CDT in NM - Continental Divide Trail

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#1

I hope to hike a good chunk of NM at some point next season and have trawled the interweb for info. I’ve realized that what i really need to do is actually speak to, or play email tag with ex CDT thru or section hikers. I intend to begin near Silver City and hike north into Colorado for a little while. I’ll stick to a few main concerns i have at this point in planning. Here they are: Water - I know its pretty darn dry out there, any special water planning/cache advice would be helpful. Trail Route - I’ve read threads on updates, map sources, guide recommendations, and alternate routes. I’m kind of interested in the whole public/private land thing. I don’t like going around pissing off landowners. Whats the deal with that in NM? Clothing - I’m looking at going in the spring so what kind of clothing should i be shooting for? What kind of sleeping bag worked best for you? Shelter - I lost my tent and hammock so i guess i’m back to square one. I assume that tree’s are no to common until you get further north into the state so a hammock might be dumb. What did you carry?
Advice - Is there anyone who you think would be an awesome person to contact directly for advice about this section?

I’d also love to hear what people thought about the trail in general (in NM). Was there anything you wish you’d planned better for, anything you’d do differently? You can email me direct through here i believe, if you dont want to reply to the thread.

Anyway, thanks enormously if you do respond. I’d like to learn as much as i can before heading out.

Cheers aka Ross. AT sections 01/04 JMT02 PCT sections 02

Cheers

#2

Just a few random notes… Don’t worry too much about the private property thing. If you stick to established routes, you should be OK.

Weather can be quite variable in NM in the spring… everything from snow to hot to sandstorms. It’s really hard to generalize.

You’re right - a hammock isn’t going to work anyway. Even north into Colorado, you’re often above tree line… or the trees are very scrawny. A hammock won’t work well for the bulk of the CDT actually. Most people use very small/light tents or tarps.

Some people find NM “boring”, but I didn’t. It’s all about wide open spaces, solitude and tranquility. The people are nice, the weather relatively mild… and water is only an issue if you don’t plan well.

Good luck!

Jonathan

#3

Cheers - In answer to some of your questions, here are my thoughts.

If a sign says “no trespassing”, I want to honor it. That being said though, there are stretches of trail in NM (more so south of Silver City than north) where stealth camping and cow tank poaching is a practical necessity, at least along the Wolf route. Farmers are few and far in between in the deserted country, so you won’t likely have any confrontation. But that still doesn’t make it right. If you’re willing to accept the practice as a necessary evil, just be sure and lessen your impact. Take only what you need. Be quick about it. And leave no trace.

In May in NM, it was hot during the day. So, shorts and a long-sleeve ventilated shirt (for sun protection) worked well. Spring in the highcountry of Colorado is a different matter. If the snow allows passage, it can be cold. Be prepared to throw on your rain pants, rain jacket, a hat, and gloves when the wind starts whipping up or a snow storm blows in on the ridgelines.

A 20-degree bag served me well across the southwest. You can open it up like a comforter in NM and cinch it down tight for warmth in Colorado.

My favorite shelter is the Shires tarptent. Small footprint, light, compact to pack, and airy. You won’t have many problems with bugs or heavy precip in the springtime, so whatever you carry, keep it simple and light. Hammocks will present a daily challenge given the sparcity of trees. A tarp is a much more practical choice.

As for NM, I’ve loathed the hot, dusty, and dry landscape during past trips, but grew to love it on the CDT. It’s a different experience, but nonetheless beautiful. Keep a present mind and I think you’ll soon agree.

Happy Trails!

Matt

#4

Those who are bored with NM are usually the folks who get in a hurry and roadwalk the state instead of following the trail(s). The wilderness areas are beautiful, much better than following pavement. Jim Wolf’s route is a good one. I also liked the new (2006) official route in the Bootheel.

We never needed a water cache on either of our thruhikes, but water is always uncertain. The guidebooks and Jonathan’s maps show where water may be located, but each year is slightly different. If there is a drought, many of the water sources may be turned off, since they are there primarily for the cattle. Or you may find a solar well where none was previously listed. There are a lot of good people in NM who may be able to help with water if you do find a dry source and aren’t prepared for it. We generally carried enough water to get not to the next source, but the one after. There was always at least one source a day, if that helps.

On a northbound hike, a 20 degree bag is fine, though it can get cold in the mountains. In 2006 some of the northbound hikers hit snow entering the Gila in late April. Hiking in spring is always iffy. Definitely expect cold and snow in southern Colorado if you are there before July.

Ginny

#5

I bought a book called “New Mexico’s CDT”. It says it’s the “official” guide by the CDTA. It seem’s pretty informative and says it follows the true route, what ever that is. I would definitely like to avoid road walking if possible, although i know its unavoidable in some sections. Has anyone else seen this book? I hear that Jim Wolfs book is good (by Ginny and others) but i’ve also heard that his is hard to follow if you’re going northbound. How do the two compare? Thanks to Jonathan Ley i’ll be receiving the 2009 map CD for winter planning, and the 2010 when it’s completed. How do his maps compare and where does he reference his route, apart from having hiked it himself obviously? Lastly, i see that Yogi has a CDT town guide, anyone used this before?

Sorry, lots of questions, but all valid i think.

Thanks
Cheers

Cheers

#6

Before our second thruhike, I bought the Westcliffe book, just to check it out. We didn’t use it on our hike. Since it was written there have been several major relocations (i.e. the section from the border to Silver City is mostly a roadwalk in the book but trail has been marked since that changes the route quite a bit). Worse is that it is difficult to figure out exactly where the water sources are located within a large section. (I tried to create a ‘data book’ type graph and found that the numbers just didn’t add up.) I’ve been told that some of the mileage is off by as much as 10 miles, if you can figure out the mileage at all. The Westcliffe route has some very long roadwalks and some ridiculously long waterless stretches (i.e. the Malpais area between Pie Town and Grants.) Jim Wolf’s route has more water and is generally more interesting. The official route through the Gila has a very long stretch without water and between resupply points and it avoids both the ancient cliff dwellings and the river walk - which may be good if you are walking in the fall and it’s cold, but in spring the lush beauty was one of the highlights of our hike.

Ginny

#7

I followed Wolf’s route north through NM. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of translating southbound directions into northboundese. Don’t let it concern you.

I also used Yogi’s town guide. I understand she is updating it this winter. So you may want to wait for the new edition. But overall, worth the cost. It makes life alot easier once you get into town and need to get off your feet asap.

Matt

#8

I just finished the CDT except for 300 miles in Montana after I broke my foot. You may not like this, but this is what I have to say.

  1. New Mexico sucks.
  2. The CDTA book is absolutely worthless. The route is unmarked for most of the state. Yogi said it might get you killed and I agree.
  3. If you follow the official route you will probably have a confrontation with a landowner. The Ley route does bushwhack across private property in several places. I had a shotgun stuck in my face and I was on a dirt road on the official route. Read of Ellie’s experiences on the trail in northern New Mexico with a landowner. It is on Postholer. New Mexico is ugly in the southern part. The water is few and far between. The water sources in the guides and maps were half good and half non-existent.

Several others had confrontations also.
4. The route from Silver City is o.k. If you do the border BLM says the route is marked with posts. This is true about half of the time from Crazy Cook. The posts are down for the other half. The route from Lordsburg leads you out by three posts about a mile than walla no more posts the rest of the way to Silver City. The Gila is great. It is the only nice part of Southern New Mexico.
5. Read my journal, I tell it like it is. If you need a second opinion or third try to get hold of Special K and J.B. They concur.
6. I found it difficult to read Wolfe’s books backwards. I guess others got used to it but I never did.
7. Carry lots of water, you never know for sure when you will find it again.
8. I strongly suggest following the Columbus route if you decide to start from the border. The Crazy cook and Antelope wells routes are very hard to get to, and very poorly marked. I heard good things about the Columbus route.
9. Write me directly if you want more information.
Robocop

Robocop

#9

I had only a couple of encounters with ranchers, and they were very good. One turned into a party complete with cold Buds. But I was often nervous about all the trespassing. I thought that the trail emblem for NM should be a barbed wire fence with a “No Tresassing” sign on it. I got the idea that if you ask permission wherever possible (even if you’re already walking on the land), and do no damage at fences, wells and tanks, there should be no problem for you or those that follow. I followed Wolf’s route SOBO most of the way, which probably helped a lot.

Ditto to what others said about gear and water.

Garlic

#10

I want to hike from the border through New Mexico for 3 weeks. Could I leave at the end of March? Snapshot

susie burns