Monday, May 26, 2014

Chillin' in Chama...

Scarecrow reached his next town stop of Chama, New Mexico over the weekend.  This is where he would receive the box of winter gear we sent, along with a nice surprise from our friend and trail angel, Laura Melfi.  She decided awhile ago that she would call the local post office in Chama, and find out about local restaurants in the area where she could buy a gift card to so that when Scarecrow arrived, he would be set up with a nice meal. How awesome is that?! A man named Jim, from the Chama post office was quite helpful in assisting Laura with her mission.

Jim connected Laura with a man named Chase from a restaurant called High Country Restaurant and Saloon.  He, too, was very helpful, because together, they helped Laura purchase a gift card for the restaurant,  and made sure it was delivered over to the post office for pickup by Scarecrow when he arrived into town.  What great hospitality by these men, who were so pleasant and helpful to someone they have never met.  All in the spirit of helping out a thruhiker!
  Scarecrow was so excited to receive this surprise gift, and in true hiker spirit, shared this gift with two other thruhikers.  He, along with two hiker friends, NO2 and Doc Rocket, enjoyed steaks, fahitas and beers for a great Saturday night dinner.  Thank you Laura - your generosity and kindness are so appreciated.  The hikers left full and happy :)

Scarecrow's winter gear box left him less than happy however... the ice ax that I so carefully packed with his winter gear was NOT in the box when it arrived in Chama.  So, now we have to go on a treasure hunt to find it and hopefully get it to him before the real snow arrives.

The last pics Teddy sent me were of him near a light dusting of snow.


Well, it looks as if that was just a quick passing, as he appears to be right back in that dry, desert terrain. As you can see, he is still sporting that nice red glow from a sunburn and is still trekking along.  He did say there was word of harsh snowy weather up in the mountains where they are headed, so they will research their options and depending on safety, if they have to, they will take an approved alternate route to keep moving along.  In the mean time, he has sent a few pictures of the beautiful terrain he is encountering along the way.


 He has about two days left until he exits New Mexico and finally enters Colorado, where he will trek through the Colorado Rocky Mountains and many other beautiful places along the way. Want to see where Scarecrow is now? Click HERE to see the map.  Pretty cool, heh?

His last picture sent was of a beautiful New Mexico sunset.  I am not sure if this was in chronological order, but what a beautiful ending to this post.


Happy Trails, Scarecrow.  Thank you for sharing this amazing experience and this beauty you are encountering.  Stay safe and warm. Olive Juice.

In search of Scarecrow's ice ax with fingers crossed,

The Thruhiker's Wife



Monday, May 19, 2014

Onward from the Scorching Desert towards the Snowy Mountains

Feeling full and rested, Scarecrow hiked out of town and saw some amazing terrain.

These pictures show exactly what I would imagine the desert is... hot, dry, rocky and absolutely beautiful.  Scarecrow is using his GPS and map books to navigate through the trail, and has over 800 miles behind him now.  Check out his progress here where is Scarecrow now?


lunch break in the desert
Teddy said some of this part of the trail he has to "road walk" which is taking a toll on his feet.  In his latest care package, I sent him another pair of shoes, his shoe spikes, an ice ax, heavier winter gloves, shirt and pants liners and of course, more snacks.  He is heading into cold, snowy weather and up into the San Juan Mountains... BRRRRR.

You can see here, that in just a few short days, he went from hot desert heat, to cold, chilly snow. He is now at higher elevations, looking freezing on Mount Taylor.  Just a bit of info on this location - Mount Taylor is a stratovolcano just Northeast of the town Grants, New Mexico.  What exactly does that mean?  It is the highest point of the San Mateo Mountains and the highest point in the Cibola National Forest.

He has experienced his first snow fall and said he is so thankful for his wool cap from Jagger that keeps him toasty warm during this section of the trail.

I am happy to see he is still smiling and when I spoke to him yesterday, he was in excellent spirits.  We ordered snow shoes for his upcoming trek into the mountains, and his hiking friend Jaba, was a huge help to us in doing this.  I got to speak with him on the phone about which shoes would be best - THANK YOU for your assistance, and your service.  Jaba is part of the Warrior Hike - you can check these men and their story out HERE.


Scarecrow is headed to Chama, New Mexico.  He will arrive there by Friday or Saturday to resupply, collect his packages, and get ready to close out the mileage in New Mexico and enter into Colorado.  For anyone who has asked, I am posting his next mail drop here.

Theodore "Scarecrow" Warren
General Delivery
PO 87520
Chama, New Mexico  87520

Many of you have sent notes and letters of encouragement, well wishes and even treats for him to enjoy.  EVERY SINGLE THING is so appreciated by Scarecrow.  A piece of home and thoughts from family and friends goes a LONG way.  THANK YOU.

doesn't look like summer is coming here...

Until next time,
The Thruhiker's Wife

Hungry Hikers...

This is another picture from the day Scarecrow went golfing on Mother's Day.  He said it was so windy, and as you can see Hikeaholic looks like he is getting swept away into the wind along with Jaba's beard.  Doc Rocket looks calm, and Scarecrow is trying to fight the wind to take the picture.  A fun, great time was had by all.

When Scarecrow and Hikeaholic hiked out the next day, they stopped at the local pizza hut, hungry for some lunch... I think they may have forced the place to rethink the "All you can eat" part of the buffet, as they killed the whole counter of food.


I also asked Scarecrow to send more selfies, so we can see how HE is doing along the way.  He found the perfect place to take his latest selfie before leaving the town.


I am glad you had a few zero days to rest, play, regroup and refuel.  I want to give a big shout out to my good friend and one of Scarecrow's latest trail angels, Lisa Noto, who sent Scarecrow a package of Snickers - what a great surprise for him.  He is so grateful and appreciative for the thoughts and treats.  THANK YOU.  As Scarecrow leaves Grants and heads onward to Cuba, New Mexico, he is preparing for his first snow encounters.  Over the next few days, he was able to send me pictures of how his days were unfolding.  Hopefully, it will not be too unbearable for him.  Don't worry, Scarecrow - I mailed out your sleeping bag liner, gloves and some more treats.  Hurry on to Cuba so you can receive them and stay warm.  Happy Trails, love...

Until next time,
The Thruhiker's Wife
            

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Thank You For Your Service...

Scarecrow's latest selfie
"The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree."  ~ Thomas Campbell

This post is actually part two of the latest information that Scarecrow has sent.  As he continues through New Mexico, with hundreds of miles behind him, he is continuing to travel along side other hikers, sharing this amazing experience.  He made it to Pie Town, where he, Ducky and Hikeaholic caught up to a group of thruhikers who belong to the "Warrior Hike".  I have provided a link for further information about these brave men and their mission.   What is the Warrior Hike? He sent a picture of a few of his new hiker friends during an event in Pie Town. As you can see if you click on the link I have provided,
War veterans participating in the Warrior Hike

there are events sponsored by various veteran posts along with the CDTC for these brave, strong men who are thruhiking the CDT.  I believe Scarecrow met them while many of them gathered at a trail angels's house known as the "Toaster House."   According to a 2013 thruhiker, Wired, a woman named Nita owns the home, but does not live there.  She leaves it open for hikers for no charge, and hikers can make a donation which she uses to maintain this trail angel service. I think this picture of the group on the porch is from this hostel.  I am sure I will hear about it if I am incorrect. LOL  This place, along with the Thomas family, were what Scarecrow was referencing when he spoke so highly of the trail angels and trail magic he got in Pie Town.

Ducky & Scarecrow in Pie Town
 
Toaster House
This first stop at the "Toaster House" is where Scarecrow met the Warrior Hikers. Looks like quite a group there - fun was had by all and Scarecrow is once again blessed and grateful for this experience. (I apologize to the hikers if I have these photos mixed up.)
Thruhikers galore! Scarecrow all the way on the right!
 

More trail magic amongst trail angels was had by Scarecrow and the others as they met the Thomas family.  As in other blog posts by hikers, the Thomas' live about 15 miles outside of Pie Town and allow hikers to get water from their tap.  Some may not realize what a huge deal this is, but considering hikers do not have a regular, clean water supply, this is GOLD for them.  From what Teddy described to me, the Thomas' have converted their garage into a place for hikers to convene, eat and even receive a phone call.  I know this from personal experience, as last Tuesday, I called the number back from where Teddy had called, and a gentleman answered.  I asked for Scarecrow, and he handed the phone over to Teddy, and we got to chat for a while, with the kids even getting to call when they arrived home.  Moments like this are priceless for us, as we do not get to speak with Teddy whenever we want, as there is hardly a signal.  So, THANK YOU to the Thomas family for allowing us to connect with Scarecrow while he was at your house.

Thank you Thomas Trail Angels
Thank you Thomas Trail Angels
These are some of the candid pictures that Scarecrow sent of the thruhikers just hanging out, getting a well-deserved rest while receiving TRAIL MAGIC from the Thomas family... THANK YOU.


Grateful thruhikers at Thomas' House

Scarecrow told me he and Hikeaholic were invited to a BBQ that was being prepared for the Warrior Hikers, by the local Veteran post. Even they, as hikers, became trail angels for Scarecrow and gave him trail magic in the form of great food, great company, and he even scored an invitation to a golf outing on Mother's Day.  Apparently, a man who attended the barbecue invited some of the hikers to golf at the local course.  I am not sure if he owns it or works there, and I apologize for the lack of accurate details here. Needless to say, Teddy had a wonderful time.  In researching these fine gentlemen who in their own journey, have reached out and touched Scarecrow in such a positive way, I found one of their blogs, which led me to his facebook page.  A HUGE thank you goes out to The Real Hiking Viking because I located a picture of Scarecrow during his golf outing. I hope you don't mind but I shared it to my blog page.

photo from The Real Hiking Viking :)
  As you can see, it was so windy during their outing.  Teddy said the flags were at a 45 degree angle.  I asked how he did, and he said he did okay in the beginning, and then just had Hikeaholic just put a 6 after each round.  Thankfully, it was not a competitive game, and just one for fun and relaxation.

In closing, I want to thank each of you participating in the Warrior Hike for your service to our country first and foremost.  The sacrifices you have made for our country priceless, and I pray that you find the support and healing in this hike that will bring you peace and health as you transition back to life here in our country.  There is not a time that goes by that my husband, daughter, son and I do not give thanks and appreciation for all you have given up so we can enjoy all that we have here in our lives.  May God Bless each and every one of you.

With respect, love and appreciation,

The Thruhiker's Wife

Great Check In from Grants......

 "Remember that every path walked is walked for a reason, and every day is full of blessings, no matter how big or small." ~ Author Unknown
Road walking...


Finally, after a few long days of hiking, a few brief check in calls with sketchy service, and a minor hiccup at the post office, Scarecrow has reported that he arrived safely in Grants, New Mexico.  He was able to collect the maps and food box we sent, as well as catch up on emails, texts, calls and sending me pictures. This was where he would stay for a few zero days and relax, watch the Ranger games and actually fit in a day of golf.  Yes, I said GOLF - good thing he has a tracker, because it doesn't sound like "roughin' it" to me...The next few posts will have pictures from his last week of adventures, with as much information as I have gathered from Scarecrow for you.

I have tried to piece together based on the date stamp from the picture of where Teddy is and what he was doing.  So it looks as if the hikers entered the Gila National Forest, which according to information from Wikipedia, is a protected national forest covering approximately 2,710,659 acres of land.  It is listed as the 6th largest national forest in the continental United States.










Teddy said it was very dry and hot, which I can imagine would support the habitat for this beautiful cactus.  The terrain in this area ranges from rugged mountains and deep canyons to semi-desert.  Due to the extremely rugged terrain, the area is largely unspoiled.  Scarecrow and his hiker friends became quite familiar with The Gila River while in this area.  I believe he said they had to cross this river 145+ times over the course of their travels.  According to Wikipedia, this river is 649 miles, runs through New Mexico and Arizona, and flows into the Colorado River.
Hikeaholic celebrating Ducky's successful crossing :)
Scarecrow crossing the Gila River
Ducky crossing the Gila River


Looks like successful crossings all around for these hikers...


While in the Gila Wilderness, the hikers wanted to check out the Gila Cliff Dwellings, which were discovered back in 1878 and were established as a national monument back in 1907 by president Theodore Roosevelt.  The people of the Mogollan culture lived in these cliff dwellings 180 feet above the canyon floor from as early as the 1280s through the early 14th century.  There were 5 caves with 46 rooms.
Gila Cliff Dwellings

Gila Cliff Dwellings

Gila Cliff Dwellings
 Archaeologists believe these 46 rooms were occupied by 10 to 15 families, and it is not known why these dwellings were abandoned. It seemed that these dwellings were perfect for human living, as the caves provided adequate shelter, while the wooded area concealed the homes. Some feel changes in the climate may have caused migration away from these dwellings.  It must have been amazing to be somewhere with so much history surrounding its area.

Gila Cliff Dwellings

Gila Cliff Dwellings
Scarecrow also captured some of what they reference as pictographs on the rock face.  Thank you for sharing this piece of history, Teddy.

 

What an educational pitstop this was for the hikers.  As you can see, they were still surrounded by a beautiful backdrop while in the Gila National Forest.
looking good, Scarecrow!


more river crossing! Go, Ducky!
Ducky, Hikeaholic, Samarai & Scarecrow 


 The conditions, the terrain and the weather is forever changing, as you can see here.  It sure does appear to be quite the workout already for these hikers.  So proud of you as you continue on through this challenging yet beautiful portion of the CDT through New Mexico.

And off they go, road walking along the Continental Divide, taking those next steps northbound to the next town, the next campsite, the next mountain, the next experience... Happy Trails to all of you as you continue on with your journey...


More to come after some research,

The Thruhiker's Wife