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<font size="+1"><font face="Arial"><font><font>>>The
official trail is long and dry, it had fire damage which has been
reported to be cleaned up, but still gets almost no thur hiker
traffic.<br>
<br>
I haven't hiked the entire Black Range route, but 50 miles or so
between Reeds Meadow area and Wahoo Peak, several years running. The
almost-no-traffic claim rings true, despite the considerable miles of
newly built and signed CDT here. But the reasons Jim sights are more
the reverse of popular conceptions: the trail isn't so problematically
dry as to be impractical to hike, but suffers more from a perceived
lack of information that perpetuates the rumor mill. Fire damage, on
the other hand, remains a problem, especially south of Diamond Peak
from what I understand, although maintenance performed earlier this
decade north of Reeds is also in need of a refresh at this point.
Blowdowns and aspen/rose thorn brush will be part of the post-burn
dynamic here for some years yet. The fire damage is sporadic but
noteworthy. It looks like the CDT is also being rerouted in at least
one area, as though new construction was deemed easier than ongoing
maintenance, which seems telling.<br>
<br>
If the trail crews will keep at it, and also finish the trail northwest
of the Black Range which is reportedly very confusing to follow, the
official Divide route could start to attract more use. Where it's good
now, it's almost pinch-yourself good, seeing new trail and official CDT
markers in remote country that few have seen.<br>
<br>
- Brett<br>
<br>
</font></font></font></font><br>
Jim Eagleton wrote:
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</style>I highly recommend the Crazy Cook route, especially for
NOBO's. <br>
<br>
For sobo's, you are self important triple crowners who aren't going to
listen to advice , and are too beat up to take the scenic route, just
follow pavement south from Silver City. Actually, there is an
unfortunate logistical problem for sobo's. From the border it is a
full day to a crumby hitch and a couple of days back to a major road.
I can understand how this would be considered an anticlimactic finish,
unless you have someone picking you up. <br>
<br>
NOBO's should try to car pool or contact Sam Hughes, or other shuttler,
and start at Crazy Cook. Good to hear the road walk south of Silver
City has been eliminated. <br>
<br>
North of Silver City is the worst route choice on the trail. 1) The
official trail is long and dry, it had fire damage which has been
reported to be cleaned up, but still gets almost no thur hiker
traffic. It is possibly a reasonable option, but I can't recommend it
unless better water info becomes available. <br>
2) The Ley route has a horrible bushwack UP Tadpole Ridge. This route
should be avoided by any sane hiker. It has the advantage and
disadvantage of many fords of the Lower Gila (southern part). These
fords may be ok in the fall, but are an extra day of wet feet, going
upstream, in colder/higher water for nobo's. 3) Many people take one
of the road (Wolfe) routes until north (northeast) of Silver City and
then take the trail over the top of Tadpole Ridge (avoiding the
bushwack). This sets up the cutoff mentality and you can save
further effort on: the Creed cutoff, the Mack Inn cutoff, and the
Anaconda cutoff. 4) I followed Boston and Cubby's route out of Silver
City to Doc Campbell's: I followed the road out of Silver City past
the Monastery, picked up the official trail which goes a little east,
then came back to the road to Doc Campbell's on the Military trail.
There is still 5 to 7 miles of road walk (down hill) at the end. Also,
there is a new building that will make private property a big issue
around the Monastery. If you do not take the short cut past the
Monastery, and especially if you take the official trail all the way
from Silver City, you have a very dry day and a half. <br>
<br>
The best training is to have my fellow Philadelphian and fellow Jim
pour you a pint. He now does it at The Anderson on the Black Isle.
I'll be there in August.<br>
<br>
Melanie: The weather window is between southern CO and Glacier, and
last year the window was very tight. So, skipping CO does not do much
good unless you start late and do NM in the hotter and later spring.
It might be better to start in Glacier at the end of the sobo season,
ca July 4, and then skip CO in Sept, going right to NM. I flipped up
to South Pass City and hiked south thru CO. You could get off at
Steamboat? or much more easily at Estes Park, (hiking over the divide
in Rock Mt Nat. Pk, which I have also done.) <br>
<br>
Rambler<br>
<br>
>> <br>
> 1. Re: 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus? (Brian Dickson)<br>
> 2. Re: 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus? (Bob)<br>
> <br>
> <br>
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
> <br>
> Message: 1<br>
> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 13:00:01 +0000 (GMT)<br>
> From: Brian Dickson <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:briansolar1@yahoo.co.uk"><briansolar1@yahoo.co.uk></a><br>
> Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus?<br>
> To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:cdt-l@backcountry.net">cdt-l@backcountry.net</a><br>
> Message-ID: <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:2750.13511.qm@web27201.mail.ukl.yahoo.com"><2750.13511.qm@web27201.mail.ukl.yahoo.com></a><br>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br>
> <br>
> Myself, Brian and my wife, Martina are aiming to hike northbound
this year too. We live in Scotland and are flying into Denver on April
13th and aim to start around?April 20th from either crazy cook or
columbus NM. We haven't sorted out how we will get there yet!<br>
> ?<br>
...> ?<br>
> Brian Dickson<br>
> Black Isle, Scotland<br>
> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.pbase.com/briansolar1">www.pbase.com/briansolar1</a><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> --- On Tue, 6/1/09, Melanie Simmerman
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jennylind50@yahoo.com"><jennylind50@yahoo.com></a> wrote:<br>
> <br>
> From: Melanie Simmerman <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jennylind50@yahoo.com"><jennylind50@yahoo.com></a><br>
> Subject: [Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers<br>
> To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:cdt-l@backcountry.net">cdt-l@backcountry.net</a><br>
> Date: Tuesday, 6 January, 2009, 7:49 PM<br>
> <br>
> Hello, 2009 CDTers<br>
> I'm wondering who all is hiking this year and in which direction?
I am<br>
> planning a northbound, sort of, hike. At any rate, I'm starting in
NM<br>
> (haven't finalized which terminus-Cook Monument or Columbus) in
late April<br>
> sometime - don't have the exact date yet.<br>
> <br>
> I've pretty much done Colorado section-hiking and don't plan to
re-hike<br>
> what I've done, which means either flipping up to Glacier and
going south,<br>
> or if possible continuing northbound in Wyoming (if that's
possible?). Has<br>
> anyone out there done that? What are conditions usually like in
Wyoming in early<br>
> June? It would be kind of nice to be in Glacier late summer/early
fall and not<br>
> in snow.<br>
> <br>
....<br>
> <br>
> Hope to see some of you out there!<br>
> Melanie ("Lemstar" AT96, PCT02)<br>
> <br>
<br>
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