DATE: September 9 to 12
START: Roadside ditch, not far from Rawlins
FINISH: Muddy Pass (thereabouts)
DISTANCE: 169 miles (272 km)
DAILY AVERAGE: 42.3 miles (68.1 km)
TOTAL DISTANCE: 1414 miles (2275.1 km)
The Beer Gods are Smiling: Maybe it’s my weather-beaten countenance….perhaps it’s the fact that I hail from a place known for its love of the amber fluid……..maybe I just look thirsty; whatever the case, it never ceases to amaze me how often I am offered beers whilst hiking in the middle of nowhere (see photo below).
Six Favourite Desert Hikes:
The first fifty miles out of Rawlins, were more or less a continuation of the same rolling sage brush landscape which preceded it. Easy walking, but by no means a trip highlight. That being said, it got me thinking about memorable desert hikes I have had the good fortune of doing over the years. For details and photos of the walks listed below, simply go to the Hikes section of the website and click on the journey in which you are interested:
– Gobi Desert, Mongolia (2009)
– Erg Chebbi, Morocco (2008)
– Larapinta Track, Australia (2010)
– Southwestern Horseshoe, USA (2012)
– Wadi Rum, Jordan (1996)
– St Paul’s to St Anthony’s, Egypt (1995)
Sorry, Great Divide Basin, but there was no place for you.
Rainy Days and Mondays: I think Monday, August 10, may have been the wettest hiking day in the past seven or eight months. From the time I awoke to the moment I set up my tarp in the evening, precipitation was my constant companion. Five songs about Mondays:
– I don’t like Monday’s (Boomtown Rats)
– Monday, Monday (Mamas and the Papas)
– (Monday I’ve got) Friday on my Mind (Easybeats)
– Stormy Monday (T Bone Walker……..this is my favourite)
– Rainy Days and Mondays (The Carpenters)
A Changing of Seasons: The first autumnal colors began to appear close to the Wyoming/Colorado border. They seem to have arrived a little earlier than usual, due to the dry conditions which have been predominant in this part of the country since last winter.
What’s in a Name?: Steamboat Springs – what a cool name for a town. Almost as good as Palookaville; and that’s saying a lot.
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Hi Cam,
Will try to post comments more often, so you feel it is worthwhile! Looks like some fairly easy walking, hope you knee is holding up.
Jan and Mike
Thank you kind lady and dear sir! The knee is a little better than what it was during the last 1500 miles of the PCT……..not having to wade through all that snow definitely helps!
Ooh a cold Heine.. What a treat. I love the pics, for such a blah section of trail, you have captured some amazing photo’s. The fall trees look amazing (early as they may be). Keep safe.
It was funny that it was a Heineken, as only ten minutes before I was passed by a long distance cyclist from the Netherlands. Go figure. Hopefully there are a couple of Belgian or Czech cyclists in my near future…….a Leffe or Pilsner would go down a treat in the middle of New Mexico!
Hey Cam, Beer Karma!! When I came to escort you to our B & B when the trail brought you to Glenwood, NM,
I remember suggesting a brew…you just looked thirsty!! Time for me to have a soak and a Tecate after a full day in the garden harvesting many veggies, but especially the green chili. Glad to see your hike on the CDT.
Deb (Dan is still working in AZ)
Hi Deb
Great to hear from you. An ice cold Tecate and a soak in the hot tub sounds pretty good right now! Your B & B was my favourite stay on the entire 1800 mile Southwest Horseshoe…….still remember the fruit smoothie and of course the Egyptian cotton bathrobe!
All the best,
Cam