[cdt-l] Recent post by Dick E Bird

[Bruce Ward]

I received the following email from a supporter who has been extremely
helpful working thru local issues along the Trail. I would say his
sentiments mirror ours and point out the danger of disrespecting the
private land owners whose good will we have been trying to earn over the
last 12 years. This Trail will only be successful and can only endure if
we all work to build the support of the locals and the communities along
the Trail. Our organization believes "The Trail Unites Us" and is an
important project that brings people from all walks of life together for
the common good. Please do not do anything that will prevent this
national treasure form gaining the local support that is so critical to
our success. We are making progress on many fronts with local
landowners, the states and a wide variety of stakeholders. It is based
on trust and respect. Trespassing is illegal and disrespectful.

 

"(Dick E Bird' email-see below) is as a recipe for private land trespass
and not something I'd think you'd want to be associated with. And since
you are now more involved with this CDT list serve or whatever it is,
people may assume that the CDTA itself endorses views like this one
below. It got half-dozen or so "amens" from people who I gather share
the same views. I have spent time on the Gray Ranch, seen the
out-buildings that over the years have been set fire, robbed and
vandalized. Suspects are assumed to be illegals but it quite
understandably raised concerns about any people crossing the land. The
ranch manager- Ben Brown - now-ex manager i believe - could be abrupt
with people and was with me until i persuaded him to let me spend time
on the ranch (accompanied by him or other employees) But this is a ranch
dedicated to experimenting with ways to allow cattle in arid country
without harming the environment. It is run by a private foundation and
has been for the past 12 years or more and its land use policies are
reviewed every year by a panel of scientists from the Nature Conservancy
and elsewhere. It is one of the more worthwhile efforts currently
underway on western lands. It does encompass some public land. But
unlike hikers, it pays rent on that land. The message, below, that went
out on the CDT website is pathetically ignorant and won't do your cause
any good.   

 

Posted on behalf of Dick E Bird. (who needs to resubscribe:)Animas
Post:s

I hiked the Divide through the Gray Ranch in 1999. I, like you, tried
several times to get permission during the planning stages of my hike.
Don't waste your time, it's a brick wall. I actually drove down the
Animas road when I got to New Mexico and found the Foundation
headquarters in a small ranch house. I was able to talk to Dr. Brown?
who was rude and flatly denied permission to hike across the bootheel.
Having read in Karen Bergers book about people being unceremoniously
thrown off the ranch, hearing from the Forest Service that it is full of
rattlesnakes in the spring, hearing from the Border Patrol that it is
infested with  AK-47 totting drug dealers--here is what I did: 

Looked at a topo and current state maps. A large percentage of that land
is BLM, State and Forest Service property. Combine that with the fact
that property in the West changes hands like money in a crap game and
you will discover that most of the bootheel is your land if you paid
your taxes last year. They cannot keep you off leased federal and state
property. The ranch and all the agencies are tight and they will all
convince you not to if you listen to them. That said, I didn't want to
start my trip with a hassle. I started at Mile 0 in Antelope Wells and
let the Border Patrol think I was road walking. I few miles up the road
I jumped the fence and went straight West to the Divide. I know the
border patrol was watching from the high ground because they had been
down looking for water I had cached. They gave up one bush to soon. I
may have been trespassing the first few miles but when I reached the
Divide I was on government land all the way north to Hwy.9 according to
my maps. If stopped I would have asked to see a deed. There were plenty
of satellite ranching operations during that first 60 miles and I would
drop down off the Divide and get water at the mills. I will admit I was
very cautious, often sneaking into the water tanks keeping the tank
between me and a view from the ranch. Also you will find a labyrinth of
two tracks that would be easier walking than through the brush but that
is also where you will meet any ranch traffic. I stayed completely off
those roads. As sparse as that landscape is you can blend if you have
too. I never saw anyone and only heard a vehicle once and slipped down
into a wash. I didn't use my Zip Ztove because of smoke and hiked until
dark before setting up my black bivy tent. When you get across the Gray
Ranch it's just more ranches through a major part of NM. I only met a
couple ranchers who started out a bit suspect but were very friendly
once I told them what I was doing. I plan to do the hike all over again
in the coming years and I have been studying the bootheel. I thought
about starting in the ghost town of Cloverdale, hiking to the border,
then starting north on government land. At one point to stay legal it
might be necessary to hike along the Animal Road before getting back on
government land but I think it is a legal, doable route with less danger
than road walking to Silver City like most do. All the bad guys are on
the road. They're to lazy to walk. I have finally published a book about
my hike from Antelope Wells to Jasper, Alberta and property rights come
up often. I would be more than happy to answer any questions on my
route, gear or whatever. There is little need to do any hardroad walking
along the CDT. Most of New Mexico is two-track, dirt road, cross country
and beautiful. I did cut through El Malpias also. I was told not to by
many and I will admit they were right. It is some tough hiking and
little water. I plan to spend some time there working on a route. I
think with a little exploration a sensible and interesting route through
the badlands is possible. I started on game trails but soon ended up in
a maze of lava rifts. There has to be water out there. I saw plenty of
wildlife. Anyway, remember what Woody said, "This Land is Your Land,
This Land is My Land..."   -Keep Smilin', Dick E. Bird 

 

 

Bruce Ward

Executive Director

Continental Divide Trail Alliance

PO Box 628 

Pine, CO 80470

 

Tel.  303  838 3760

Cell: 303 917 1476

Fax: 303 838 3960

 

Shipping Address:

CDTA

13700 Highway 285

Pine CO 80470

 

 

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