This is the segment of the CDT that goes through the Burro Mountains and over Burro Peak. According to the guidebook, "As unsung as their namesake, the Burro Mountains occupy a minor place in most people’s consciousness. Today their main cachet is the presence of the Continental Divide and the Continental Divide Trail."
The guidebook, six years from publication and admittedly out of date, states that "alternatives to a road CDT route are being explored, but for now…" Well, the alternatives have been explored, the trail has been laid out and constructed, and these two days of hiking were a real highlight of the trek up to now, at least for Pem and me. (Actually, it would be a disappointment if, six years later, the guidebook did still represent an accurate description of the trail.)
Joseph Gendron was with us for these two days. We are learning much from Joseph, and his presence with us is highly beneficial. On Monday, we were also joined by David Warnack and Joe Trujillo of the Forestry Service. As we hiked along, David and Joe explained a lot about how the trail had been brought off the road and up into the mountains.
There was also a big surprise, in that David remembered me from five years ago when he helped us with a three-day Rotary Trek north of Silver City. I recognized him as looking familiar to me, but until he mentioned that he knew me from somewhere, I could not figure out the connection.
I have to say that this segment of the Trail is now a showcase for trail design and construction. What good fortune it was for us that we were able to hike with the individual primarily responsible for its location and building! It is unfortunate that the guidebook includes statements such as "as unsung as their namesake," "true, they’re sure-enough mountains, but except for local ranchers, hunters, 4WD drivers—and CDT hikers—the Big Burros are largely ignored by the public," and "the Burros have their charms, to be sure, but who would go to the dry, undistinguished Burros when the vast Gila Wilderness, with 600 miles of trails, as well as hot springs, beautiful rivers, and magnificent peaks, is nearby?" All of these statements were true six or more years ago. I wonder when an updated guidebook will be created, for the one we are using is SO out of date. ~~ AND out of print now. I’m also prompted to wonder about the worth of a revised guidebook, for a lot of work has been done in recent years, and is being done today, to take the Trail off roads and make it as Congress designated, "a non-motorized hiking trail within 50 miles of the actual Great Divide." With the technology available today, it would be great if there were a dynamic guidebook available, such that hikers could, from month to month, or at least from year to year, learn all about the current route of the CDT. Who will step forward to take on this tremendous challenge? ~~ and how would CDT hikers know that it was available?
During the weekend and these two days, we saw several hikers walking on the road between the Separ Road junction and Silver City. We guessed that these hikers did not know that the Trail has been totally re-routed from Lordsburg north to NM 90, mostly off road. We guessed that if they had studied the guidebook, they had decided not to backtrack a few miles to this segment’s trailhead, or did not even know that the new trail was there for them to use. What a shame! These people missed a great hike on the new Trail through the Burro Mountains and over Burro Peak.
Well, we saw no burros. We did see deer, and bear sign, and several birds. The awesome engineering of the trail, the sounds of nature, the smells of the juniper and other plant life, and particularly the presence of Joseph, David, and Joe, all contributed to making the hike through this segment a real joy, and a highlight of the hiking part of the Rotary CDT Challenge.
No comments:
Post a Comment