A new mapping project is being kicked off on June 1st to create a detailed GIS of the CDT and to gather data for accurate guide books and maps. If you are thru hiking this year, please e-mail me details of any and all places you get lost or confused. This information will be used to help document the trail and make improvements. My e-mail address is bearcreek@ wic.net.
Thanks - hope to see you on the trail.
bearcreek
The only places we got seriously confused in 2006 were where there were burns and lots of blowdowns covering the trail (i.e. in NM on Wagontongue Mtn. or in the Gila) and places where they were in the process of building new trail but left us high and dry when the new trail ended before connecting to the old route. GPS wouldn’t have helped there. It was a matter of picking our way through the fallen trees and looking for the path on the far side. We ended up following some elk - they knew the easy way through. The trail isn’t all that confusing any more, if you’re paying attention.
Ginny
The following was originally posted on the cdt-l mailing list, but didn’t receive any replies. (Observations current as of 11/2008):
CDTA NM Guidebook Segment 13: Lookout Mountain to NM 59. There appears to be new trail construction at both the beginning and end of this segment. At the southern end, just north of the FR 226A crossing, new trail heads straight (northwest), ignoring the old alignment that climbed east, heading up around the head of Stiver Canyon, now through a burn area. Where does the new trail go and does it connect yet with the rest of the trail corridor at some point? I’ve only hiked this section southbound since the new construction, and did not see any linkage between the old and new trail. The point of the new trail here appears to be the avoidance of a recent burn along the old trail. Anyone heading northbound from FR 226A would undoubtedly take the new trail, while those heading southbound in this section would undoubtedly miss it!
At the northern end of Section 13, new constructed trail continues all the way to NM 59 about a mile west of the Divide. This avoids the old alignment’s <mile dirt roadwalk to an at-Divide crossing of the highway. Apparently new trail will also be constructed at the start of Section 14, so that the trail crosses NM 59 west of the Divide, then turns east, north of the highway, and roughly parallels it until reaching the physical Divide. There it will rejoin the existing trail alignment northbound. As of fall '08, the new trail north of NM 59 was apparently incomplete and was not seen to connect with the old alignment. Wondering when this is anticipated to be completed?
blisterfree
Above should read ‘Observations current as of Nov 2008’
TJ really needs to reign in those pesky smilies.
blisterfree
Take three.
My original post was also cut off (apparently because of a ‘less than’ symbol that preceded the word ‘mile’, below)
At the northern end of Section 13, new constructed trail continues all the way to NM 59 about a mile west of the Divide. This avoids the old alignment’s (less than a) mile dirt roadwalk to an at-Divide crossing of the highway. Apparently new trail will also be constructed at the start of Section 14, so that the trail crosses NM 59 west of the Divide, then turns east, north of the highway, and roughly parallels it until reaching the physical Divide. There it will rejoin the existing trail alignment northbound. As of fall '08, the new trail north of NM 59 was apparently incomplete and was not seen to connect with the old alignment. Wondering when this is anticipated to be completed?
blisterfree