is Lard…and Friends…and Mallort?
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