Ah yes, I am fortunate to live in the land enchantment. And am extremely excited to walk the home state. Finally, it's about time. Enough day dreaming and wondering about what lyes over the horizon.
One view in particular I see on clear days is Mt Taylor, Grants. From Santa Fe the CDT is mostly on a distant plane. Accessibility is somewhat limited on any given day, out of reach. The closest outlet would be Ghost Ranch or the San Pedros, Cuba. Which I have been on. And the Gila, well that place is just fantastic. Having taken a handful of trips down there. Before I even knew the middle fork was a chosen alternate for the CDT. The Gila was actually my first introduction into the wilderness of New Mexico.
It shook my bones and mystified me. A place of the ancients. The enchantment was bestowed.
I have been studying that dam CDTA coffee table book all these years. Watching the trail evolve over the years with all the updates, Bear Creek realignments and following the Ley alts. I have found the book useful in a lot of ways though.
I think I got it pretty well memorized...............
Significant Land Features and Towns
Here it goes no peeking
Crazy Cook BLM
Big hatchets
Little Hatchets
Coyote hills
Brockman hills
Pyramids
Lordsburg
Little Burros Gila Nat'l
Big Burros
Silver City-----------------------Black Range--Plains of San Augustine Pelona Mtn
Pinos Altos mtns Gila Nat'l FRST
Gila river- ALT
Docs/ Cliff Dwellings
Middle frk- snow lake Bursum Rd
Tularosa Mtns wagontunge
Govina Canyon----find that water off trail
Hwy 12 Reserve Apache Nat'l FRST
Valle Tio Vences
Mangas Mtns Fire tower
Allegres
Pie Town hwy 36-----Datils Sawtooths some what?
Long rd walk
Thomas mtn ranch
El Malpais Nat'l Monument
Chain of Craters(going for it)--------Cebolla ALT- Sand Armijo Cnys La Ventana Arch Zuni Acoma
Bandera Ice Caves
Bonita Cnyn/Zuni Mtns
Grants Cibola Nat'l FRST
Mt Taylor -san mateo mtns
Mesa Chivato escarpment
Cabezon Pk plug- rio puerco valley
Cuba
San Pedro Parks Wilderness Santa Fe Nat'l FRST
x hwy 96
Ojitos Canyon
Chama River/Skull Bridge
Ghost Ranch Carson Nat'l FRST
Kitch mesa? or
Harris Bear camp
Tusas Mtns-Mogogito Pk
-Mogote Pk
La gunitas Campground
Brazos
Lake Hopewell
Cruces Basin
Cumbres Pass hwy 17 CO
Chama NM
South San juans CO
I'm sure there's plenty more to add and a few mistakes.
I can't wait to see it on the ground.
To revisit places of memory.
To bridge the gaps and walk the flow.
To breath that familiar air, dry it is.
To smell the pinon
To feel that oh so strong wind.
To soak in that common sun.
To quench my thirst with the precious resource water is
Out of all the states, NM is the one that should be the most exotic is a sense. Something different. The lower southern latitudes have such a different ecosystem away from the alpine driven northern states.
As well as a historically rich culture. Which at one point would have been difficult to travel through the state. Especially the boot heel.
