I had never been to a desert. Hadn't ever really seen one either. Maybe from a distance while zooming by in a car, sure. But the first 84 miles of the trail were nothing but dry, hot desert and expected to brutal, intimidating - where some would survive and others would struggle, some even give up.
The journey to the trail was a journey indeed. Leaving Wisconsin the night of May 3rd, we flew from Chicago to Phoenix, AZ, where we then had a few hours till we needed to hop on a Greyhound Bus. When we arrived to the bus station, we were told that our already paid for bus (scheduled to depart the station at 1:30AM on May 4th) had been cancelled, and we needed to wait till the next one - not till 4:30AM. We fought out tiredness in the early morning hours till the next bus luckily didn't get cancelled. We searched for 2 open seats next to each other, but settled for separate seats a few rows away from each other. We had a 5 hour ride from Phoenix to Lordsburg. A dog that was traveling with his owner bounced back between Ross and I, cuddling up next to our legs, making both Ross and I feel bit more at ease. Maybe we weren't hiding our nerves as good as we thought.
Once we arrived in Lordsburg, there was a sense of relief for getting transportation checked off the list, but the real journey was just about to begin. We had less than 24 hours to get situated: re-look over our pack gear, get any last minute items bought from the local market, get some relaxation in our hotel room and have a good last meal before our departure the next morning at 6:30AM.
The morning came quick, and we arrived at the Continental Dive Trail Coalition (CDTC) office with a few other hikers and our shuttle driver, Tim, welcoming us. There wasn't too much time to spare: we were handed a black, heavy-duty garbage bag and told to put our packs in it. This was to eliminate as much dust and dirt as possible for the 3 hour truck ride we had ahead of us to get to the New Mexico/Mexico border at the Crazy Cook Monument, with our packs being launched into the bed of the truck. The other 2 CDT hikers, Tim, Tim's dog Cookie, Ross and myself shoved ourselves into the truck seats and were on our way to the border.
By the time we got there, took a group photo, snapped some individual photos and talked to the hikers that just had ended their 84 mile stretch it was already 10:30AM - just in time for the hot sun to complete its' morning warm up before our first few steps on trail: a proper welcome from the desert.
The desert was shocking - in good ways and bad. We quickly felt the honesty of just how dry it was. Coming from Wisconsin and being surrounded by lakes, rivers and creeks (and even more so for me coming from a job working on rivers!), it was astonishing to see, and feel, the absence of water that was available to us. To be more specific, we knew that there would be no natural, flowing water sources. Fortunately, the CDTC recognizes that and stations water caches in designated areas along the 84 mile stretch. Though they planted these water caches throughout the desert, they were not abundant. There were only 5 of the caches within the whole 84 miles. Of course it wasn't just taking a walk in the park; a thru hike requires strategy, especially in the desert.
These water caches are brown, metal boxes, in which CDTC shuttle drivers refill 5-6 gallon, BPA free water jugs most times they pass to drop off/pick up hikers. It was quite literally our goal to get to a water source each day, with the main goal of arriving to them at the end of the day so we could rehydrate throughout the night, use for cooking dinner and refill once more in the morning before crawling to the next water source. Out of the 5 nights we spent in the desert, we were able to camp near a water cache only 2 nights. Arriving to one of these water caches, no matter the time of day, was magic. It meant we were one water cache closer to the next, and to the end of this harsh, dirt filled space.
Ross and I filling our water bottles at Water Cache #5. Team work makes the dream work!
Often times these watch caches also provided hand sanitizer and sunscreen.
When these water caches weren't available, we had a few water troughs that we shared with the cattle that were roaming the same land we were walking. In this desert section, these water troughs weren't that bad. Yes, they were shared with cows that drooled their gulp of water back into the same trough, but with our Sawyer water filters, we felt confident we were drinking pretty good water.
We set our alarms for 4AM each morning while completing this section, being on the trail by 5AM. Wiping the crust from the corners of our eyes, the coolness of the air in the early morning allowed us to hike our fastest miles. Once 8AM hit, the sun would be up for 12 hours, only getting hotter and hotter with each minute. We were like animals out in the vast land, hiding from the sun each day from 1:30-4/5PM. We knew we stunk from the outpouring sweat from our bodies, but what really proved we did indeed stink were the flies that surrounded us each afternoon as we rested our feet and souls. I learned quickly that nothing humbles you more quite like the desert does.
As brutal as the desert was, it was beauty within itself that really made us realize that the desert wasn't really all that bad. In fact, I slowly started to take it in for what it was. I imagined not much life to be in the desert..how could anything survive out here? In this hot of conditions? With little to no water? Of course, that was the case for much of it. Plants that were dried up and not showing any sign of life. We saw skulls and bones from cows that hadn't survived for whatever reason; maybe lack of water - a fear similar to ours. Other animal skulls and bones showcased themselves and reminded us the environment we were in, just incase we forgot.
But to our pleasant surprise, there was so much life all around us. From the tiny lizards that would scurry off the trail when we came too close, the spiders that were on trail in the morning, to the jackrabbits that would hop to a nearby bush, beetles and the blooming flowers that came from the prickly cacti. How lucky we were to be able to be there during that time of season, witnessing the purples, yellows and reds of the desert. In a way, it was comforting to know that these things were surviving out there - a comfort to know that we could, too.
As we were walking the last few miles on trail, it was as if the city lights of Lordsburg were sucking us in. We were so close! We excitedly walked down the one path trail, and right before stepping onto the road's paved surface for our last mile, we noticed a cemetery to our left. After initially thinking we wouldn't walk there since it was a bit off the trail, we decided to stroll over to check things out. As we approached the brick arch that read "Shakespeare", I noticed on the fence to the right little signs that read "hope", "love" and "peace" - one in English, the one right next to it in Spanish. The one that intrigued me the most was the one that read "your life is a journey". I felt calmness come over me as I tiptoed under the arch and into the cemetery.
Entrance into the Lordsburg, NM cemetery.
As we quietly walked around, we couldn't help but to express how beautiful this cemetery was. Surrounded by red dirt, some plots were smaller, while others had larger boundaries for someone who had already passed, yet waiting for those that would pass sometime in the future; not just a space for their lifelong partner, but for a whole family. Unlike something I've ever seen, the crosses and tombstones were all white, creating a shining light in the area. The best part, though, was how each space was decorated with the most vibrant colors: from yellow and orange flowers, to even some having trees getting watered by an irrigation system, providing a bench and shade for those who would come to visit - all sure signs that still welcomed life amongst the dead.
Just as we were about to leave, we said good morning to 2 gentlemen, and after a few "how ya doing?" and "what are you all up to?" met in the middle of the gravel road. Two brothers that had grew up in Lordsburg 25 years ago, Jimmy and Greg were on their annual siblings trip where they came back to reconnect with their roots. They shared that they liked to come to the cemetery to revisit those they had grown up with, and continued the visits in with folks town that were still around such as their school teachers. Greg expressed with us that he had once thought of hiking the CDT, but came to the conclusion that maybe he was too old. With a shared laugh, we encouraged to at least give it a try for a section someday, and they replied back with maybe doing the desert section for next year's sibling trip.
Just as we were saying goodbye to the brothers, they offered to say a prayer with us. In my opinion, whether you're religious or not, if someone offers you words of affirmation, you welcome those words. So we happily and welcomely did. They expressed that they prayed for the trail to provide water, prayed for our bodies and to heal my already blistered toes and that even through the harder days, for the trail and experience to bring us together and not apart.
It was the perfect send off before we walked our last mile into town and accomplished our first stretch of the trail. Both the desert and the cemetery represented exactly what it had shown us throughout those 84 miles: life and death. Survival and fatality. Struggle and achievement. The desert didn't seem so scary anymore.
When life seems scary, whether it may be your own thoughts or your surroundings, if you just look a little bit harder...a little bit more closely, you can quickly realize that there is beauty surrounding you even if it's in the smaller, less obvious places. We should always be celebrating life and acknowledging whatever gave us life, whether that life is with us still today, or already passed on: animals, plants, water and people. Because after all, tomorrow is never promised.
May 5-May 10, 2022
5 nights
84 miles
For more pictures and details on the hiking through New Mexico, please go to the "New Mexico" page to view.
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