- CDT NM 2025 Day 12, Friday, April 18
- Start GRA mile 87.1
- End CDT mile 351.5
- Miles walked: GRA 19.1 + CDT 7.1 = 26.2
Mesa Man starts early, even earlier than me.
Fortunately the cold wind subsided at night, but gusts resume today. The route goes on gravel road, and stays on road most of the day.
On Bursum Road I pass a large grassland.
Water is found at Dutchman Spring, near the end of the Gila River Route, in the cistern behind the tire. The next good water is pretty far ahead.
Hikers refer to the main CDT route as the Red Line, because the track appears red on the app most hikers are using. After several days on the Gila Alternate, I return to the red line.
The route finally leaves roads, climbing through a burn area.
Cat’s Claw is one of the first plants to grow after the burn. Several blowdowns are across the trail here.
The cairns are good for marking the trail in this section.
Finished audiobook Triplanetary, by E E ”Doc” Smith, the first book in the Lensman series.