Day 9. Finishing the Pacific Crest Trail

7/17/23 Day 9
Hopkins Lake to Canada (and back to Hopkins Lake)

Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail

Jan and I made it to Canada today. As of today, I have hiked the entire PCT, some of it multiple times because of all my out-and-backs.

Me at the border monument. PCO Jan

The rain starts and is on again off again all morning. The scenery is mostly for forest with views through the trees and sweet, kind PCT-grade trail. It's good terrain for rain.

Umbrella time!

The monument itself is sort of like I'd expect from seeing other peoples' photos. But it also feels surreal like being on a movie set or peaking behind the scenes of a famous place. I know there will be the cut of trees, because that's the classic backdrop I've seen in other peoples' finishing photos. But I didn't expect the flowers or the rooty bare ground that so many have sat upon.

Jan and Joan.

When we arrive at the border monument, there is already a couple from Maryland (snow-bos) who we’ve been leapfrogging with there. We chat with them and we do a photo shoot.

Jan asks me how I’m feeling but I’m feeling so much it's hard to explain! First, I'm happy. I mean, I did it! But there is also a feeling of disbelief. I've still been thinking it might not happen. I also feel some sadness at finishing. I love the PCT so much and its a part of this chapter of my life. And now I wonder how I'm going to find something as good. Certainly no trail can possibly be as kind, reliable, joyful, and gentle as the PCT!

There is also freedom in knowing this chapter is over. I know that no other trail will be like this trail has been for me … because it has been a constant for the past 10 summers. While I’ve done section hikes 5 of those summers, not being on the PCT for the other 5 summers was still full of anticipating and knowing I’d return. Now that this is over, anything is possible.

I am also overwhelmed with gratitude for the many people that have helped me and showed incredible kindness, and especially for the wisdom imparted along the way.

Holding my PCT Class of 2014 bandana.

I think about how back in April 2014 when I started, I hadn't even met Jan! And how we met in 2014 during my stress fracture and how we ended up being bestie hiking buddies. And now we’ve hiked so many miles together and been through so much.

Look at this! Jan surprises me with a tasty treat! WOW!

I send an inreach message to my parents. They've been incredibly supportive my whole life and I feel so lucky to have them close to me! I also inreach Mags who truly understand how to integrate hiking and life.

A lot of people that have been important for my PCT hike, I've lost touch with over the years. But I send out my thoughts to them. I think about those I've hiked many PCT miles with- Susan, MeToo, Arizona, and Coach. I think of Renee who helped me get started with long-distance hiking, and with whom offered much support and PCT smiles. I think of Steph who helped me transform my stress fracture into a success and got me back out to the trail and saw me through such a dark time. I think of Still Waters who always believed in me. (Still Waters- if you ever read this, I want you to know that I carried your note the whole way and read it countless times and it gave me strength and wisdom to get me through so much. Thank you for everything, Still Waters.)

I am also grateful to my right foot especially for healing after the stress fracture, for turning my thru hike into a section hike, which has given me almost a decade of the PCT woven into my life.

One the return trip, Jan and I have fun chatting. I return to inaturalizing and finally seeing the pika that we've been hearing out frolicing.

That's me frolicing too. PCO Jan

Evening winds increase and I have bad memories too of many horribly windy PCT nights. So we climb away from the lake and amazingly there is less wind here and I am pitched between trees that are at the absolute limit of the length of my tarp. The temperature is dropping fast but so far I am cozy and Jan found a good spot close by so yay what a day!

Hardly any wind up here away from the lake.

As I fall asleep, I have more thoughts about finishing. Before I started the PCT, I remember spending so much time planning for the PCT and wondering how it would change me and wondering what I'd learn. Now I know that I can absolutely do and finish anything. I am persistant. And I can find all the joy in doing it too. I am also grateful that my PCT experience has been my own. That it was on my own timeframe. That I hiked my own direction. That I hiked my own way.

Day 7. Harts Pass to Holman Pass

7/15/23

Harts Pass to Holman Pass

Pacific Crest Trail in Washington state

Good thing I had that nap on our zero day! Last night was loud in the campground until hiker-2AM (ie 11 PM). Folks were driving in after dark, making stinky campfires (ugh I hate campfires because they burn my throat and make my eyes red and puffy), and talking late into the night. Really, nothing more than you’d expect at a campground. Only Jan and I are on hiker time- meaning waking at dawn (5:30) and going to sleep at dusk (or earlier!).

Today our packs were heavy with 5 days of food but I felt so refreshed after a full zero day and was full of energy. And ready to see what this last section of my PCT hike has in store!

Filling out our self-issued wilderness permit

We could see many of the peaks we’d identified on yesterday's visit to Slate Peak lookout. And we could see the lookout tower several times as we wound around on PCT-grade trails below.

We set up camp at a large campsite where we figured other hikers would join us but couldn’t find a smaller site. And sure enough three people are set up nearby. Hopefully they wont stay up too late!

Day 4. Butterflies and blowdowns

 Day 4 7/12/23
Butterflies and blowdowns

This has been the day that Jan has been dreading. It's blowdown hell! And she knew this was coming because we've already gone over them once. But that's the thing about and out and back, sometimes the dread of knowing what's to come can be worse than not knowing. So we go back over the blowdowns and I do my best to distract myself with butterflies. My legs are much longer than Jan's so my experience of the blowdowns is so different. But on the other hand, I absolutely hate steep dropoffs, while Jan moves with ease past cliffs that make my head spin. We make a good team.

Long trips give you time for your mind to wander. I have been noticing how memories of previous PCT experiences are coming back. It makes me feel grateful for all the twists and turns in my life. And how things worked out not how I expected but in ways that gave me more than I expected.

Unlike the crowded feeling of the trail yesterday afternoon, there are a reasonable number of hikers and most are either courteous or even friendly so it all feels OK again.

We meet a group of Australian hikers who have flipped up to Washington who were on the shuttle with me to Mazama. It’s great seeing them again! They share the story of how when they got a ride up from Mazama to the PCT at Harts Pass, how they’d been confused and asked where the monument was and were surprised to find it was 30 miles away! They thought they'd be dropped off at the border! They scrambled to get enough food that they hadn’t anticipated! I’m glad they were fast hikers and could make it work.

The climb is gradual and not as bad as I expected. I am constantly amazed how gentle PCT grade is- how can the trail be this kind and easy?! How can I forget this fact? It is such a contrast to how hiking is for me back in Utah. My body feels so good- I keep thinking I should be feeling pains and my knee should be hurting but it isn’t.

Unlike when we did this section three days ago, this time the butterflies are out so I dart about taking their photos and inaturalize everything. 

PCO Jan

The, the clouds are swirling and part enough to reveal the stunning peaks and we take a rest break on a ridge and watch the clouds gliding across the peaks and it is better than any TV. 

When Jan and I round the corner to camp the wind hits us. After setting up early, I start to worry about the flapping of my tarp in the strong gusts. While Jan rests, I wander around and looked for less windy site, feeling annoyed that I can't find anything better. As I adjust my tarp to get tight pitch, Jan tells me to be patient and that the wind will die down. I remain doubtful but then, sure enough, the wind was calm all night and I wish I had just trusted Jan.

I fall asleep early and it is wonderfully restful and restorative hammock sleep that is only broken up by a trip to pee where the stars are twinkling and everything is quiet. The best kind of night.

 I didn't know if I would keep up a journal during this section or not. For my 2021 hike, I didn't write anything. But for this trip, it just feels right to put down a few thoughts every night.

Day 3. Out and back day

 Day 3 7/11/23
Out and back day
16 miles including a side trip to Snowy Lakes

Today was an out-and-back day. We packed up everything we'd need for the day and then carefully stashed some of our gear that we wouldn't need until night. I felt like I was floating down the trail!

The hike to Granite Pass was shrouded in fog. I loved the smell of the cold icy day. Clouds swirled and just tiny glimpses of peaks revealed themselves. We wondered what they would look like on a clear day.

As we celebrated getting to our previous turnaround spot where we'd been in 2016, blue sky swirled above and a ray of sunshine peaked through. We'd have very different views on the return trip-- it totally cleared up. And we'd have perfect swimming weather!

Snowy Lakes were a steep mile or so off the trail, so most PCT hikers don't visit them. But Jan and I make lakes one of our priorties. We timed it perfectly for the warmest part of the day. The dip was quick but we lingered on the rocky banks, soaking in the beauty.

On the last few miles of trail before we got to camp, we started seeing more and more people heading in the opposite direction. Some of them were pretty rude, not getting off the trail, barely acknowleding us. What was going on?!?

We'd only seen one person our second day and no one the first day except in camp. Most of the third day was quiet... until this huge clump started coming and it felt totally overwhelming. I started doubting my whole trip and spiraled into thinking that the rest of the trip would juat be one big crowded mess, unable to find campsite or peace and quiet. Finally, I asked one of the hikers why there were so many people and he explained that we’d just passed by a tramily of 10 that had been hiking together a long time and flipped up together and that explained it!

After picking up our gear, we hiked a few more miles before finding a quiet spot in sweet deep forest. I love spots like this because they give me the best sleep, though I know they are a comprimise for Jan since she loves views. We will have to find her a good view spot at some point.

Day 36. Last day on the PCT this year

Day 36. Last day on the PCT this year
Wasco Lake Junction 2011 to Santiam Pass 2001
8/14/2019
10 miles

I’m going to miss this— waking up and getting to hike everyday, all day. The difference this year is that I’m not dreading getting off the trail. I have a life I’m really looking forward to going back to. I have a job where I get paid to hike! Of course it’s hiking with kids so it’s not all day long hikes like this. But nevertheless, I do love it. I’ve been thinking a lot about my students. How much have they grown up over the summer?

 I also love our home in Moab Utah. Surrounded by all sorts of public lands. Not just my park, but the forest service and BLM lands full of obscure and lonely places. More places to explore than I ever could in a lifetime. It doesn’t quite feel like home as deeply as Oregon does, but it is a good place to call home for now. And I miss Mags.

The return hike holds more surprises. I can finally see the top of Three Fingered Jack, which was shrouded in clouds and rain a few days ago. I spot a cluster of mountain goats on a far slope. I don’t know if I should be delighted or angry when I see them. If I were back in northwestern Montana, of course I’d be thrilled since they are native and part of a healthy ecosystem there. But in southeastern Utah, there is increasing evidence that the mountain goats (that were introduced in areas that they are NOT native for the purpose of trophy hunting) are harming native plants and damaging fragile alpine areas. So I do some quick google searches to see if I should be happy or sad to see these goats here in this habitat. It turns out that these goats are native and were reintroduced recently. Nice!

I get to last viewpoint. I can see all the way to the Three Sisters! I start to cry thinking of what an incredible hike this has been. Each day has been infused with joy and I’ve excelled in doing this hike my own way. So much swimming in lakes, visiting friends and family, going to Ranger Programs and learning natural history, chasing butterflies, iNaturalizing (over 94 species!), a bonus side trip to climb South Sister, and topping it all off with this out-and-back to give me well over 60 total “bonus” miles for this trip.

I’d intended to hike 540 miles but I ended up doing over 600 miles to cover basically the same distance on the PCT. That makes me happy and really reflects my hiking style.

My sister and her husband pick me up from Santiam Pass. We head over to a favorite childhood spot-- Belknap Hot Springs. Many family vacations were spent soaking in these hot springs after our "big" hikes. This is where I first learned how to section hike-- on the McKenzie River Trail. Though back then it was 3 mile and 5 mile sections at a time. But we would piece them together to eventually complete the entire 26 mile trail. Definitely a fitting place to end this trip!

Day 7. Marble Mountain Wilderness

Day 7. Marble Mountain Wilderness
Etna (1599.7) to Shadow Lake (1620.8)
21.1 miles

My legs have extra energy after the zero in Etna. Or maybe it's because now I'm carrying a reasonable amount of food so my pack is light.

Waiting for a ride back to the PCT.

There is incredibly dramatic scenery as I enter the Marble Mountain Wilderness. All day I gawk and stare in amazement at the incredible rocks. And discover why they call these mountains "marble."

This is my friend Jan's home turf and she told me not to miss Shadow Lake. It's a steep climb down to the lake so I'm not surprised there are no PCT hikers down there when I arrive. I plan my day so I arrive with plenty of time to swim and camp there.

Unfortunately, the evening wind picks up. It's in the middle of a burn area and the only suitable trees for my hammock are a bit of a brushy scramble. Nighttime creatures wander about as I am trying to fall asleep. Eventually, my yelling at them to go away works and it is finally peaceful..

Too tired to wait for sunset. This is when I go to bed.

Day 1. Starting from Castle Craigs

Day 1. Pacific Crest Trail Section Hike

7/10/2019

Mile 1501 (I-5 Castle Craigs/ Dunsmuir) to 1523.5 (Helen Lake)

22.5 miles

Mags drops me off at the Castle Craigs trailhead to start my 500+ mile section hike after cooking up a huge breakfast in the motel parking lot. What a send-off!

Scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast!

I’m going north from where I left off in 2014. I’m hoping to connect up to where I ended my 2016 section hike in northern Oregon (near Ollalie Lake). If I make it, I will only have a little over 200 miles left in Washington to complete the PCT.

But really all I care about is the journey, not how far I get.

The first backpacker I meet asks, "Are you a PCT hiker?” 

“Ummm,” I stammer. 

The shock of being out here after so long away hits me. I just started hiking two hours ago. Am I really a PCT hiker again? 

The other backpacker has questions about the Guthooks app. So I am happy to help. Simple, practical questions. Being able to answer them reminds me that I know what I'm doing.

Because I’ve spent the last few years in Utah, at my first break I automatically go to shake the sand out of my shoes. But there is no sand! I am also not used to the fact that the PCT is wide and smooth. There is no time that I have to stash my poles in my pack to use my hands to scramble over rocks like I have to in Utah. The PCT is the complete opposite of our mostly off-trail Utah scrambles.

Loving these views!

The trees are so tall! The air smells sweet with blossoms. Mount Shasta is amazingly massive even in the distance. I glide along beneath the towering Castle Craig rock formations.

Castle Craigs

I am in heaven! 

At a stream, I am shocked and delighted to find pitcher plants (Darlingtonia californica), which are carnivorous plants native to California and Oregon. In my botanical excitement, I forget to collect water and end up passing by the last water source in a long stretch. And therefore have to hike further than I’d liked before I camp. I’d intended to ease into the trip with lower miles. Oh well!

What a beautiful first day! It feels good to be back.

Bonus Miles on the Arizona Trail

4 AM. The sound of screaming. Or is it barking? Is it coming closer? Frozen, I strain to hear. Nothing. Maybe it went away. I poke my head outside the tent, but the weak headlamp does nothing to penetrate the darkness. The milky way stretches across the sky.

Wait, what was that?!? This is not a hammock! Can that be right? Have you lost your mind?

If I were in my hammock, I know I would immediately fall back asleep. If I were in my hammock, I probably wouldn’t have even woken up.

Instead I lie awake. Turning from side to side. Waiting. Flipping over. Waiting some more. Maybe my other side will be better. Nope.

Whose bright idea was it to try a tent?! Oh, yes, me. It seemed like a good idea. Stretching myself, learning new skills, breaking out of my rut. Attempting to be a more versatile backpacker.

Maybe I should stick to my old ways. Old ways are there for a reason.

Plenty of people sleep on the ground. How hard can it be?

I have plenty of time to contemplate all this in the hours that I don't sleep.

***
At first light I walk along the Arizona Trail, back towards the trailhead. The sky is pink, the maples are pink. Just a mile back and then I am to my car.

I think of these as bonus miles because I know I will have to retrace these steps when I backpack through this section. For now, this is a good spot to spend the night on my drive south to hike a little section hike of the Arizona Trail.

***
My mission for the day is setting up water caches. The trail steward told me water is scarce this time of year.

The dirt road climbs steeply and my little hybrid car strains in first gear. Will I make it up the hill, I wonder. A friend has this same car, and I remember one time we had to all get out and push her car up a dirt road to get up a mountain to our trailhead. Only I have no one to push. I lean forward and try to use my momentum. Mostly, I dislike driving. Mostly, I am worried the road will get worse.  Every tenth of a mile seems like an eternity.  I make it 3.8 miles up the road.

This is the non-steep part. But I was too scared to stop for a photo on the steep part.

Finally, I have had enough. I abandon my car at a wide pullover. The gallon jug of water goes into my pack. I start hiking up the road. Much better. The climb feels good after the long drive. The dust and the sun and the wind. A couple hours later I’ve climbed 1800 feet and a van comes up from behind me. The driver is instantly recognizable as a hiker. I hop in without hesitating.  He will take me the rest of the way up.

Turns out he is a triple crowner (and perhaps somewhat of a hiking legend) and just hiked one of the sections I’m planning on doing! How cool!

He drops me off at a good stop for my water cache and I tuck the gallon jug under a bush. Thanks so much for the ride and more importantly for the good conversation, Seiko!

***

In the afternoon, there is enough time to check out Tonto National Monument. The Arizona Trail passes just a few miles from here, but there’d be no way to get here easily. When I walk up to the cliff dwelling, I’m the only visitor and the awesome VIP volunteer ranger tells me all about the Salado people who lived here 850 years ago.

Cliff dwelling at Tonto National Monument

***
The sun is setting as I set up my tent near the Picketpost Trailhead.  I lie in the tent and listen to the traffic sounds. It’s a struggle to fall asleep again. I try to imagine what it would have been like to live in a cliff dwelling. I try to imagine all the countless backpackers on all the long trails sleeping on the ground. Maybe it will be easier after a long hard day of hiking. Maybe I’ll just need to keep practicing until I get used to sleeping on the ground.

(Or maybe this is stupid and I should give up and stick with what I know works for me.)

But I left my hammock back home. Like it or not, I'm committed to this experiment.

Day 9- Entering Glacier Peaks Wilderness

Day 9- Entering Glacier Peaks Wilderness, Washington Section K

Wenatchee Pass (2479) to 2497

Thru hikers that pass us are focused on miles and have goals like 10 miles before 10 AM.  But we have our own goals. Crossing over scree and boulder fields, we count 10 unique pikas calling "eep" before 10 AM and decide we are on track for being observant for the day. 

Yesterday Anish was telling us how the pika are declining. Global warming threatens them and they have a narrow habitat range. Pika here seem more plentiful compared to Montana (ie Glacier National Park where I did a few pika surveys) but its sad to think of what it must have been like when their numbers were healthier.

Clouds are all the move all day but no rain. Sometimes the clouds are low and obscure views and sometimes the breathtaking snow-capped peaks are visible. 

Skies that are the scenic feature of the day

 Jan missed the sun and when a rare sunbeam touches down on a bridge, she basks in the glow.

Jan stands in a rare sunbeam

 The trail climbs today into the high country. Heath thickets, windswept dwarf trees and grassy meadows that remind me of the balds in the southern Appalachians. 

Today is a day for meeting women of the PCT. A mother and daughter, college-aged team, and a 70 year old lady and her friend-- after seeing mostly men, it was great meeting strong women here!

The cold temperatures and looming clouds didn't stop me for reaching my swimming goal for the day. Lake Sally Ann was just too gorgeous to resist! Timing the swim for the warmest part of the day, being quick to change, and hiking with extra warm clothes afterwards are secrets to swimming success.

Achieving my swimming goals- this is what makes my hike a success, not miles hiked per day, but how much I savor the miles I do hike

Fog is rolling over the mountains and temperatures are dropping tonight. The last weather forecast called for rain tonight. I'm tucked into a sheltered spot in the trees yet I'm really nervous for some reason. What if It rains and I get wet and cold? What if it snows? I tell Jan that I'm nervous and she gives me a hug. 

Some of the best hang sites are found just a short walk for established tent sites.  Jan camped in an open site while I was sheltered in this thick grove of trees that kept me warm and sheltered from the rain

 Tonight I will lay in my hammock early since its too cold outside. I watch the thoughts float like fog through my brain. The nervous thoughts swirl and sometimes obscure the joyful peaceful calm center, but hopefully I can watch as they lift and bask in rays of sun that shine through.

Day 8- Starting Section K

Day 8- Starting Section K

Stevens Pass (2461) to Wenatchee Pass (2479)

At Stevens Pass, Jan and I went into town for rest and food. The highlight of Skykomish was the library where I studied field guides and dowloaded plant and lichen identification resources while watching the rain fall outside. At the Cascadia Inn, I took hot baths to make up for not swimming. It was important for my feet to get rest, but I was glad to get back on the trail today.

Anish, Jan, and Joan at Stevens Pass 

Jan and I were thrilled that Anish gave us a ride to the trail from town and hiked a few miles with us. I was nervous since we hike slow, but quickly forgot about that because she had so much knowledge of the area. Such a treat to hear from someone who loves this area so much and who told us that this next section of the PCT is "The best section of whole Pacific Crest Trail!" Not the best in Washington, The Best!

That passion and excitement was evident in her stories, and gave us a mental boost that fueled our first day.

While there was no rain we did have threatening skies with active clouds all shades moving and swirling. 

Dramatic skies

The blueberries continued to be so thick, constant, tasty, and plentiful. We surprised ourselves by hiking more miles than anticipated and still found a quiet campsite. A great start to this next section!

Hammocking camping is wonderful in Washington

Climbing Mt. Taylor

My plan is to take a little stroll on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) north from Grants towards Mt. Taylor.  Even since arriving to New Mexico three months ago, I’ve been drawn to Mt. Taylor, a large composite volcano (similar geologically to Mt. St. Helens).  It’s a massive presence in this region, dominating the skyline. 

For three months I’ve watched sunsets glowing off Mt. Taylor’s snowy peak.  I’ve used it as a directional reference point on hikes in the El Malpais.  I keep the Forest Service map/ brochure on my bedside table along with the phone number of the ranger station that I call periodically to check on road conditions to the trailhead.  I keep waiting, but time is running out and I’m leaving soon.

The road up to the higher trailhead is still too muddy and snowy for my little car, so I must use the lower trailhead. I’ve just got this one day devoted to Mt Taylor, so backpacking is out. Even though I know the summit is too far away for a dayhike, at least I will see the lower stretches. I’m looking forward to watching the plant communities change as I climb.

Starting out amidst cactus during the shadows-creeping hour of morning.

I begin from what the Guthook’s Guide app calls the Mt. Taylor trailhead (the signs say Continental Divide Trailhead), just a couple miles north of Grants (elevation 6874’).  After climbing over loose rocks for two miles, the trail flattens, spanning open grasslands.  It’s real trail too, with actual tread.  Only two sets of footprints have passed this way before me (besides coyote and mountain lion tracks).  Otherwise this trail is soft and un-compacted.  Can the CDT really be so flat and gentle on the feet? Or am I in some dream world?

Mt. Taylor looks impossibly small.

Look a gate!  The gates here are real opening and closing portals to the other side of the barbed wire fence.  What wonders of modern technology!

I relax into my 12-hour pace, that comfortable walk all day stride.  Stopping for snack breaks every two hours, or whenever a beautiful ponderosa calls out for me come rest against it.  After all this is just a stroll— no destination, just the journey, etc.

Ponderosa reaching up into blue puffy cloud skies.

Getting higher and higher.

After 4 hours, FS #193 appears marking the start of the Mt. Taylor Summit Alternate.  Guthook says I’ve come 10.5 miles but that can’t be right.  I’m not at all halfway tired.  So I decide to follow the road towards the higher trailhead.  

Definitely my little car is not making it up this road.  Hiking was much easier.

I waiver at the turn off for Gooseberry Springs Trail #77.  Light flurries are falling.  Weather forecast shows a wind advisory with gusts of 45 mph.  I haven’t seen anyone all day (and I won’t for the rest of the day either). Should I keep climbing?  The best way to make a decision is sit and take stock.  I try to figure out how many miles I’ve gone, but I get confused with the alternate on my Guthooks app and give up. My paper FS map says three miles to the summit.  Do I have enough time?  What if I end up hiking after dark?  An inventory of my pack confirms I have my headlamp, SPOT, and enough food and warm gear to even spend the night if it comes to that.  Ever cautious, I decide to keep going only if: (1) the trail isn’t sketchy, (2) my legs don’t complain, and (3) the altitude doesn’t bother me.

Aspen are gorgeous, so I keep climbing.

The snow is slightly soft and covers the trail. Somehow I can tell where to go anyway by playing the “If I Were The Trail Where Would I Go” game.  Not sketchy!

Up above the aspen, the grass waves in the fierce wind, so I keep climbing

I keep expecting to turn around at any moment.  I am a turn-around kind of person.  What would it feel like to not turn around for once? 

I am very aware of the feeling of being up here by myself at this high elevation, with the strong wind gusts nearly knocking me off my feet.  I keep waiting for my legs to get tired, or to get dizzy from the altitude.  But as the climbing gets steeper, my legs fly with increasing determination.  Arms pumping my poles into jet propulsion mode.  Oh the climbing, how I love it— the way the thin air feels as it fills my lungs and I relax into the rhythm of high elevation climbing mode.

Through a lovely spruce/ pine forest glen, then around the shoulder and oh the views of a winter's worth of hikes.

I'll just make it to that switchback and turn around.  But then... the rocks were so colorful with lichen, and I think oh just one more switchback.

The wind burns my skin and threatens to knock me down.  Snot drips down my face and seems to freeze on my face- is that even possible?  I brace myself against the wind with my poles and adopt a wider stable crouching stance.  Half my fingers go numb from cold despite three layers of gloves, but I clutch my poles tight with the remaining fingers, and it is enough.

At the highest point on the CDT in New Mexico.

I can’t believe I’m up here.  Why did I not turn around?  Maybe I’m a keep going kind of person, after all.

I love this mountain.  So this is what it looks like, after months of gazing from afar and dreaming of what it’s like up here, this vastness, the grass, the wind, the rocks.  This is the terrain that I live for. 

Coming up this mountain seems like saying goodbye to my winter in New Mexico.  It is my way of saying thank you to these lava flows and volcanos and sandstone and all the amazing things that I’ve seen while I’ve been here.  How I will miss it here!  Everything is so fleeting.

I don’t last long in the bitter winds of the summit.  Down down down, flying down switchbacks, glissading over the snow.  Down past the gate, past the mountain lion scratches, past the flowers, past the views.  Finally, to the trailhead.

Back to my lonely car at trailhead before dark.

Why does the climbing sometimes seem so easy?  How can it be so easy to come to love a place in just a few months?  Why does the saying goodbye part have to come so soon?

I finally calculate the mileage.  15.2 miles each way = 30.4 miles total.  That can’t be right.  I’m not that tired.  I’ve never hiked more than 28 miles in a day, and that was when I was in thru hiker shape.  Guthook’s app must be wrong. 

In the morning I wake up and still don’t feel that sore.  It must not have been 30 miles.  I call the ranger station and ask how long it is.  The ranger confirms ~30 miles.  It’s the most I’ve ever hiked in one day.  And I didn’t even realize it.  Or maybe I finally hiked 30 miles precisely because I never would have hiked that far if I’d known.  Maybe it’s the power of this mountain.  Maybe I’m stronger than I think.

Getting ready to open.  It's nearly spring.

More information

Date hiked:  March  26

Contact: The Mt. Taylor Ranger District on Lobo Canyon Road north of Grants, NM.  They are only open during weekdays, but are located just a few miles south of the trailhead.

Trailhead: I parked at the Continental Divide Trailhead, just a couple miles north of Grants on paved Lobo Canyon Road (elevation 6874’). Guthook’s Guide app calls it the Mt. Taylor trailhead (mile 541.4)

Take the CDT north for 10.5 miles to Forest Road #193.  Follow the sign to the right and roadwalk on 193 to the Gooseberry Springs Trail #77.  There is an excellent trifold for the Gooseberry Spring Trail put out by the Mt. Taylor Ranger District with geological and botanical information, and a nice little topo map.

There is a 4431 foot elevation difference between the trailhead and the summit, but with all the ups and downs, no idea really how much climbing this involves.  Does it really matter?