Section 26 is 87.7 miles long and runs from Lordsburg, New Mexico to MEXICO!!! The Hachita ruins were fascinating and I took a lot of photos so I am breaking this section into two pars. December 1st - 2nd.
Day 161, 31.1 miles to marker 2967.3
Another chilly night left a layer of frost on my tent but at least there were no trees to block the sunshine from starting to warm things up. I passed a decaying tiny bulldozer and then stopped at a water tank to change out of my PJs and let my rain fly dry out from the frosty covering. PS caught up as I was getting packed and we hiked for a couple miles but my lengthy stride propelled me ahead and I again got lost in my thoughts about post-trail-life. I ripped off ten miles without a break and I constantly had to hop over or duck under barbed wire fences. I surprisingly had cell service at the next water cache so during my food break and water re-up I watched the Ravens - 49ers highlights. We won!
Snow capped peaks in the distance.
This old bulldozer was left to rot in the desert sun.
Desert Mountains for days.
Jackrabbit. Their oversized ears help them shed heat and cool down.
I kept up a fast pace, needing to make back-to-back 30+ mile days in order to finish on time and meet Sea Lion at the border. I arrived at the New Coyote tank at dusk, and just about as I would’ve needed my headlamp, the trail transitioned onto a dirt road so it was easy to navigate by moonlight. Everything was calm and peaceful and was accompanied by the piecing silence of the desert. I passed up a gorgeous campsite in a little oasis of trees because I was determined to hit at least 30 miles. “Just to the next water source” I kept telling myself. Well, the next water source was an algae-filled tractor tire absolutely surrounded by cows poo and it took me quite a long time to find a tent site not directly on top of a pie. Ya win some, ya lose some.
Prickly Pear Cactus.
Powering the bootheel of New Mexico.
Day 162, 31.6 miles to Commodore Road
I had a few uneventful miles in the morning en route to the next water cache. I again changed out of my PJs as I let some water drip filter and, not long after, PS caught up again. We hiked together for a little bit but parted ways when I decided to take an alt route to the old abandoned mining town of Hachita while she elected to stay on the official trail. The sagebrush and shrubs were spaced far enough apart that the bushwhack towards the ruins was not that different from the actual CDT. As I came around the base of a hill, I could see the structures on top of a small ridge. Before I reached them I stumbled across a vertical mine shaft, with no barrier, cover, or rope to warn people (or cattle) of this sudden 40 foot hole in the ground. I tossed a rock down and it was deep. I passed a few more of these surprise pits and thought how insanely dangerous it would be to night hike this area. The village was mostly pueblo structures in various states of decay and a few water tanks rusting away in the exposed desert sun.
Extended version of Hachita Ghost Town (8:32. Embedded video below is 3:49)
This fridge could use some work.
I crested over the ridge on my way to intersect back to the CDT but discovered another cluster of ruins that looked more like the factories and processing buildings for the ore. The high desert sun provided flaring starbursts for many of my photos of the place. I crossed a slag pit, a broken glass pile, and another slag pit before getting back on trail. I started to get sluggish but I was determined to make it at least halfway through the 19-mile water carry before taking a break. That mark arrived under the nice shade of the only tree within eyesight, where I finished my water, and continued on towards Hachita Peak. There were washouts and cliffs so rugged that even a dirtbike would struggle to navigate them, let alone any sort of 4-wheeled vehicle. I hoped Commodore Road (the route Sea Lion would be driving down the next day) was in better shape, otherwise we would have to backtrack 26 miles to the paved road. Some jet fighters were screeching overhead as they circled the Hatchet Mountains, likely just a training exercise.
Slag Pit, Decaying Factory, Blue Desert Sky.
I then got to Commodore Road which was my final alternate route. I decided to walk it entirely in order to leave breadcrumbs for Sea Lion to follow via marking waypoints and uploading them with notes with my Garmin. Which puddles should be avoided or were passable, deep ruts to skirt around, or turns to take. As darkness began to fall, a tow truck drove by, not a good sign. PS caught up again as she was taking Commodore Road to the next water cache so we hiked together again. That tow truck came back our direction but was empty handed, no vehicle in tow. Weird. We set camp and were both too tired to have a fire or celebrate the final night on the trail.
Always so many bones in the desert.
Jet Fighter leaving vertical contrails in the desert sky.
Last sunset I saw before I became a Triple Crowner.