Finishing the CDT

imported
#1

Any advice on which terminus to complete the CDT at???

Lost

#2

For sobos Deming/Columbus will be much easier in terms of transportation home. I hiked nobo this spring from Crazy Cook via a paid ($90) shuttle by Sam Hughes of Hachita. No problem for me nobo, but don’t know how you’d contact him from the border if you hike Sobo. I suppose you could call him from Lordsburg, about 85 miles N of the border on the “official” route and arrange a rendezvous. I’m pretty sure the Antelope Wells terminus is no longer recommended due to issues concerning drug trafficking.

Handlebar

#3

I did the Antelope Wells road walk last October. A friend dropped me off there on the way to a rock climbing trip at Joshua Tree. He didn’t want to take a chance on the dirt road to Crazy Cook. The Antelope Wells route was okay, but it was a lot of pavement and I did about a 32 mile day the first day to camp near the road crossing with the official route. If you get stopped by a Border Patrol officer named Norma, tell her Gary said hello.

Thought Criminal

#4

If you prefer hiking trails to walking on roads and trespassing, I’d suggest calling Sam Hughs to set some water for you and to pick you up at Crazy Cook. There is a lot of new trail built between Silver City and Lordsburg in the Burro Mountains along the way.

grumpy

#5

My advice–go offical. The trail is a fun line of sight and has some pretty views.

I would call Sam from Lordsburg and give him an ETA which shouldn’t be a problem. Or you can hike to the finish, backtrack 10 miles to the paved road and hope that you can pull a hitch without border patrol arresting you.

David

#6

I’ll speak up on behalf of Columbus! A beer in Mexico would be a nice way to celebrate. (And the inexpensive and quick public shuttle back to Deming ain’t half bad either.)

Matt

#7

My sense has been that people recommend whichever they did, because they figure the other one couldn’t possibly have been better. The few people who’ve done both are kind of 50/50 on it. So, on that note, you can’t really go wrong.

Jonathan

#8

HEY LOST!
COME WITH US TO COLUMBUS!!
Seriously, we’re finishing on Dias De Los Muertos, how cool is that?
You know you want to.
Pie Town Sixty is on!

HEAPSnz

#9

I hear good things about Crazy Cook. New trail, wilderness, adventure, etc Join us Heaps!:boy

Found

#10

I made my own way on dirt/some paved roads & trails thru Silver City then south to Deming… ate at some roadside diners & camped at cool “city of rocks?” state park…
then bushwhacked south from D (on the west side of the Columbus road) using various dirt roads thru pumpkin fields then up into hills with a surprising abundance of ranch tank water, not to mention illegal migrant footprints & garbage; & it only got hard when I joined the CDTS route that crossed the highway to my side & I then had to just join the paved road the last few miles into Columbus… be aware: plentiful snakes which thankfully will rattle at you so you can give em a wide berth (unless of course they are not rattlers!)

gingerbreadman

#11 
  PS> There are alot of daytime tourists (retirees) going to the cheap MX dentists & also to the Pink Store which is more of a tourist restaurant straight down the main drag a few hundred meters south of the border...  you will pass a statue of the "hero" Pancho Villa" who was more of a terrorist whose men targeted civilians when they invaded Columbus before WWI.... but more of them were killed by US troops with machine guns on hilltops that you can now visit in the state park (reasonably priced camping with lukewarm showers where you can set up tent & run to the border & back)...if you stay at park, also check out the vehicles they have from the period that they are restoring).  From the Columbus convenience store/gas station, it is an easy hitch back to Deming!!!

gingerbreadman