The Continental Divide Trail

All through this area of Western New Mexico the Continental Divide Trail meanders through forests and mesas and along highways as well.  We often see hikers along the highway portions of the trail.  They carry stuffed backpacks, wear sun hats, use walking poles, and wave cheerfully as you go by.  At this time of year these thru-hikers are all headed toward Canada.  They started on the trail at the Mexican border south of Lordsburg, New Mexico, and have only gone about 250 miles so far, so they’re still upbeat and positive about their trek.  Last Fall we were in this same area and we saw thru-hikers then who had started the trail at the Canadian border.  Those guys looked a lot more trail-worn (all the men had full beards) and some were attempting to hitchhike over the boring highway sections.

While we were up at the Gila Cliff Dwellings a few weeks ago, we pulled over to talk to two thru-hikers who were hitchhiking.  Their names were Bobby and Sydney.  Sydney had her lag wrapped in an ace bandage.  She had been suffering from shin splints for several days and had decided that she needed to get back to Silver City and lay low at the Motel 6 and rest her leg.  She needed a ride down the mountain.  Bobby was going to continue on the trail and hopefully Sydney would later catch a ride out of Silver City and catch up with him in Pie Town, New Mexico.  She didn’t care that we had no extra seats in Morrison.  She was happy to sit on the bed, as long as she could get back to Silver City.  Lucky for her, it was Dave’s birthday and we were planning to drive down to Silver City that day.  She climbed in and we had some good conversation during the 42 mile drive.  She was from Rocklin, California, and had hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in the past.  She had some interesting things to say and the drive went quickly.  We worried about her after we dropped her off at Motel 6.  Would her leg get better?  Would she be able to catch up with Bobby?  Would she get to hike the trail?

Fast forward maybe 10 days to Joe Skeen campground.  It was dusk and just starting to rain.  A young man walked past our camp.  He was obviously a thru-hiker so we offered to fill his water bottle (there was no water at the campground) and we chatted a bit.  Turned out he knew Bobby and Sydney.  He claimed they were just a little ways behind him, and they might be coming through the campground soon unless they stopped for the night elsewhere.  We asked the hiker from Ohio to tell them he had seen Dave and Marsha and he said he would.  We  were happy to hear that Sydney had caught up to Bobby and was on the trail again.  We did not see them that night, but looked for them on the road when we left in the morning.  We thought we saw them in Grants, NM later that morning, but it was some other pair—tall guy with beard, short woman with tattoos on the backs of her legs.  We continued to see hikers throughout the day, including one fellow we encountered on the Backcountry Byway, but now we are outside the area where any would be seen.  So glad to know that Bobby and Sydney are still hiking along.