CDT – Day 1 – Crazy Cook to Unnamed Wash

4/25/15

Day 1

Crazy Cook to Unnamed Wash
18.0, 18.0 Trip Miles

Sunny, 80’s Very windy

Critter Count

6 Lizrads

4 Horny Roads

1 snake

1 Jack Rabbit

What can I say about today. It was a mix of emotion. Leaving my folks in Lordsburg, a three hour drive through the area I would be hiking through in the coming four days (3 hrs to drive what it takes me 4 days to walk, mind job!), all kinds of soreness all over my body and lots of sun. 

I started at 10:04 am and hiked till about 7:30 pm. Most of the day was walking on very rough dirt roads, washes and cross country hiking. The cross country bit at the end hurt like hell. My right calf was really tight by this point and the meaty outside of right foot is tender. The plan was to hike to mile 21.9, a solar well but Lumber and I found a great wash to camp in. I’m under a tree with a perfect flat spot!

About ten of us started today. The names I got were Hot Tub, Conquendent , K2, Ridge Runner, Beads, Lion Heart, 2W, Addi  and Lumber, who hiked the last 7 miles or so. 

At one point I stepped on a plant who’s thorn went all out the way through my shoes’ sole and gabbed me in the foot. Bitch hurt. 

My emotions went from “Holy Shit! I’m doing this!” to “Mother of God I hurt already!” to “Do I really want this. Canada is really far away!” to “My feet REALLY hurt!” to a range of other things. I’m sure I will have many more before this is over. For now I just want to get trail hardened and find my grove. 

This trail was full of emotions, at times too many.  Not only was I trying to hike to Canada and finish my Triple Crown I was trying to win someone’s heart.  At the time both seemed possible but now a year later it’s clear only my Triple Crown was going to succeed. 

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since I started.  Since finishing my Triple Crown it’s been a tough road.  None of the plans/dreams I had for after the hike happened.  Both the finishing of something that started 30 years ago and an empty heart left me in a very sad state.  From December until April I was quite depressed.  It was not a fun winter.

I will write my thoughts on each day as I look back one year later and also share a photo from that day on my Instagram feed.  Enjoy!

Forward to Day 2

Scatman