Grants, NM
howdy people,
well, I can't upload any of the astounding digital photos we have of our last couple weeks on the trail from the Mother Whiteside public library here in Grants (its against the rules), but I did find this fine image of our hotel online, back in its heyday:
what it doesn't show is the two sets of train tracks immediately behind the place, and it turns out that rail traffic along the I-40 corridor is extensive. We have heard a lot of material goods being shipped both east and west during the night. O train, won't you blow your whistle - again, and again...One of the added benefits that comes when you are willing to shell out $20/night for a double bed at a sweet place like the Fransiscan in a swell city like Grants. Actually, Grants aint all that bad, once you get used to all the abandoned buildings and mean-looking snarling and barking dogs in every yard.
More photos when we get to White Rock in about 10 days. Until then just words. I'm supposed to write about the last 6 days of our journey, from Pie Town to Grants, and Beth's going to let you know about the stretch from Silver to Pie Town. So, here goes:
Pie Town: nice little place, about 20 buildings total, including post office and Pie-O-Neer. Turned out the pie-o-neer was open when we got there at about 10 am, which was great news for us as it was a chance to eat some green chile cheeseburgers, blueberry and apple pie, and drink about 20 cups of coffee (me, not B). Food packages awaited at post office, and many thanks for the yummy stuff and the Onion, you know who you are:). The rest of the day walking on north on a dirt road and sitting in the shade digesting. About another day to the Cebolla Wilderness south of El Malpais - beautiful little sandstone canyons and mesas, old homesteads, petroglyphs, the works. We had some really nice walking along the rim of the mesas east of Malpais, with dramatic views of the lava flows 600' below, and extending about as far as the eye could see to the south, west, and north. Unearthly black landscape of rock layered and rippled, twisted, knotted, fractured. First views conical 11,200 Mt. Taylor to the far north, still snowcapped. Turquoise mountain of the south for the Navajo. Still cold at night, water bottles freezing. The next day we crossed the lava flows on the 7.5 mile Zuni-Acoma trail, and ancient cairned route connecting the two pueblos, and got a chance to really get out there in the middle of the Malpais, pretty cool. Then a long hike up colorful Bonita Canyon, where we sought a spring in the twilight, but no water anywhere, spring dry. We only had enough water for a hot drink at sunrise, then a dry 12 mile walk down Zuni Canyon to Grants.
Our first stop in Grants: McDonalds, our first water source in 20 miles. Definitely got some weird looks walking into the place busy with the lunch hour rush and full of fat, recently showered types, us dusty and smelly from the trail, packs on our backs, and ordering only milkshakes, orange juice, and sodas. But there you have it.
A strange coincidence: last night we went out to eat at a place called La Ventana, which a turkey hunter from Grants, whom we met in Bonita Canyon had recommended to us. Turned out to be a pretty darn good place, and after we finished with our ribs and chicken enchiladas and margaritas, Beth got to talking about our trip with someone who worked there. "Oh, you guys hiking the continental divide? I should take you round to the back room, there's a whole meeting for the Continental Divide Trail Alliance, maybe they can give you some T-shirts". Turns out that its the CDTA's 10th anniversary meeting in the back of the restaurant, and when we went in, its Bob Julyan giving a talk, the guy who wrote the "official" guidebook for NM. We've been hiking some parts of the "official" route described in the book, as well as pieces of other routes we've read about, found out about online, or just figured out as we went along. And, though the book's not bad, its clearly not wholly written for the dedicated thru-hiker (understandably, otherwise they'd only sell a few copies a year), and we've had not always the most positive reviews of the "official" guide, and more than a few laughs about the "official" recommendations, when there are some better options out there if you are willing to pick your own route, bushwack a bit, tresspass a little, etc. But what are you going to say when you meet the guy who wrote the book, and they give you cheesecake and T-shirts?
"Thanks a lot. The book's great. You guys are great. Keep up the good work."
And we meant it.
So about a week to Cuba NM, then a bit of a break from the trail. So far so good, great actually. About 3 weeks in and don't want to stop. But we're both starting to feel it some, Beth with some wicked blisters, and the general aches and pains in my left leg (the one thats too long) becoming concentrated in the ankle, and some little ligament or tendon thing in my right foot (on the shorter leg) also a bit tweaked. I vaguely remember a doctor-type at some point in my past pointing out the disparity in my leg length, and I guess its pretty common, but I'd never really noticed before. But once I noticed, about 3 days ago, I really noticed, and now every step I take I feel my left leg awkwardly, dumbly swinging way out there, and my little right leg hurrying to keep up. But thats not much to complain about.
Take care.
well, I can't upload any of the astounding digital photos we have of our last couple weeks on the trail from the Mother Whiteside public library here in Grants (its against the rules), but I did find this fine image of our hotel online, back in its heyday:
what it doesn't show is the two sets of train tracks immediately behind the place, and it turns out that rail traffic along the I-40 corridor is extensive. We have heard a lot of material goods being shipped both east and west during the night. O train, won't you blow your whistle - again, and again...One of the added benefits that comes when you are willing to shell out $20/night for a double bed at a sweet place like the Fransiscan in a swell city like Grants. Actually, Grants aint all that bad, once you get used to all the abandoned buildings and mean-looking snarling and barking dogs in every yard.
More photos when we get to White Rock in about 10 days. Until then just words. I'm supposed to write about the last 6 days of our journey, from Pie Town to Grants, and Beth's going to let you know about the stretch from Silver to Pie Town. So, here goes:
Pie Town: nice little place, about 20 buildings total, including post office and Pie-O-Neer. Turned out the pie-o-neer was open when we got there at about 10 am, which was great news for us as it was a chance to eat some green chile cheeseburgers, blueberry and apple pie, and drink about 20 cups of coffee (me, not B). Food packages awaited at post office, and many thanks for the yummy stuff and the Onion, you know who you are:). The rest of the day walking on north on a dirt road and sitting in the shade digesting. About another day to the Cebolla Wilderness south of El Malpais - beautiful little sandstone canyons and mesas, old homesteads, petroglyphs, the works. We had some really nice walking along the rim of the mesas east of Malpais, with dramatic views of the lava flows 600' below, and extending about as far as the eye could see to the south, west, and north. Unearthly black landscape of rock layered and rippled, twisted, knotted, fractured. First views conical 11,200 Mt. Taylor to the far north, still snowcapped. Turquoise mountain of the south for the Navajo. Still cold at night, water bottles freezing. The next day we crossed the lava flows on the 7.5 mile Zuni-Acoma trail, and ancient cairned route connecting the two pueblos, and got a chance to really get out there in the middle of the Malpais, pretty cool. Then a long hike up colorful Bonita Canyon, where we sought a spring in the twilight, but no water anywhere, spring dry. We only had enough water for a hot drink at sunrise, then a dry 12 mile walk down Zuni Canyon to Grants.
Our first stop in Grants: McDonalds, our first water source in 20 miles. Definitely got some weird looks walking into the place busy with the lunch hour rush and full of fat, recently showered types, us dusty and smelly from the trail, packs on our backs, and ordering only milkshakes, orange juice, and sodas. But there you have it.
A strange coincidence: last night we went out to eat at a place called La Ventana, which a turkey hunter from Grants, whom we met in Bonita Canyon had recommended to us. Turned out to be a pretty darn good place, and after we finished with our ribs and chicken enchiladas and margaritas, Beth got to talking about our trip with someone who worked there. "Oh, you guys hiking the continental divide? I should take you round to the back room, there's a whole meeting for the Continental Divide Trail Alliance, maybe they can give you some T-shirts". Turns out that its the CDTA's 10th anniversary meeting in the back of the restaurant, and when we went in, its Bob Julyan giving a talk, the guy who wrote the "official" guidebook for NM. We've been hiking some parts of the "official" route described in the book, as well as pieces of other routes we've read about, found out about online, or just figured out as we went along. And, though the book's not bad, its clearly not wholly written for the dedicated thru-hiker (understandably, otherwise they'd only sell a few copies a year), and we've had not always the most positive reviews of the "official" guide, and more than a few laughs about the "official" recommendations, when there are some better options out there if you are willing to pick your own route, bushwack a bit, tresspass a little, etc. But what are you going to say when you meet the guy who wrote the book, and they give you cheesecake and T-shirts?
"Thanks a lot. The book's great. You guys are great. Keep up the good work."
And we meant it.
So about a week to Cuba NM, then a bit of a break from the trail. So far so good, great actually. About 3 weeks in and don't want to stop. But we're both starting to feel it some, Beth with some wicked blisters, and the general aches and pains in my left leg (the one thats too long) becoming concentrated in the ankle, and some little ligament or tendon thing in my right foot (on the shorter leg) also a bit tweaked. I vaguely remember a doctor-type at some point in my past pointing out the disparity in my leg length, and I guess its pretty common, but I'd never really noticed before. But once I noticed, about 3 days ago, I really noticed, and now every step I take I feel my left leg awkwardly, dumbly swinging way out there, and my little right leg hurrying to keep up. But thats not much to complain about.
Take care.
posted by coop at 9:00 AM
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