Tag: Gxl

Bursum

  • GxL Day 3, Thursday,  April 4
  • Start  past John Kerr Peak
  • End Gail Tank
  • Miles walked: 19

In the morning I met Mighty, doing an early CDT hike north to avoid the crowd.

Mighty warned me about a peak just ahead with blowdowns, locust, and deep snow, which I was hiking over in early morning, which avoided post-holing.

Later the route joins Oox Canyon Road, and then Bursum Road, for some easy road-walking.

We go past Collins Park and  Antelope  Horn Peak.

Bursum climbs, then descends, and we divert onto a smaller 2-track through grassland.

The wind is high, but in a little notch is located Gail Tank, with good water and sheltered from wind.

My inflatable sleeping pad got a slash, and my field repair kit could not fix the leak. Oh well.

Finished audiobook The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Finished audiobook The Lost Cause, by Cory Doctorow.

Wagontongue

  • 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.

Try Again

  • 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.