Start: 82.6
Stop: 78.6
Today’s Miles: 4
Total CDT miles: 4
Helllooooooo everybody!
Long time, no update.. but.. Guess what? I started the Continental Divide Trail today!! I know I’ve been horrible at updating this, but, life has been a whirlwind.. so, I guess I’m picking up right here!
I ran the Boston Marathon on April 21st, for the Cam Neely Foundation-in honor of my friend Nancy, who we lost to pancreatic cancer in 2019. I was able to raise over $17,000 for the foundation, and I can honestly say, there is nothing I’ve done that has ever felt as rewarding as raising that much money and then crossing the finish line on Boylston Street, all while feeling Nancy’s love, and the love of all of my family and friends during every step.
From Boston, mom and I went to London, and on April 27th, I ran that marathon, too! Wild ride, for sure, and I’m praying all of that marathon training is going to help with this hike. I was only back stateside for 3 days before leaving today to fly to Tucson, Arizona. I’m already missing family and friends so much, normally before these huge hikes I have time to catch up and say my farewells, but this one was so rushed, it’s kind of surreal that I’m even sitting here in a tent typing this.
I was woken up by my mom this morning at 6 something, for her to hug and kiss me bye before she left for work. She has a key to my house and lives right down the street, and I’m so so happy she popped by to do that! Then, my aunt Kathy called at 7 on her way to work to tell me bye too! I’m not sure how I got so lucky.
My uncle Keith picked me up at 7:30 and took me by my favorite biscuit place for breakfast and then on to the airport, to fly into Tucson, Arizona. I am so grateful to have gotten that time with him, to chit chat and catch up before having to dart off again. I really do wonder why I do this to myself sometimes. Like, I could be home with all the folks I love and not off exploring the world for long periods of time. How can your heart always want to be in two separate places?
Anywho, when I landed in Tucson, I found Marquis, AKA Pebbles, at baggage claim! He’s been planning this hike with me and keeping me somewhat organized during all my chaos prior to the hike. We plan to hike the CDT together, since we both hate snakes (mostly rattlesnakes in New Mexico, but pretty much all over), I’m scared of the grizzly bears in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.. and he’s leery of the lightening storms on exposed ridge lines known to pop up in Colorado.. soooo, basically the whole trail!
I think I found a lot of relief going into this one, knowing I wouldn’t be doing it alone and completely on my own. It’s exciting to have a friendship like ours and know that we’ll probably be just fine hiking day in and day out together, since we did it for a good half of the PCT. This hike will be anywhere from 2,700-3,100 miles, so slightly longer than the PCT.. but it’s a trail that has many alternates connecting to it, many with better views, so the mileage all depends on which way you decide to walk. It’ll be interesting to see the total!
The CDT goes from New Mexico at the Mexican border up through Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and ending in Glacier National Park in Montana at the Canadian border. Marquis and I plan to go northbound the entire way, except for the first 82 miles. There’s not much at the Mexican border, and it’s a 3 hour-one way trip from the city of Lordsburg, New Mexico. There’s a shuttle a service that takes 6 hikers from Lordsburg to the border every day to start their northbound hike. They pick you up at 6am and drop you off at 9:30am.
The day we wanted to start was full, so we decided to hike from Lordsburg to the border and then take the shuttle back to Lordsburg at 9:30am since they’ll be there regardless dropping off hikers. We still had to pay for the shuttle ahead of time, as they also provide water caches at 5 different spots along that section of otherwise dry, desert land. So, it’s definitely worth every penny!
Anyway, my phenomenal friend, Ashley, picked us up from the airport, gave us a mini tour of Tucson (REI and an awesome Mexican restaurant for lunch), and then drove us the 2+ hours to Lordsburg. She’s a saint for doing this for us, to keep us from getting there at midnight on a bus, especially since she JUST moved to Tucson 3 weeks ago!! She’s just now settling into her new home and routine, then I pop up needing a ride to the next state! Thankfully, the desert views are gorgeous and she seemed just as exited as we were for them.
Ashley got us to the EconoLodge just after 6pm, where their staff graciously allowed us to leave our next resupply box. Then, we drove down about a mile to Veteran’s Park to snap some starting pictures and head on our way to the beginning of our CDT journey. We only went in about 4 miles on the trail, as the sun was starting to set. The views were gorgeous desert sand, with mountains all around in the distance and cacti of varying varieties all over. We also passed some cows at a trough that didn’t look too thrilled to see us. They were cute though!
Setting up my tent took a little longer than normal, and my pack isn’t packed just right yet-always a few growing pains at the beginning-remembering what works and what doesn’t, what goes where.. bla bla. I’ll get the hang of it again soon enough!
It’s pretty chilly, somewhere in the 40s, and the moon is shining bright. My sleeping quilt is cozy as can be, so I’m thinking it’s time to turn in. Ps: I’m having some issues with my WordPress app-so, things may come very sporadically and very late. Sorry about that!
Good night everyone.
You are a truly incredible human being. Happy, safe and healthy hiking prayers for you! ❤️🙏