Daily Miles: 16.9, Total Miles: 36.1 An early start with sunny skies, climbed about 1,000 ft to another ridge and passed through a large, old burn. I conveniently refilled water bottles at the North Fork Volunteer Fire Department. Back into the forest for another ten miles before getting stopped cold by a thunderstorm. Lightning, hail and a cloudburst finale. Got my rain jacket on but by the time I found cover under trees, I was drenched. The stream I was…
Daily Miles: 19.2, Total Miles: 19.2 I got into Denver yesterday and good friend, Carol, picked me up from the airport. After a most excellent Italian dinner and good sleep, we were out to Waterton TH by 6:15am. I bid my farewell and joined a fairly steady stream of joggers/runners, mountain bikers, fishermen, and fishermen on bikes along the inviting South Platte River for six miles. I saw several bighorns along the way including a few young ones having a…
We’ve been in SW Colorado the past five weeks camping, kayaking, a little fishing and a lot of hiking. Couldn’t have been a better training plan for the upcoming CT hike. We started near Durango with day hikes from CT’s Junction Creek and Little Molas Lake. Also took a rainy hike to Crater Lake and Twilight Peak. Moved on to West Fork San Juan at the western base of Wolf Creek Pass. Hiked to 4-Mile Falls north of Pagosa Springs…
I always look forward to my hikes but may be a new level of anticipation with the CT this year. Maybe it’s coming out of this COVID nightmare and returning to more a sense of normalcy. Although the jury is still out on that one. I just hope this country is strong enough and collectively has the conviction to do the right things. I’m sure it has something to do with the beauty, majesty and memories of past adventures in…
I now have my guidebook, data book, maps and the CT app. Having said that, it will be hard to get lost – I just like to be prepared. No changes to my Big 3. I will stick with my Zpacks Altaplex tent, Zpacks Arc Blast pack and EE Enigma quilt, my latest acquisition which served me well on the Sky Islands Traverse hike in the spring. The rest of the gear also appears to be in fairly good shape….
My SKIT hike took me 488 miles in a giant corkscrew route over and across 10 separate and distinct Sky Islands in SE Arizona. I broke it up into two halves, one fall and one early spring hike. The fall first half started in the Dragoons, turned south up the San Pedro River and joined the AZT at the top of the Huachuca Mountains. I enjoyed revisiting one of my favorite hikes for the next 150 miles through the Santa…
Daily Miles: 19.0, Total Miles: 487.5 The decision of the day was to get back on the SKIT at Onion Saddle or continue down FR42 all the way to Portal. I chose to head down to Portal, missing about seven miles of trail and the climb to Silver Peak. Headed straight to the Portal Lodge and Cafe for an add-day breakfast. Might have to come back later for the peach cobbler. This decision meant that Mrs. Haze could pick me…
Daily Miles: 12.4, Total Miles: 468.5 Today was excruciatingly slow progress with bushwhacking up the rest of Wood Canyon Park dodging tree overhangs, downfall, cat claw, yuccas and pointy agave. Then down into Indian Creek, the upper part of the canyon choked with flood debris, no really good route, just finding the path of least resistance and pain. I found water pools in a narrows section, fortunately more difficult for the cattle to reach. The lower part of Indian Creek…
Daily Miles: 14.7, Total Miles: 441.4 An unusually quiet night, except for one hooting owl. I was up early and cut across to the Mulkins Ranch Road on a gas pipeline service road. Initially making good time heading into Emigrant Canyon and the Chiricahua Mountains. Got water at a large cattle trough and continued up the canyon on a 4WD road, then just following the wash. Some parts of the canyon had flowing water, usually fouled by cattle. I entered…
Daily Miles: 14.7, Total Miles: 441.4 Got an early start knowing it was going to be a cross-country scramble. Up and out of several washes on the hottest hiking day so far, probably close to 90 degrees. I reached the Dos Cabezas Wilderness boundary and continued a steep climb up Cement Canyon to Happy Canyon to Tar Box Canyon. Rough, rough country, no trail, and slow, slow progress. I wanted to get water at Bob Lee Spring but it was…
