Gila River and Snow in the desert

It's official, it snows in NM in May! The past few mornings have been below freezing and sure enough it snowed on us two days ago. What an adventure! We did our best to keep our shoes from freezing over night and i was SO thankful for my big down jacket. Being on or near the divide means we have been hiking between 7 and 9000 feet in elevation. The temps have been quite mild so far and the ecology has included lots of Alligator junipers and Douglas pine. Lots of elk north if the Gila river, even some Pronghorn antelope already. The Gila Wilderness was an awesome and challenging segment. The actual Divide is up in the Black Range but this river route is a commonly accepted alternate. A true gem of NM it also gives hikers a chance to check out the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. The Gila river is wild and remote. Encased by towering canyons the "trail" has no choice but to cross the river each time the water zigs and zags across the narrow canyon floor. I'm sure someone has counted how many times we ford the river... Let's just say it was well over a hundred in about 45 miles. A flood washed out most of the trail and keep in mind our days of wading thru a very cold river started at 645am and went until 8 pm to take advantage of as much light as possible. Putting on those shoes in the morning was quite a challenge but it was long days of ankle crushing cobbles, sand, and very wet feet. It was a good thing the canyon was so spectacular! Lion Heart and I strolled into Pie Town late yesterday to find a fabulous hostel called the Toaster House and excellent pie. With aching feet and sore legs we are resting a bit today before moving on to Grants next. With 340 miles behind us we still have quite a bit to go but after 16 days on the trail we're really starting to settle into our trail routine and our bodies are getting stronger. It feels good to be out here exploring New Mexico on our own 2 feet. For more details of our days I encourage you to check Lion Heart's blog that I previously posted. Our journeys have differed a little but for the most part it is not dissimilar to my personal experience... Enjoy!

Happy Trails!
~beads