Month: April 2024

• GxL Day 2, April 3, Wednesday
• Start 2 miles south of CDT trailhead
• End past John Kerr Peak
• Miles walked: 19

Hiking is on damp ground, with a few patches of snow, in juniper forest, across rigdes. I will be following tho CDT Gila River Alternate for a few days.

Mid-day starts the climb of Wagontongue Ridge, about 7.8k, with juniper giving way to pine. I stnrt to encounter deep snow on trail, 3-5 feet, and I am post-holing badly. I know that starting my hike in April is a little early– did I make a big mistake and need to turn back?

I notice from the Topo map that I am following on the north side of a ridge. If I can hike another half mile I can get to the south side. Will conditions be better there?

Yes, the deep snow is gone. Wagon tongue is a particularly steep ridge, And the rest of the ridges of the day are on the south side or on top and not as steep.  I have no further problems the rest of the day.

Finished audiobook The Bezzle, by Cory Doctorow, read by Wil Wheaton. I backed the audiobook Kickstarter, and got to hear Wil read my trail-name in the credits at the end of the book. A great read/listen, recommended.

Finished audiobook The White Feather, by P G Wodehouse.

• GxL Day 1, April 2, Tuesday
• Start CDT NM12 trailhead
• End trail south not far
• Miles walked: 2

Cairn and the dogs drop me off at the trailhead at 6:30PM. Snow is melted from the roads, and none is visible on trail, but visible on ridges.

I hike for an hour until dark, and make camp on the dryest ground I can find.

Water bottles partially freeze during the night.

What is going on? I am hiking the Gila x Loop GxL, a route I created based on some mathematical tools, and now I want to try out, about a 700 mile loop. Ideally I would want to attempt this hike in May, but my schedule this year requires an April start. I may run into snow and high water, and I will see how far I can get…

Here is the route map overview.

What a tangled mess. Here is the route I am planning.

Given my April start, plans will not likely survive contact with reality, but at least with so many loops I have options.

Stay tuned.