Sprout CDT Day 1 (March 19, 2018)

The day is finally here... first day of the CDT! I didn’t really know what to expect going into the Continental Divide Trail, but it seems like it’s going to be a crazy adventure.

On the ride out to the trail the driver was telling us (I was in a shuttle with a couple and a single man) all kinds of history about the area. There were a bunch of different Native American tribes that lived out this way. In the mountains there are caves with artifacts and on some of the mountains there are different gems and stones you can find. He told us a story about how every year someone ends up climbing a mountain and comes down with a story to tell. One time a couple of younger people climbed a mountain and found a cave. When they went into it they found a skeleton. He said it was probably from an Apache Indian. There’s an old local that will tell stories about how when he was a kid there was grass in these fields up to his belly button.

At the moment it’s nothing but dry, dead vegetation, cacti, rocks, and mountains. When the Native Americans were around there were a bunch of buffalo, deer, and other animals roaming in the fields. He has some geologist staying on his property for a few weeks. They are going up in the mountains to explore different caves and other historic spots. There’s a bunch of gem and other rock creations all around.

Right before we got off the paved road he tried calling Border Patrol to let them know he was dropping us off at the border. I guess they patrol the area pretty well. They have different sensors that can detect if cars are stopping and going and other suspicious activity. I guess they even have an electronic surveillance blimp that can detect stuff too.

The ride to the trailhead was unreal. There’s no way we could’ve got there without an off road vehicle because there were obstacles everywhere. The road wasn’t paved and had a ton of massive “speed” bumps (if I can even call them that!) I think the ranchers out there build them to move water during the rainy season. They did try to fix the road at one point but Border Patrol didn’t want anything to do with it. They like dirt roads to be practically impossible to navigate. Believe it or not, this is a county road I’m talking about in the middle of the desert. When they finally started to get the road somewhat passable, Homeland Security put a stop to it!

I don’t know what to expect but I’m super excited to see what the CDT is going to throw at me.

Trail head

Map on the trailhead

Miles Hiked Today: 13
Miles on trail: 13