I have determined my start date for the Vagabond Loop to be April 4th. Sweaty-Z and I, along with Lint, will leave Glenwood Springs on April 2nd and make our way to the Coronado National Monument marking the southern terminus of the AZT.
Yea, that’s right, I said Lint!
Lint has decided to join me for the AZT portion of the AZT, then swoop on over to the PCT after his romp in Arizona with me. Back at it, NERDS in action, mashin’ trail together again!
I am geeked out of my head right now. I want to leave it all behind and go farther away. I have been planning and dreaming and visualizing this VL for months now. I’ve worked extremely hard at CME to fund the adventure and I cannot wait to be a filthy little dirtmonger again. I cannot wait to shit where I want, not shower nor shave/trim; I cannot wait to see the sidelong, suspicious glances of town folk. I cannot wait to not be around fur coats and the snobby rich of Aspen. I yearn to be doused in dirt, re-baptized in the in the simplistic filth, roving overland and baying at the moon. Fuck, I cannot wait to be that dirt-warrior again, to feel the pain, to feel the freedom, to eschew time, to thirst, starve, and then dig deep and push, mash. I cannot wait to endure…
Route planning is venturing along, sometimes at a snail’s pace. The section between the Sangres in CO and Red River in NM, you know, the private land owned by mega-ranches, has hit a stalling point. I’ve been refused entry. But I did have good relations with an ol’ timer down in La Veta who works for the USFS. Maybe I’ll drop by and see him when I am down there…
I am a bit deterred but not thwarted from thinking I can bridge the gap. Something will turn out, just gotta keep it moving forward.
On the other hand, I have had great relations with the San Juan Hut Systems group based out of Ridgway, CO. I will be using there route from Moab to Durango following a series of backcountry huts through isolated and faraway terrain. Joe with SJHS has been an awesome trail-dog to chat with. He knows his stuff and the SJHS runs a kick-ass operation. He has been extremely helpful and will pass along routes and maps as they become available. I think this’ll develop into a very good relationship. He offered placing a re-supply box for me at one of the huts that is roughly the halfway point between the 2 towns.
Shit, he even offered up the food stashed in the huts, for a nominal fee, of course. The huts have water too!! And, they have a wood deck if I am so inclined to whip out the sleeping pad and crash under a secure surface. Backcountry travel at its finest, even for a dirt monger like myself. It’ll be nice to be pampered after being hammered by the Hayduke Trail!
Since I will be in the area as they are starting their mountain bike tours I am sure we will meet up at some point. Trail magic already!!!!
I have bought all my food for the AZT and will be mailing them out next week. My gear is all set, as well.
A trail buddy of mine from the PCT, Rainer, is out hiking the AZT right now and sending me water updates. Valuable information on a tough-ass trail. Check out his blog: http://longwalksanddirtysocks.wordpress.com/
A fellow driver at CME told me he is working in Anchorage, AK this summer. He told me the drive would take about a week and would be roughly 3,500m from Denver to there. I was like, 'OH SHIT!!' That's what I am going to be walking, numbers-wise! A great introperspective on the burtality I will be putting myself through...
I am, I'm sure, not the first one to concieve of hiking the four trails intertwined in the VL. But I may be the first to do all four in one season. Plenty of people have hiked the CT, a bunch fewer on the AZT, even way less on the GET, and a smidge lower than the GET is the HT. I know Swami did 3 last year, and a handful have completed 2 of them. All in, I say, all in...
Quote of the day: 'Stay hungry. Stay foolish.'
I am stoveless. I have been that way for all my thru-hikes. I hike differently than most and go farther than most, so finding ways to enhance my performance and sate my motor-driven mind is very important. Stoveless fits my hiking style: light, fast and efficient. Since I am not motivated by lavish meals on trail, going stoveless enables me to treat food as fuel to sustain the machine to the next town stop. I don’t like to spend time in camp cooking dinner. I spend most of my time hiking solo and I feel spending time in camp cooking dinner is more of a social bent. I need to use my time efficiently.
I use the craving for ’better’ food towards the end of a section to drive me forward to my next stop. Of course I love food, but while on trail I need that food to be purposeful. But that does not mean I will eat that monkish while in town. As stated in a previous paragraph, I am working on controlling the binges with proper food intake while in town. On trail, I want my meals to be healthy and simple. What that means to me is getting proper nutrition with dehydrated and compact foods (light) for the activity I do (speed hiking) and having the means to prepare the meal in little time (fast and stoveless).
I have my system and preparation down pat. For breakfast or lunch I will whip something that is instant, like a veggie-protein shake, mashed potatoes, dehydrated peanut butter or oatmeal. I supplement the time between those two meals with energy bars, such as ClifBars, Lara Bars, and the like. For lunch, I will have some type of salty snack to go with the mashed potatoes, like Fritos or Wheat Thins. Between lunch and dinner, I will consume more energy bars and some more of the salty snack. Around 530pm each day I will then soak my dehydrated dinner: a plenitude of mixtures that may include refried beans, mixed veggies, bell peppers, peas, TVP, kale powder, tomato powder, and mashed potatoes. The mixtures are soaked with water in a 16oz. plastic container with a twist cap to prevent leakage and stowed in my outer mesh pouch on the Kumo Superlight. I keep the mixture stowed there for about an hour and let sunrays heat the mixture up to an ambient temperature. Stoveless is essentially going ‘cold,’ however, almost every meal I make on trail for dinner is not. Cold in this instance implies no flame to heat my food.
Most food most hikers cook are in dehydrated form. I found that I didn’t mind eating something at room temperature, a left over burrito or a slice of pizza left in a box on a kitchen counter top. I applied that comfort level to the trail. I basically use the same product as most hikers except I leave out food items that would take longer to prepare such as rice and pasta noodles. I can get my carbs from either tortillas or flat breads. Since, I eat dinner around 630pm every night and use the meal for energy to hike another 2-3hrs, I found if I ate too many carbs I would bonk during that timeframe. So my last meal of the day is loaded with protein and fat. I try to have my morning and lunch meals carb-loaded as I expend more calories during those times of vigorous hiking. So, I even have a method of what to eat at specific times of the day to proficiently use the nutrients I intake.
And you know what? The dehydrated form of the food I eat saves weight. My food is condensed to have more calories per ounce. I also strive to have healthy food that have useful calories instead of empty calories. So, I do look at what I am eating and the weight of what I am eating. The powdered stuff I re-package for the section I am hiking, pretty controlled and straight forward there. However, for energy bars I look at the weight of the bar (ClifBar weighs 2.4oz.) and how many calories (ClifBar has 240cal), then deduce how many calories per ounce to then achieve the lowest, most efficient weight of bars to carry. As I say this, I am still able to carry about 2lbs of food per day and consume roughly 5,000 calories per day. My goal in conserving weight with food is not to forsake the nutritional value of food. I want more bang for the buck/ounce, basically.
Yea, yea, yea, some may say: How can you eat those things over and over again? Remember, I am not motivated by taste, per se, while on trail. I am motivated by proper fuel to sustain the machine to efficiently get into town healthily. So, it can proverbially ‘taste like shit’ but if it’s going to help me perform at high levels then I’ll do it. Well, at least it has to be food nutrition and not any other fake supplements. But last year, hiking with Lint broadened my taste spectrum with different, healthy ingredients. So, now I have more of a variety of dehydrated foods, all of which you can find online, and I know of more options of energy bars. I tend to get bogged down with tunnel vision or an intense focus and Lint shattered the steady glare with variety. I had started the CDT with more variety in flavors of ClifBars but my other meals were still bland, to say the least. I helped him in transitioning from a Bush Buddy stove system to going stove less, and he helped me with taste variety. After meeting Lint and applying our strategies together I now have a more flavorful and healthier diet of dehydrated meals. Sometimes, I do not even realize I am not cooking my food because the meals taste so good.
To me stoves and fuel are just pointless weight. They take up space and time with bulk and maintenance. Here are some other advantages:
*If I am going to carry any extra liquid weight it is going to be of the sort I can hydrate my body with. Liquid weight, as in fuel, can be cumbersome. If I am in especially arid conditions I want more capacity and space to carry water rather than fuel.
*My plastic 16oz. bowl is rinsed out with water daily and roughly shaken to shed water to clean. Quick and easy. And no mess!
*I save money because I do not have to buy fuel and name brand dehydrated food packages, like Knorr. I buy in bulk, then re-package. I use about 2 plastic bowls per trail.
*The actual time I use to cook my food is literally around 2 minutes or a tad less.
*Being stoveless is better on the environment and follows a strict Leave No Trace ethic. I do not start any fires, unless in an emergency, so scarring the land is extremely minimal. I release nothing in the air, save for the rear-end gas.
*Because I release minimal aromas, being stoveless is safer in bear country. Cooking food with flame releases scents from food and disperses the scents around the area. Bears have notoriously the best sense of smell around but they will have to be very close by to smell my food if I am eating it. Plus, when I am hiking and soaking my food the scent is dispersed in minimal, non-attractive concentrations.
I guess you can say stoveless is a form of ‘fast food.’ The difference between what the normal humans consider fast food and my method is mine is healthier and provides my machine with proper nutrition and energy. I cannot say exactly how much weight I save, however, I can estimate with an educated guess that I save about 4lbs on a typical section of trail, say 4 days and 125m, with reliable water resources, and with a typical backpack weight consisting of warm weather gear. This estimated 4lbs is a considerable sum. My pack without food and water is roughly 7lbs, with food and water I average roughly 20lbs in total of which water weight is 2L worth or 4lbs. If I am in extreme dry areas my pack would weigh close to 30lbs in total. Now add the extra 4lbs from stove and gas, then I would need to add more for the new backpack I would need, and I would be pushing 40lbs! With that much weight on your back it is really hard to do 35m, period
For the Vagabond Loop I have the opportunity to be represent 3 gear sponsors: Gossamer Gear, YAMA Mountain Gear, and Vasque. I have refined my gear through these sponsors and Lint, my hiking partner from last year on the CDT, to lower my base weight from about 9lbs to 7lbs. My goal was not to just have the lowest weight possible, rather my goal was to refine my gear with the materials, gear, and product best suited to my hiking style, experience, and comfortability.
Before obtaining the backing of sponsors I spoke countless of hours with Lint on the CDT about ultralite backpacking, gear, and hiking style. We complimented each other with our styles and pace as well as the urge to constantly get better. Some upgrades I made to my gear through conversations with Lint are thus:
*Headlamp to light-weight mini lamp. They both share roughly the same wattage and brightness yet the mini lamp is an ounce lighter and way more compact. One lithium battery will last a long time on trail as per usage I may employ.
*2 Black Diamond Trekking Poles to 1 Gossamer Gear LT4 Trekking Pole. The weight I shave is significant, almost 3/4lbs. I haven’t obtained the GG LT4 yet as I am waiting for inventory to bulk up. Also, Lint was helpful in swaying me to disencumber myself of 2 poles. I finished the CDT not using my poles and the bursitis in my heel subsided considerably. But, since I am not completely confident in how my heel will be once on the AZT I will start with 1 pole. I can either add or rid a pole as the trail goes.
*Larger liquid and powder containers to smaller BPL droppers. I started this trend last year while on trail pre-Lint. For some reason, I still had the mind state of carrying something with extra surplus, like water purification and toothpaste. It was as if I was afraid I was going to run out even though I had way more than enough. Once with Lint, I narrowed my inventory to pure basic needs for a very specific timeframe. If I needed more of something I would ship it via postage. And I will start out with that this year: smaller containers with adequate inventory for a specific timeframe. And I will package extra quantities in my re-supply packages for the VL.
*Synthetic vest to a Montbell UL Down Jacket. One of my favorite upgrades! This eliminates my need for a long-sleeve shirt, which adds more weight in concurrence with the vest, short-sleeve, and rain coat. The UL keeps me warmer when I truly need it, as well as doubles as extra warmth for my sleep system. I now use only a short sleeve, a Montbell Dynamo Wind Park (which doubles as a long-sleeve for warmth and minor rain protection. I forsake a true raincoat based off the type of environs I will trekking through and because of the short, heavy downpours. For those reasons I believe I won‘t be as wet as long and the dry, heat of the areas will help in drying.), and the UL. I save roughly 1/2lbs and I get way better product.
*Lastly, GoLite Jam to GG Kumo Superlight. They are roughly the same pack with similar storage volume but the Kumo saves me about 10oz. I only had minor beef with the Jam as it was a reliable backpack. However, the Kumo has some characteristics that are more advantageous to my style of hiking, in particular an outer mesh pocket (better for soaking my food), more conforming and comfortable straps, and the obvious lighter weight with more durable material. See the GG Buzz here on the Kumo while hiking the Kokpelli Trail.
I decided while hiking the CDT to change my shelter as well. The GoLite Shangri-La 1 is a good product and served me well but I wanted I more minimal and lighter shelter. To achieve that I will need a different material from silnylon, in particular cuben fiber or spinnaker. With that in mind, I had to consider cost. The latter 2 materials are pricey though top of the line. Enter YAMA Mountain Gear. I met Gen, the owner and seamster of YAMA, on the CDT except rather than walking he was riding an unicycle north from Canada towards Mexico. He makes superior product while maintaining a small, U.S.A, hand-stitched business. Of course, I would rep his product. But because YAMA is a start-up, the cuben fiber Cirriform 1 tarp is not available. So, as of now, Gen and I have agreed on the Stratiform 1. I’ve yet to field test it because of my hectic schedule and planning but we will decide which shelter will be most useful and beneficial for me while on the VL. I am really excited to rep an ultralite weight company with a like-minded philosophy and thru-hiking spirit.
The same goes for GG. I stumbled upon their product on the PCT and for the CDT I swooped up the Thinlite Insulation Pad and Polycryo Ground Cloth. Last October, I traveled to Austin. Wouldn’t you know, Austin is where GG is based. Lint enlightened me of this fact and, next thing I knew, I was touring the house/facility. I walked away from there asking myself: ‘Did I just score a sponsor?’
I am a Trail Ambassador for GG.
Lastly, I contacted Vasque this past winter. I thanked them for a product I have been religiously using since the early 2000’s when I started ultra-mountain running. Brian Hall responded and we corresponded back and forth. I told him of the VL and he offered his support. I will be using a new model Vasque will be putting out this Spring. More to come on this.
But, another cool thing from the Vasque opportunity, is the chance to be used in an ad campaign for extreme day hiking. Do you think I fit the mold? I have interviewed with HensTooth Ad Agency and things are underway. More to come on this as well…
Other upgrades on gear:
*I will still be repping Trevor a.k.a. Lightning’s light-weight, hand-sewed beanie. I rocked it last year and it kicked some ass!
*Lastly, for my GoLite Adrenaline 3-season Quilt, it will be its third thru-hike. Because of its endurance it is most likely my favorite piece of gear. I have firm belief I can get 3,500m and 5 months out of the quilt. Less goose feathers than before but I know it can hack it!
My re-supply strategy has deviated from my previous 2 thru-hikes. On the PCT and CDT I used my mom’s home in the L.A. area as headquarters and storage. The past 2 Aprils I sorted food, labeled boxes, organized gear, placed maps in appropriate boxes, and organized everything so my mom could send gear and food out to me as needed in an efficient manner. This March will be the Aprils of time passed as I will not be going to L.A. and using my mom’s house as a base. My winter job commitment at CME ends in early April so I will start hiking the AZT portion of the VL. Without having that extra month off to finalize prep and planning I will have to do most of it while working in the winter. Because of the burden and workload of both the trail and other responsibilities I’ve had to change my re-supply strategy within the Vagabond Loop. So, my main goal with my altered re-supply strategy is to grant me more flexibility so I can adapt to what is happening in front of me as it is happening.
****Note: I will insert more pics of family and friends and re-supply stuff****
****I am a horrible person as I mainly have pics of mountains and beautiful scenery****
****But I love this one of me, my granny and granpy****
With that previous thought in mind, and considering the VL is essentially 4 thru-hikes, I have to plan for each one individually and then use the end points of each trail as times of re-grouping, mailing out food packages, gear swaps, and rest. Also, with 3,500m to hike in extremely rugged, arid and challenging terrain, I essentially have a time frame or in other words I have certain time frames to hike each trail within a suitable season to promote a better chance at completion. Hence the earlier start and a different re-supply strategy.
I preface this next paragraph with thoughts of contentment in this new strategy because, from my experience, my past thru-hiking itineraries and plans changed immediately once I started walking in real-time on trail. I will spend March sorting and re-packaging food in P.O. Flat Rate boxes with certain re-supply points along the AZT. I will keep the same premise of providing myself with food variety along the trail by having about half of my re-supply points at in-town markets and the other half by P.O. packages. One week before my departure, with the date to be exactly determined as March moves along, I will send the P.O. packages to their respective outposts. I will have the packages spaced out enough on the AZT to include maps for every 200 miles or so. Also, I will be using the AZT Pocket Maps, in which Brett Tucker has put his expertise touch on, that I‘ve had printed out professionally.
This March I will be organizing my gear, maps, and other necessities for the Hayduke Trail in bigger boxes/bins so my buddy, Sweaty Z, can take to L.A. and drop off at my mom‘s. With the prep for the AZT done, all I got to do now is trek. And because I’ll have shipped along gear, maps and other items with Sweaty Z my mom and brother, Bert, will meet me at the western terminus of the HT with the provisions. I will spend a few days with them buying food, organizing and re-packaging food into boxes, placing maps (Andrew Skurka’s CD set) in appropriate boxes, and researching more about the new trail, especially water sources, I will be walking. Also, this will be a great time to re-connect with family after having not seeing them for some time. I plan on mailing food packages to almost every town stop on the HT as most towns are limited in market options. At the end of the HT is Moab where I have an intimate familiarity with the town.
Moab is a perfect place to ship food packages from to potentially the one-stop option between Moab and Durango (the small town of Basin or the B&B of Bedrock) and the 2 drops I have for the Colorado Trail. Mostly along the CT I will be buying food in town at markets and such. I will not be using maps for the CT, though I will be using the CT Databook, as it is well marked and I have hiked most of the CT while on the CDT so I am very, very familiar with the route. The characteristics of the CT and the PCT are so similar in regards to being well-marked and knowledgeable to me that I will use a very similar navigating and re-supply strategy. Once I hit the eastern terminus of the CT near Denver I will then use this major city as of respite and healing, and food planning and shipping for my next VL segments.
The connection between Denver and Albuquerque is progressing along though I wouldn’t say nicely or horribly---I am treading water. From Denver to Salida, I will use NatGeo maps. In Salida, I will re-supply in town, then depart from the trail town and use a NatGeo map for the Sangre de Cristo traverse along the Rainbow Trail. The next gap is still a work in process, from the La Veta area to Red River. I will have to re-supply along this section at a P.O. as there is not much market options with the area being so remote. A food package will await me once I hit Red River which will enable me to get to Santa Fe. I will navigate Brett Tucker’s Northern New Mexico route through this area with NatGeo and Forest Service maps. As of now, I’d like to use Santa Fe as a re-supply/provision base for the GET. I’ve always enjoyed this city and it’ll be a good rest stop before my final leg of the VL.
The GET will be divvied up in half with food packages and in-town market stops. After Santa Fe, the VL will skirt high along the divide the large city of Albuquerque and end in the sprawled, large city of Phoenix. Thankfully, Brett Tucker has logged hundreds of hours mapping and planning the GET route to connect the gap between the 2 metropolises. I will have his maps professionally printed and sorted into appropriate food packages and about every 200m or so. The last half of the GET is mainly re-supplying in town so I will have the maps shipped to a couple of P.O’s.
After Santa Fe, the VL is all open spaces and all I got to do is stumble on in for the big finish. But before I wrap this entry up I have to briefly explain my Itinerary. I purposely left out ‘zero’ days on my hiking itinerary. I added rest days to my major re-supply stops and re-groupings like the ends of each trail. The reason I left off zero days was not to conform myself into being too rigid within a schedule. My personality will stay strict and driven if I had planned zero days. I tend to get bogged down in check-marks. So, I conservatively estimated mileage within sections and put my zeroes at the ends of the trails. Ultimately, I do not think it will change the timeframe I will trek the hike in. The more mileage I trek as the trail goes on then the more days I can afford off. However, I don’t want that confused with me striving to hike more mileage per day in order to feel rewarded with a day off. What I mean is that by not having days off scheduled it gives me the freedom and flexibility to take a day off as needed all the while feeling comfortable that as the trail goes along the better I’ll perform. For me, this is stress management which will alleviate my OCD quirks and lower my high expectations. Mainly, this strategy is building flexibility within my goals and will attain a balance in an extreme personality.
The Vagabond Loop is very important to me. However, sometimes the theme of the VL does not make sense in the straight-forward glance of topography, cultures, and biospheres. The similarity between the AZT, HT, and the GET is apparent while the CT sticks out like a sore thumb. My point of hiking the VL is not so obvious. Some years ago, say 10-12, I pitched an idea to my buddies Habit and Conch about a book I‘d like to write, then maybe one day, far down the line, turn the pages into an independent film. The idea was whimsical but the essence behind it still holds true for me: human connection and the random intersections of wavelengths. The basis of the story was a random, powerful occurrence of human connection of four vastly different individuals with vastly different stories making their way through arduous journeys to reach the Four Corners monument at exactly the same time only to find some understanding in the mad, mad world and within themselves. The four individuals followed random, but meaningful signs or paths, both metaphysical and actual, through innate human feeling, trusting their gut, to find each other in that one ultimate moment. And that is a driving theme for me within the VL: synchronicity, everything you have ever done leading up to that one moment. The Southwest holds this mystery for me amid my driven wanderer type of character. I see something in this loop more than just the obvious. Ruess saw it, Abbey too. Tempest Williams describes it eloquently; Fayhee details it in grumpy, fiery printed words. The Navajos lived within the mystery, the Utes as well. The Mexicans stormed around the land caught up in the spell of the wild. Scouts, like Carson and Walker, leaders of men like Fremont and Escalante, explorers like the one-armed General Powell, they too observed the swirling lure of the vortex. And me, I am enrapt within the great mystery of the Southwest ever pushing me farther away, farther towards that one moment…
I rant because of the validity of the Loop. There is a huge predicament in connecting the CT and the GET. I have to piece together a route that is not so obvious through mountain ranges smothered with huge private ranches and the lack of a long trail in an expedient matter. Initially, I wanted the quickest way possible from Denver to Albuquerque, a straight-shot whether by dirt roads, trails, and the occasional paved road. I knew I could traverse the Sangre de Cristos in Colorado and in the Taos area all the way down to Santa Fe. But that left a huge gap between La Veta Pass south of the Sangres and the town of Red River in northern New Mexico. I figured I could piece the gap by paved roads and just bang out the miles in order to ‘hurry’ to the GET. Only after reaching out to Brett Tucker, inventor of the GET and expert on the Southwest, via the Simblissity website, did I realize the magnitude of the VL and how much I value the mark I leave on the actions and plans I exhibit and do. I came to the conclusion within my planning process that I was treating this connection like it was not meaningful to me. Funny, how much tunnel vision I was experiencing in trying to connect the four trails in a ‘slog-fest’ manner that I was inadvertently going to possibly de-value my experience of hiking the VL. After all, I was getting feedback from an inventor of hiking routes, someone who has established a trail/route that others have hiked and will hike. And I had to re-think the way I was tackling the VL. I never thought of the VL as route I was establishing that one day maybe others would hike; the VL is my own personal goal, mission. However, I want to leave my mark.
Brett broke me out of my driven, narrow-minded trance with this paragraph:
"I think it's one thing to do a long hike, get a great deal out of it, and use it to inspire others. But one way to make the rewards even greater is when you fashion a route that is worth hiking twice, or better still, that others will want to hike. The momentum that builds from developing a genuine long-distance hiking experience for the masses is something that can be transcendent, legacy-worthy even. So it's with this in mind that I at first questioned your plan to walk hundreds of miles on roads down the front range. With so much more available to you, it just seemed like a bit of wasted potential to essentially write off several weeks of the trip as a "get it done with as quickly as possible" style slog-fest."
I delved, and currently am continuing so, into maps and research in order to find an attractive route. I am investigating trail connections, and not just dirt road connections. Scouring through maps I have managed to find that I have to backtrack on the CT for approximately 30m to the junction with Goose Creek Trail in the Tarryall Mountains. The Goose Creek Trail intersects with the mountain bike route of the CT at Goose Creek Road, then weaves its way south along Matukat and Tarryall Roads into the hovel of Lake George where I can have a re-supply option. From Lake George I’ll take a southwesterly course along forest roads through Pike NF and San Isabel NF. Nothing attractive nor trail intensive in this area but it is imperative I go through this way to hit Salida and the northern swell of the Sangre de Cristos. The trail town of Salida will prove to be a pivotal re-supply point. It is a long solid stretch along the Rainbow Trail that traverses the Sangre de Cristo range. Roughly 85m I will roller-coaster up and down pine-forested ridgelines and in and out of drainages on rocky tread and tumble out near La Veta Pass. After finding my way through checkerboard BLM land by dirt roads I’ll eventually intercept Indian Creek Trail in the Culebra Range. I will need to have a re-supply option in this area, most likely Red Wing or Cuchara, and I am in the process of finding one that’ll work.
Here is where the connection of the VL gets tricky. Three large, and I mean expansive, ranches lay claim to the lofty summits of the Culebra Range in southern Colorado all the way to the Carson NF in New Mexico. Cielo Vista Ranch will be the first ranch I meet, if I am allowed to access their land. The ranch offers climbing opportunities of the 14,000ft. Culebra Peak for $100 in the summer months. Further south the high elevation ridges separate the Rio Costilla Ranch and the Vermejo Park Ranch, the latter being owned by media mogul, land baron and eco-conservationist Ted Turner and extends thousand of acres all the way to Interstate 25. Dirt roads look like they lead to a connective point along a crest within the Carson NF. The route leading to that area is hard to research but I hope communication with the ranch managers will allow permission to access the private ranches, first and foremost, and help me find a quick and efficient way through the property. These ranches are exclusive hunting ranches, which offer hunters magnificent hunting opportunities for a hefty fee, and pampered cattle grazing among managed land with ample green grass providing people with high-end, pricey beef. I am currently working with a former co-worker from MCC, Cliff Kipp, to formulate a letter to send to the 3 massive ranches to request permission to cross their land in a responsible Leave No Trace ethics sort of way. I see this as a land-grant proposal and to instill the brain of Cliff will be a big help for me. This gap in the VL is a work in progress and details will come later as to the inter-workings of land management and public usage.
All I do know, at some point from somewhere, I will be trekking south from Red River NM. Brett Tucker established the 500m Northern New Mexico Loop in 2012. I will follow his pioneered path from Red River to the outskirts of Santa Fe. His eastern portion of the NNM Loop scampers over Wheeler Peak, the highest point in NM, and mainly follows the spine of the Sangre de Cristos along trail sometimes rambling through mountain meadows vocalized by babbling brooks and speckled by large aspen stands. I am researching a route between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, most likely through a railroad corridor and dusty roads, to attain the eastern terminus of the GET. Bridging the gap in totality between Denver and Albuquerque will be in the range of 400-450m.
I am enamored with New Mexico. I have been even before my crossing of the state last year while on the CDT. The people, the food, and the high peaks springing up amid high-altitude mesas polka-dotted with the fragrant juniper tree. The spirit of the wild, scenic beauty, desert ghost towns, and vast, gigantic skies all highlight my love affair with NM. Brett Tucker laid a proven, definitive route connecting the metropolises of Albuquerque and Phoenix through this area. Defined by his ‘hike-invention’ innovative mind he pieced the GET with interlinking trails, dirt roads, water drainages and canyons, and some overland cross-country rambles.
The GET is roughly 700m that roams through remote wildernesses and the occasional dusty town. Over half of the 700m is on trail tread and is alluring for this quality as the GET’s bigger brother, the CDT, has more road travel than the GET. Brett’s route also flows between water sources efficiently to make the burden of lack of water less stringent. Since his route follows canyon corridors, such as Aravaipa Canyon, and the Eagle and Bonita Creeks, branching the terrain between the drainages with wells and earthen cattle tanks is of utmost importance. These canyons and gulches provide an oasis with large cottonwoods and beautiful sycamores to sit and cool down. Despite a dry appearance and folksy tales of dehydration this arid land has a healthy bounty of hidden water sources. Luckily for me, Brett has the route planned for these important water sources.
Now, I will be venturing on the GET sometime in late July and early August. I asked Brett about my timing of hiking the GET during this timeframe and he believes my timing will be in concurrence with the monsoon swell drifting over the New Mexican high plains which means a possible surplus of precious water. The months I plan to be there will be the hotter months but the higher elevations and river canyons of the GET will alleviate the rising temperature in my favor for cooler temperatures. At some point this summer, I will be back in Gila Country this time meandering down the lazy West Fork of the Gila River. I am looking forward to this moment, not only to see how the forest looks from the massive forest fire that ravaged the land last year and charred the tall ponderosa standing guard over the land, but to re-experience, to re-feel, to have that one second back in the electric wilderness, where the Gila wilderness first entered my dreams as a wild, untamed, neon blue-eyed wilderness vixen; for she is real, not just in my dreams but within each skin-pricked swollen pore letting me know that life is for real, that life is precious and worth doing…
The GET hops from the high peaks of the Sandia Range looming above Albuquerque to another 13 mountain ranges, such as the Mogollon and Magdalena Mountains, with a multitude of diversity of flora and fauna. Between these sky islands the GET portages not only the canyons I mentioned but high altitude mesas. Ultimately, I will re-connect with the AZT to form the complete circle of the Vagabond Loop. I’ll probably pause, maybe take a nap and relish in my hard work, then re-group and finish the 3,500m circuitous loop in the city of Phoenix.
With the route description explained with plans laid to change, my final VL preparations will include training and gear testing. I will be on the 96m White Rim Trail in Canyonlands NP next week hardening my feet, guts, and mind as well as mentally visualizing my adventure around the great Southwest.
From the end of the Hayduke Trail I will backtrack back to the slick rock town of Moab. Although not quite the halfway point mileage-wise, Moab is a fitting place for me to treat it as such. Moab has been a refuge of some sorts for me through the years. Around my mid-20s I used to venture to Moab and sober up. I would get sick and tired of living and working in L.A. while boozing relentlessly and the wilds would call me. I would quit my job and escape, running away from the troubles I had but never quite solving anything. The pattern persisted and, eventually, Moab became more than just a refuge; it became a place I thought of as a home away from home.
I see Moab as a midway point because of the level of difficulty of the AZT and HT consecutive thru-hikes. I foresee my body being taxed to the limit around this time and Moab will front as a regrouping and replenishing aid station. But, in Moab I am struck with my first major connectivity obstacle of the Vagabond Loop. I must find a way to bridge Moab to Durango, which is the western terminus of the Colorado Trail. And I want the connection to be trail-thick or at least heavily traveled on forest roads if limited trails are available. Those two particular, wanted details made the research even harder as squeezed between the gaps of USFS and BLM land are private property swaths. After scouring maps for routes and finding little, I eventually fell back on the notion passed along to me from a buddy named Larry that supposedly there is a mountain bike trail connecting Moab to Telluride that traverses over the Uncompahgre Plateau. That sounded scenic but the route would make more mileage for me as it takes a more direct easterly course from Moab. I rummaged and rummaged search engines and stumbled upon a hut-to-hut route from Moab to Durango. Reading more about the mountain bike route, I knew it would be pleasingly walkable and though it would not tie together a series of trails the route would follow dirt roads in remote and scenic country. This is exactly what I had been looking for!
The Moab to Durango bike route is 215m long connecting a hut system littered throughout the mountains and valleys. The possibility of staying in a hut each night is a welcomed chance at comfort within the VL. Of course, rather than biking, I will be trekking the route in tying together the mountain bike mecca towns. The route leaves Moab from the popular Sand Flats Road and climbs up into the La Sals Mountains via Geyser Pass to find my first hut. Then the route plunges dramatically down into Paradox Valley via a mix of trail and dirt roads that lead to my second hut. Leaving Paradox Valley and the meandering Dolores River, I will traipse among low-lying mesas and settle in at the Wedding Bell Hut. From there I will scamper across the relatively flat Dry Creek Basin to find the namesake cabin. From Dry Creek Basin I lumber high up into the alpine-lush of the San Miguel Mountains to encounter the Black Mesa Hut. With more hut to attain I will leave the confines of Black Mesa and climb ever higher towards Bolam Pass in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. From Bolam Pass I will follow the Colorado Trail roughly 19m and descend into Durango for a few days rest. The Moab to Durango hut-to-hut hike is not exactly a walk-in-the-park, despite the flat dirt roads and stunning, isolated beauty. The route is ’out there’ but some bed and breakfasts nooks may provide a pivotal re-supply option. I am in the progress of finding that 1 re-supply to split my food load up evenly. More to come on this.
The Colorado Trail wends its way dramatically through picturesque sierra vistas, spiky peaks and spongy, colorful high alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains for almost 500m. The CT extends from Durango to the outer flanks of southern Denver. The CT is by far the most well-signed, well-maintained, and well-traveled trail I will ramble on in my Vagabond Loop. Though the CT is sought after by many hiking enthusiasts bucket lists, it is by no means an easy task. The CT will punish you, especially in the San Juans, with constant, steep vacillations, numbering 1,000ft. in each up and down, that will try and test your enduring will. The CT is drastically different than the other 3 major trails of the VL in topography. I expect to be on the CT in mid-June, which poses an entirely different obstacle: snow. Lingering snowfields, deep drifts, and frozen water will still be present from the winter stranglehold. In a way, this will be a welcomed change in scenery and topography from the hot and dry desert trails I’ll have trampled by then. I walked about ¾ of the CT last year while trekking north on the CDT. The CDT and CT intersected at Humpback Pass. From that junction to Spring Creek Pass, in which a highway led to the mountain hamlet of Lake City, I relished in the splendor of the beauteous alpine wonder and the physicality exerted on my body. I was the only one amid the malevolent, tall spires and vicious, slender ridgelines. (Journal entry here). I felt the world to be mine alone and a powerful yet spiritually fulfilled surge inside me swelled with the infusion of pink alpenglow from the Gods of the Mountains. I was all Man in his wild and savage form.
[‘…razor-edge butterfly. Don’t kill me because I’m pretty,’ is a phrase that comes to mind of my time in the San Juans.]
The CT leaves Spring Creek Pass and climbs up to perch on the monumentally flat Snow Mesa. San Luis Peak, a low 14,000ft.-er, breaches the Continental Divide and is a short scramble to the top from the CT. The CT traces the Divide until venturing into the low-lying swells of the Cochetopa Hills. Even at 10,000ft., the Cochetopas are mere rolling hills pocked-marked with lush meadows amid the tall, surrounding ranges seen from every vantage point. The CT pushes north into the spectacular Sawatch Range, then heads on a more easterly course into the Ten Mile Range. After a re-supply in Breckinridge, I will follow the tempered Swan River choked with massive red-hued mine tailings and eventually attain the Continental Divide for the last time on the CT. A long steady pine-forested trek continues through the Kenosha and Tarryall Mountains. By the time I reach this area, my eyes will be filled with the height of the alpine wildflower bloom. While visually enamored and my olfactory senses piqued with the colorful floral scene, I will quickly make my way to the eastern terminus of the CT along the South Platte River and have a brief spell in the largest metropolitan area on any trail on the VL.
As stated earlier, the CT is vastly different than the AZT, HT and GET but I feel it does not get lost in my ‘driven wanderer’ theme. These high mountains provided relief from the summer heat for Native Americans, Mexicans, and mountain men. The Rockies stood out like a fortress wall above the Great Plains. In order to get to the vortex of the Four Corners area the Rockies had to be flanked or scaled. Mountain men and scouts, like Kit Carson, led pioneers through this area, Escalante and Dominguez sallied in a lost state for months among the mesas, and the Utes grazed their sheep up in the high meadows. Eventually, in their different times, they ambled down to the red deserts below. The interlinking of the HT to the CT and south to the GET is bridging the gap between cultures, topography, and the wilderness mind of the whole region. The region is vast, so I must connect them all.
Linking the gap south from the Colorado Trail to the Grand Enchantment Trail is next: a route through the Sangre de Cristos.
The idea for the Vagabond Loop primarily started with the Arizona Trail. After my failed attempt on the AZT in 2011 (read about it here), the AZT is the trail I have been most determined to conquer. With my completions of the PCT and CDT thru-hiking the AZT seemed like the next step, however, by itself it would not be enough. That failure taught me alot and I feel I owe it something. From the bud of failure of the AZT the VL blossomed into an epic adventure. I couldn't help but envision of tying one trail into another. My plan kept getting bigger and bigger. My wanderlust to go beyond my limitations, the unexplainable urge to keep pushing myself through challenges, and to explore the unknown is the motivational force for the VL. I must go farther, point blank. The VL is a 3,500 mile circuitous speed hike around the Four Corners region. My objective with the VL is to consecutively tie the Arizona Trail, Hayduke Trail, Colorado Trail, and Grand Enchantment Trail using a trail intensive and dirt road route in connecting the gaps between the ending and starting termini to complete a circle. Needles to say, predicaments and challenges loom around every detail in planning and logistics. I want to ramble on about my thoughts on the VL, but before I go any farther I will delve into the route description. I’ve got a long summer to jab at your eardrums full of gritty and philosophical yammering.
I will start tentatively April 10th on the AZT. I must fulfill my work commitment of April 8th then zip on down to the Mexico/Arizona border and begin mashing tread northbound. The diverse and beautiful AZT is approximately 800 miles long stretching longitudinally linking island mountain ranges, scorched deserts, and high, arid plateaus.. The sky islands provide a cool haven amid the blazing furnaces of the Sonora Desert. In fact, the elevation of the sky ranges, such as the Rincons and Huachucas, spring up from the desert floor rather abruptly reaching 10,000ft. Various biospheres are experienced in the sky ranges and I’ll be able to trek from clusters of Saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park to thick forests of Ponderosa high in Forest Service land in a day. In the southern portion of the AZT, the trail ventures from island to island with the desert floor metaphorically representing the sea. In the northern portion of the AZT, the trail levels out at high elevations at around 6,000ft. or above. The first uplifting shelf is the Mogollon Rim which eventually tops out at the Coconino Rim. The AZT meanders transversely across the pine forested rims to eventually plunge into the Grand Canyon. From the bottom of the chasm I will then ascend into the lofty Kaibab Plateau which leads to the northern terminus of the AZT at the Arizona/Utah border.
Many challenges threaten a complete thru-hike of the AZT. The trail environs consist of isolation and remoteness but a stark, rather attractive quality of the AZT is the linkage of communities, such as the major cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff. Despite the vast, empty, inhospitable lands these metro areas provide an oases for the restless wanderer lacking social interaction. Most hikers attempt the AZT in either Spring or Fall. Thus is so to beat the dangerous heat of summer and the brutal cold and deep snow, in some areas, of winter. Temperature is not the only factor in start dates as, needless to say, the AZT is extremely arid and lack of water may pose serious concerns for the wayward hiker. Most water sources are polluted with cow patties and/or are unreliable and ephemeral. The AZT is a trail of severe extremes---a tantalizing quality for an adventurer like myself.
From the end of the AZT, I will intersect Highway 89 and make my way west cross-country towards the town of Kanab which will front as an outpost to re-group for the Hayduke Trail. After a few days of respite, I will then continue west and eventually make Zion National Park, the western terminus of the HT. The AZT and HT actually intersect in northern Arizona on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. However, with the thru-hiker’s mindset of the urge to relentlessly move ever forward, I choose not to backtrack and will make the 80 or so mile connection between the AZT and HT with a non-detailed planned cross-country route paralleling Highway 89. This particular connection may change because of the few miles between the termini, isolation and the lack of cars on the highway, and private land issues.
The Hayduke Trail, named after the grizzled, irascible character, George Washington Hayduke III, from Edward Abbey’s book ‘The Monkey Wrench Gang,’ is an 800 mile backcountry route through the wilds of Utah bridging Zion, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks as well as a peregrination through the Grand Staircase National Monument and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The HT is unmarked, has hardly any trail tread to mash, is rugged and stunningly beautiful, and requires an expertise level of experience to safely navigate the way through wending, maze-like canyons. The HT consists of varied terrain in which I will traipse among juniper and pinyon pine-sprinkled plateaus, trod around pillared and serrated hoodoos, and mash lonely desert roads. Flash floods are of constant concern, and diligently reading your maps and the landscape correctly are paramount for accomplishing a successful thru-hike. Water is even scarcer than the AZT, spookier to boot, and more desolate. The wind is fierce and the sun omnipotent. Even though the trail is 1/3 the distance of the Continental Divide Trail, the Hayduke Trail will test and push my knowledge, will, and emotions more than the CDT did, which is notoriously labeled as the toughest trail in the world to trek.
By far, the Hayduke, I believe, will be the most challenging of the four trails I will be attempting this summer in the VL as indicated by my previous sentiment. I estimate the AZT to take around 30 days to complete and I expect the HT to take about 5-6 weeks. Though the trails share roughly the same mileage the HT will take slightly longer than the AZT, assumingly, because of the nature of the route. Most hikers attempt a thru-hike during the spring or fall season, the reasons being very similar to the AZT. However, very few hikers have connected the AZT and HT in succession due to the oncoming heat and dryness of early summer. I have a small window to do both trails, say 2.5 months, but I believe I have the ability to accomplish the task. I have been in communication with Cam ’Swami’ Honan, an Aussie I met last year on the CDT who in 14 months hiked over 14,000m along the major trails in the U.S. He is a hiker I trust and respect; shit, and admire greatly. Check out his website and blog. Last year, he connected the GET, AZT, and HT in a clockwise horseshoe. The timing of his hike put him on the HT in May which, in his opinion, is the most optimum time to hike the HT. According to Swami, May has mild temperatures, cool nights, available and somewhat reliable water sources (though ephemeral as they may be), and a substantially subsided wind from the cold month of March on the Red Rock desert plateau. In May, I won’t have to battle the elements as much as the months book-ending it.
Everett Ruess has a strong presence in the HT. Some of the HT route embodies some of his wandering essences and trails. The allure of the Hayduke Trail weighs more on me than the others simply because of the mystery of Ruess. Here’s another intermingling theme within the VL: Ruess was one of Ed Abbey’s heroes, kindred spirits in the great Southwest. I like to think I am following in their footsteps, marching aimlessly driven among National Scenic Trails (I will elaborate on this contradiction in a future blog entry).
I think back to the documentary of Ruess, Wilderness Song. I envision the wind whistling and whipping up sand. I think of wispy, ethereal clouds poofing into a disappearance, vanished in the void; the mystery of nothing intrigues me. My vision sees vast distances blurred by heat, I breathe in hot air hotter than my exhaling breath, and dry salty tears evaporate on my swarthy cheeks. I am at home here, swallowed by the full empty soul of the desert I yawn and fall sleepy.
Here is an essay in video by Abbey. I hope you feel the silence of the desert and the pricks of the cactus and the heat of the blazing sun.
Continuation of the VL route to come soon and I will pick up from Moab, the eastern end of Hayduke Trail and the popular mountain bike town that once was the stomping ground of the desert rat Abbey. From there, the VL extends into the high Rockies of Colorado.
