Sagebrush Trails

• CDT NM 2025 Day 10, Wednesday, April 16
• Start GRA mile 36.6
• End Gila River High Route GRHR mile 14.4
• Miles walked: 6.1 GRA + 14.4 GRHR + 6 miles Cliff Dwellings = 26.5

After hiking a few more miles along the Gila River, I reach a bridge and climb up to a road. Here is the view of the river from the bridge

A roadwalk to Gila Hot Springs takes me to Doc Campbell’s Trading Post, well-known and beloved among CDT and GET hikers.

I did not expect them to be open today, Wednesday, the one day they are closed. But if they spot CDT hikers waiting around the porch, they will often open up, which they did for me! I needed some extra food beyond what I had brought from Silver City, because the Hiker Hunger is setting in. And their Lemon Berry homemade ice cream is a welcome treat.

I meet Mesa Man at Doc Campbell’s. He has already been at Gila Hot Springs for one night.

I divert to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument to play tourist. The vault toilet near the entrance had a mural painted on an inside wall, a nice touch.

The natural cliff overhand had been used by hunter-gatherers for hundreds of years, but the rooms built into the cliff were only used from 1275 to 1300AD, then abandoned.

When possible on this hike, I try to take an alternate that I did not take on my previous CDT hike. I start the Gila River High Route, available for hikers on high water years when the many river crossings on the Middle Fork of the Gila might be impractical.

There are not many chances for water on the higher out, and they may be all dried up. I have a couple of chances to divert down to the River Route if I need to.

The root ascends to a relatively flat high area, pleasant hiking.

I can see the cliff walls of the Middle Fork.

At Prior Creek there is a cabin, but the water has dried up.

Finished audiobook The Emperor’s Candlesticks, by Baroness Orczy.

• CDT NM 2025 Day 9, Tuesday, April 15
• Start Gila River Alternate GRA mile 14.6
• End GRA mile 36.6
• Miles walked: 22.0

The route descends 6 miles to the Gila River.

After finally finding the correct trail, my day is dozens of river crossings, as the Gila meanders back and forth between canyon walls. The route easy to follow with cairns and visible tread, but requires high effort ascending and descending to the river, and slogging through water.

The water comes up no higher than my knees, and the temperature is comfortable.

I camp near a small pool warmed by a hot spring.

Finished audiobook Second Variety, by Philip K Dick.

• CDT NM 2025 Day 8, Monday, April 14
• Start mile 0.7 of Walnut Creek Alternate
• End mile 14.6 of Gila River Alternate
• Miles walked: 6.4 Walnut Creek Alt +  1.8 Gomez Pk + 2.2 CDT + 1.2 Gila Alternate + 14.6 – 2.4 Gila River Alternate = 23.8 miles

Departing Silver City early, I regret not being able to explore its buildings and thriving downtown more fully.

North of Silver City is a roadwalk again, more than 4 miles. A silly puppy comes out to greet me, but I wish its human was more careful about cars on the road.

More road walk was optional, but I choose to divert through Gomez Peak trail system.

A word about alternates: CDT has several alternate routes, so you can choose your own adventure, more so than other national scenic trails. Today will offer more alternate choices than anywhere else on the trail.

Along Bear Creek and later Sycamore Creek there are still pools of water that can be filtered.

The route passes by some rock towers, that might be hoodoos in Utah.

Then the route goes on slickrock, marked by cairns.

Four day hikers with 8 dogs tell me about a hermit that lives near the trail, who makes beer. I do not see him.

The trail goes through a really brushy area where it is difficult to find the route, and then makes a steep climb. I meet Friendly in a rare flat area.

I decide to camp nearby, weary.

Finished audiobook The Recollections of Rifleman Harris, by Benjamin Harris, memoirs of a foot soldier in the Napoleonic Wars.