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Thanks for the comments. <BR>
As a member of the Backpacker team north of Cuba, I'll say that a lot is changing, and Backpacker made a reasonable effort to supply us with the latest route. Also, CDTA seemed to be putting as much new trail into service as possible. I know from my experience and from the blogs of the other teams, that a lot of the route was ust streamers in the filed. So, there will be lots of changes in NM for those who hiked the trail even in the recent past. <BR>
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As a future CDT hiker I say thanks for your info... keep it coming. I will take 3 different routes just in my little 40 mile section. 1) I will not try to follow faded streamers if the new trail is not better defined. I will try harder to find a new trail that I know they have made, 3) Finally, I will do a cross country route from Circle A Ranch (NOBO) to avoid a road walk. I am more concerned about taking a good route than the officaila route. <BR>
Rambler<BR><BR>> Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 00:08:12 -0500<BR>> From: Jim and/or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99@hotmail.com><BR>> Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] FW: Backpacker Magazine and CDT<BR>> To: Bruce Ward <bruce@cdtrail.org>, <cdt-l@backcountry.net><BR>> Message-ID: <BAY115-W28E561D54D47546DA0A74BA0130@phx.gbl><BR>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Interesting - <BR>> <BR>> A few comments - <BR>> 1. The BLM realignment took place in 2005 - we hiked it in 2006 and the first 40 miles were <BR>> marked by 6"x8" white signs - starting at the border. The only necessary cross-country <BR>> in this section was from Old Hachita to NM 9. <BR>> 2. The directions to the trailhead will likely get one very lost - they're REALLY inadequate. <BR>> 3. ". Head N on jeep track along barbed-wire international border fence" ???? Say what? - the trail <BR>> heads directly away from the border along the road you just drove in on. Unless one is following <BR>> a different trail that the one the BLM signed. <BR>> 4. "NM005: Keep L on jeep track; R goes to Sheridan Tank (unreliable water)" Really??? <BR>> The only way to do that is to be following the "guidebook" route - and that ain't the CDT - hasn't <BR>> been since August 2005. Unless this has changed drastically (and that IS possible) the Sheridan <BR>> Canyon water cannot be termed "unreliable" by any stretch of the imagination. <BR>> 5. "Cross through barbed-wire fence " Really??? If they were on the marked trail there wouldn't <BR>> be any barbed wire fences to cross in this area. <BR>> 6. "We missed this turn and hiked the road up near the old Hachita mining district." This is the <BR>> old jeep road that the rerouted CDT follows. <BR>> 7. "If you take a L, you'll get worthy 2-mile round-trip hike to the ghost town of Old Hachita"<BR>> I believe Old Hachita is private property and closed to hikers - which is the reason why the trail<BR>> leaves the old jeep road that parallels the ridge and heads north. <BR>> 8. "Here we met back up with the CDT signs " Gotta wonder how they missed following the <BR>> CDT signs all the way from the border. <BR>> 9. There isn't a single mention of water sources - neither verbal nor GPS location information. <BR>> Much less water quality information. <BR>> <BR>> I think they followed the "guidebook" route and totally missed the fact that the trail <BR>> had been rerouted. Which is utterly amazing since the signs for the reroute start at the border <BR>> and were obvious to the most casual obaserver all the way to Old Hachita. <BR>> <BR>> What makes this even more amazing is that they did this in conjuntion with CDTA - and it was CDTA <BR>> that supplied the basic information that we used to make the decision to hike that route in 2006. <BR>> Gotta wonder why CDTA didn't give them the same information that we were given. <BR>> <BR>> Bottom line - this mess would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. <BR>> <BR>> If you want "real" information try here: http://spiriteaglehome.com/bootheel.html<BR>> <BR>> Notice that the FIRST photo is taken AT THE BORDER and clearly shows the FIRST CDT marker <BR>> directly behind the Crazy Cook Monument. Follow the signs. <BR>> <BR>> Walk softly,<BR>> Jimhttp://www.spiriteaglehome.com/<BR>> <BR><BR></body>
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