[Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus?

[Jim and/or Ginny Owen]

The problem would be the Gila.  Crossing the river 200 some times too early in the year would be a miserable experience.  When we hiked it in late April, it was a really good one.  The Gila is beautiful, an oasis in the desert,with green cottonwoods, fantastic hoodoos, wildlife (we heard wolves), a great hot spring, Anasazi cliff dwellings - a fantastic place to visit in the Spring or early fall.  (It was beautiful, if cold, in late fall on our '99 hike.  We had enough sunshine we didn't mind the river crossings, but dealing with frozen boots and ice in the springs in the black range was a bit of a problem.)  You can walk roads - but then you miss a lot of what makes the Gila a terrific part of a CDT hike.  it may be faster, but much less enjoyable.  There are trails you can take that limit the river crossings, but then you climb to high elevations where snow could be a real problem in February.
Ginny



From: doug-sue71 at comcast.netTo: cdt-l at mailman.backcountry.netDate: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 20:12:24 -0500Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus?


Can one avoid a lot of the water issues (and for that matter, hazardous fire conditions) in NM by starting from Crazy Cook's earlier, say in early March?   
 
Just wondering.  If one started earlier and got to Cumbres too early, a few weeks off to rest and then start again would be ok, right?  I would rather hike in some snow than 90 plus heat myself.  
 
And yes, I'm still dreaming of a CDT hike.  Always.
 
-Red Doug
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/cdt-l/attachments/20090107/a0f95cdf/attachment.html