[Cdt-l] Reminder to New Mexico CDT users

[Brett]

 >>The BLM is placing water cache boxes every 10-12 miles along the 
official route from the Southern Terminus to Lordsburg and plans to have 
these in place later this summer.

Assuming these boxes are reliably stocked, the official route then 
becomes the migrant's corridor of choice, meaning more potential 
conflicts with local landowners for which legitimate trail users would 
exclusively pay the price. And if the boxes are not reliably stocked, 
then starting northbounders mistakenly led toward a sense of dependence 
on handout water, rather than assuming the requisite responsibility to 
carry and/or cache all of their own water, are more likely to trespass 
out of desperation for a drink.

Water cache boxes would also seem to set a dangerous precedent along 
this most undeveloped of national scenic trails, where independence and 
self-reliance are the heart and soul of the experience, and where the 
very idea of backcountry social services intended to relieve 
inconvenience is directly at odds with the Wilderness ethic and ambiance 
that draws hikers to the CDT. Much about the idea, and the missive, 
smacks of paternalism. Give us a humble line of cairns, I can here them 
remind the powers that be, and then give us peace.

- blisterfree


Josh Shusko wrote:
>
> Please do not approach ranch homes for any reason. Frequent trespass 
> by both hikers and illegal aliens have local ranchers and landowners 
> in an aggravated state, and our BLM contacts advise us that further 
> complaints from local landowners could lead to trail closures south of 
> Lordsburg. Please use the information provided on the new BLM website 
> below to avoid trespassing on private property. The BLM is placing 
> water cache boxes every 10-12 miles along the official route from the 
> Southern Terminus to Lordsburg and plans to have these in place later 
> this summer. While water cache boxes and other solutions are being put 
> in place, caching water is the only way to safely make this hike. 
> Contact the local BLM office at 575-525-4300 for recommended 
> locations. The BLM and CDTA are working to establish the groundwork 
> for a CDNST-friendly trail community in Southern New Mexico and local 
> landowners are key to these efforts. Please respect the rights of 
> private property owners along the Trail.
>
> http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/continental_divide_nst.html
>
>
>
> Josh Shusko
> Communications Coordinator
> Continental Divide Trail Alliance
> PO Box 628
> Pine, CO 80470
> Phone: (303) 838-3760
> Fax: (303) 838-3960
> http://www.cdtrail.org
>
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>
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