GET – Page 4 – Sagebrush Trails

Monticello Cache

MRT/GET 2021 Day 29, May 3, Monday
• Start 26050 on ridge
• End “seg27 detour water’, new bypass for Monticello Box
• Miles walked: 25.9

Continuing with the CDT heading north along a fence line on a sort of ridge on trail or two-track, through mixed conifer and bunch grass, one can see low grassland to east and west, like our section of forest a few miles wide was running out.

By late morning the CDT departs north, and several miles will turn westward to join with the Gila Alternate south of Pie Town. The GET goes east along a fence line steeply downhill on Duck Canyon Trail, to a very different ecozone, departing the Gila National Forest.

CDT Alone

MRT/GET 2021 Day 28, May 2, Sunday
• Start 24060 north of Diamond Peak
• End 26050 on ridge
• Miles walked: 25.3

On the CDT in New Mexico, there are twe alternate paths, that split off just after Silver City. The “official” trail, which we are on now, goes along tho Black Range, and is higher altitude, has fewer water sources, and goes further eastward before heading west to join up with the alternate. The Gila River alternate goes through the Middle Fork of the Gila River, has an extra resupply point at Doc Campbell’s, and is vastly more popular among hikers, but is not the official route, because of the rare but non-zero chance of flooding. So when the GET briefly joined the CDT on the Middle Fork a few days ago we were on the alternate, but today we are on the official route. A few days ago we met several hikers at Doc’s, with tales of 30 coming through in one day. Today I see no one, and rarely even see footprints.

Down from Diamond Peak, the route stays along a ridge, gradually descending, with views.

Diamond Peak

MRT/GET 2021 Day 27, May 1, Saturday
• Start 22170 on ridge
• End 24060 north of Diamond Peak
• Miles walked: 24.2

Off the ridge, the route descends into Tom Moore Canyon, rather flat, averaging 400 feet across, walled in by low rolling hills on both sides, dry and with no visible drainage along most of its six mile length, grass and ponderosa.

Afterwards the route exits the Gila Wilderness and passes a landing strip and work center in the small gap between the Gila Wilderness and Aldo Leopold Wilderness. The work center catches rainwater and saves into a cistern, and a faucet in the animal pens gives clear water.