The CDT is an opened ended sort of trail. It is only 70% complete and over the years people have mapped alternatives. Your job as a thru-hiker is to hike the CDT and any of the alternatives you wish. It’s like “create your own adventure”
Yesterday night I camped on Jacks Peak with Turbo. We were at 8000 feet and the night was chilly. He mentioned that the trail leading into Silver City was only partially complete. He said he was going to leave the trail before it ended abruptly. This would require a 12 mile road walk into Silver City on NM-90 highway.
So I to decided to do this cut-off too. And it wasn’t even an official alternative. I woke early and was on my way at 5:45. Turbo and I hike separately. I had to climb over Burro Peak in pre-dawn light and find the start of a dirt road after 2 miles. That went fine. However as I descended this road I missed a crucial turn. I continued on over a mile maybe two until I reached a locked gate saying No Entry Blasting. Then I realized my mistake. So I hiked back up the dirt road and found where I goofed. Then it as over 5 miles on this dirt road to NM-90 and 12 miles on asphalt to Silver City. By the time I got there I was beat.
While I was doing this I realized that I’d get to Silver City on Sunday and the Post Office wasn’t open until Monday morning. That means I would just have to kill time by getting a hotel room at the Palace Hotel, meeting and eating dinner with other hikers, and taking a much needed shower.
P.S. Remember to never pick-up an accidentally dropped GU packet and put it in your pocket so you can throw it out when you get to town. Being the good person that you are. And then have it leak inside that pocket causing an awful sticky mess.
P.S. Hikers who I have met so far: ThunderBunny and Swamy, Turbo, Moxie, One-Pole, Deco, ? and Lola.
