<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>Hi Melanie,</DIV>
<DIV>We are thinking of getting a greyhound bus down from Grand Junction CO to Las Cruces NM and we haven't got a plan after that- other than getting to Deming and trying to sort something out in town. Would be keen to share a shuttle to crazy cook if you are up for it? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Its very wild windy and wet weather in Scotland at the moment and the thought of the contrast of new mexico desert is very pleasant!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>brian</DIV>
<DIV>ps shot of us on new years day in northern scotland getting some training in.....</DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.pbase.com/briansolar1/image/107786699">http://www.pbase.com/briansolar1/image/107786699</A></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Wed, 7/1/09, Melanie Simmerman <I><jennylind50@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid">From: Melanie Simmerman <jennylind50@yahoo.com><BR>Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus?<BR>To: briansolar1@yahoo.co.uk<BR>Date: Wednesday, 7 January, 2009, 2:55 PM<BR><BR><PRE>Hi, Brian and Martina,
Wow, coming all the way from Scotland. Great! I have not decided yet which
route to take. I think the water is a bit sketchier on the boot-heel route, but
it does seem as though CDTA has blazed more parts of that. I know another hiker
doing it from the Monument around 4/23. So you know how you are getting down to
the start? I believe there are shuttles available. This other hiker seems to
have found one, for a price. If I go that way, I may share the shuttle if
possible.
I have already done most of Colorado, so don't plan to re-hike it. But,
will probably figure out my plan on the trail -- keeping flexible, and making
decisions based on weather and trail conditions.
I need to do more research on both routes in southern NM. Jim's routes tend
to be very scenic and he tries to take water sources into account, so best to
read up on the Columbus route in Jim's book if you have it. I assume you
have the Wolf guide books? I'll keep you posted with info as I delve more
deeply into it. I am trying to have a decision on that fairly soon, as I need to
book flights to El Paso (the nearest airport to Deming).
I really just made the decision to do this trip in the last several weeks, so,
even though I know a bit about the trail - I feel a bit overwhelmed with
planning and logistical stuff. Particularly, setting up logistics on the home
front. Sub-letting a New York City apartment is no fun.
Hope to communicate more with you and see you on the trail!
Melanie
--- On Wed, 1/7/09, Brian Dickson <briansolar1@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> From: Brian Dickson <briansolar1@yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers - crazy cook or columbus?
> To: cdt-l@backcountry.net
> Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 8:00 AM
> 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!
>
> Hope to see you out there Melanie. We are starting quite
> early as the last thru-hike we did was the PCT in '98 so
> we aim to work ourselves in gently this time (we did 300
> miles of the CDT in 2004 in northern Colorado and are
> generally very active but a slowish start will suit us).
>
> We will be considering flip-flopping but will keep flexible
> and take a view once we get to southern Colorado.
>
> Between crazy cook or columbus, any opinions as to which is
> the better route? We are looking to minimise road walking
> and maximise nice scenery and water sources. I have scanned
> Jon Ley's and spiriteagle's maps (thanks for both)
> and it looks a close call. I am perhaps tending towards
> crazy cook as initial navigation should be easier with some
> trail marking now in place and its a little shorter I think.
>
>
> We are also intending going up the Gila if conditions
> permit.
>
> Look forward to meeting other hikers out there on the trail
> !
>
> Brian Dickson
> Black Isle, Scotland
> www.pbase.com/briansolar1
>
>
> --- On Tue, 6/1/09, Melanie Simmerman
> <jennylind50@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> From: Melanie Simmerman <jennylind50@yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Cdt-l] 2009 CDT hikers
> To: cdt-l@backcountry.net
> Date: Tuesday, 6 January, 2009, 7:49 PM
>
> Hello, 2009 CDTers
> I'm wondering who all is hiking this year and in which
> direction? I am
> planning a northbound, sort of, hike. At any rate, I'm
> starting in NM
> (haven't finalized which terminus-Cook Monument or
> Columbus) in late April
> sometime - don't have the exact date yet.
>
> I've pretty much done Colorado section-hiking and
> don't plan to re-hike
> what I've done, which means either flipping up to
> Glacier and going south,
> or if possible continuing northbound in Wyoming (if
> that's possible?). Has
> anyone out there done that? What are conditions usually
> like in Wyoming in early
> June? It would be kind of nice to be in Glacier late
> summer/early fall and not
> in snow.
>
> But, I'm being flexible...I'll probably decide when
> I get there.
>
> Also, does anyone know how the trail (WY,ID,MT) has been
> impacted by the
> terrible fires a couple of summers ago? Is route finding
> that much tougher as a
> result? I'm assuming there is significant fire damage.
>
> Hope to see some of you out there!
> Melanie ("Lemstar" AT96, PCT02)
>
</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE></td></tr></table><br>