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[cdt-l] back from 2001 hike



Jonathan -
Welcome back - we're really happy to hear from you again.  It sounds like 
you had a really good hike - and we'd like to hear about it.  We are, of 
course, somewhat envious of your "low snow year" - maybe next time we 
thruhike we'll get that too.  But I won't count on it.

Not to worry about "unsolicited" information - there are those of us who 
want it - and if there's anyone who doesn't want it, they don't have to use 
it  :-))

Keep it coming!!

Walk softly,
Jim

************************************************************
"Cutting the space budget really restores my faith in humanity. It 
eliminates dreams, goals, and ideals and lets us get straight to the 
business of hate, debauchery, and self-annihilation." -- Johnny Hart



Jonathan Ley wrote:
>Hi all,
>Well, I finally made it.  Let out a couple "wahoo's!"
>and hung with the boys at Antelope Wells.  I'm back on
>the list.  Are there any other 2001'ers out there?
>(there are only a handfull anyway & a bunch of them
>are still hiking).  I hope to provide as much info as
>I can to 2002 hikers (but I'm not going to subscribe
>to that other list).  If anyone out there has any
>questions about anything, I'm pretty fresh off the
>trail... I plan to post some unsolicitied advice/info
>as well.  A few tidbits:
>
>I started on June 15th & had no problems with existing
>snowpack up north.  The snow was about 60-70% of
>normal.  I only needed an ice-axe for about 20 yards
>of crossing the Ahern Drift - chopped steps, etc.
>That's a short distance, but there's really no way
>around it & it would be very dangerous to cross in
>early season without one.  Of course, you could take
>another (official) route through GNP and avoid the
>drift altogether.
>
>I'd recommend using the CDTS/Jim Wolf guidebooks,
>especially if you're headed south.  There are a few
>places where the other guidebooks WILL get you lost -
>There simply isn't enough detail in them & the trail
>is unmarked in those places.  It would help to have a
>good topo map for those bits, but the trail isn't
>always on those either...
>
>I had pretty decent weather the whole way.  Plenty of
>thunderstorms in July/August, but they never lasted
>long. I got lucky & had no lightning in the few places
>in MT/ID where cover is miles away in any direction.
>Got 8 inches of snow in No. Colorado on Sept 8th, but
>it was a fluke somewhat & cleared.  I just got out of
>the San Juans before a nasty cold front came through
>around Oct 10-12th (I think).  I talked to someone a
>week behind me & he had knee-deep snow there. yikes!
>
>In NM, I followed the CDTS route to Grants, then made
>my own route to pie town (more details later), had no
>problems hitching to reserve - plenty of traffic.  The
>trails in the northern Gila are not good.  There is a
>designated route along the divide (which I followed
>for a little while), but it appears to be nothing more
>than tree blazes - 0 tread & lots of nasty
>bushwhacking & no water.  I followed the Gila river
>for longer than most do & it was a treat, although my
>exact route would probably be impassable in the
>spring.  I had no problems with water in any of NM.
>My water either came from towns/businesses/hunters or
>stock tanks.  The lack of surface water in the fall in
>NM didn't matter. I hiked about 27-30 mpd in NM and
>had a max capacity of 4 liters, although I rarely
>needed it. Weather in NM was 60-75 & p/c skies
>generally.  Very pleasant for walking.
>
>-Jonathan
>pct 99
>cdt 01 <--- yeah!


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