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

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