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

Split Second Check-in

Scarecrow checks in - he is doing great and having a blast.  He arrived in Pie Town over the weekend and was able to check in with the land line phone at the general store.  The cell signals are non-existent so the woman was gracious enough to let us chat for a few moments on Saturday.  Scarecrow said he will be able to talk for longer and send some pictures on Monday.  We cannot wait to hear all about his latest adventures.  Here is the link if you are tracking his progress.

where is Scarecrow NOW?

Below, I will also post another mail drop address for those of you WHO HAVE ASKED. He will be stopping in at the post office in Chama, New Mexico on or about the 20th of May.

via Google images

I am mailing him his winter gear, such as his ice ax, chains for his shoes, another pair of shoes, wool socks, his running pants to be used as an extra layer... sounds strange to need all of these things as we approach the warmer weather, but it is when he will begin his experiences with windy, snowy weather.  Crazy, right?  Some of you have already said you have what you want to send... others have asked what could you send.  Safest bet would be a note of encouragement and well wishes, and if you feel crazy enough, a few snicker bars, reese's peanut butter cups,  or peanut M&Ms.  All of these things are a treat for Scarecrow as he moves along the trail.  Again, nothing expected or required, but always appreciated.  Thank you to those of you who have reached out and wanted to be a trail angel for Scarecrow.

Teddy "Scarecrow" Warren
CDT Thruhiker
General Delivery
PO 87520
Chama, New Mexico  87520

Until next time,
The Thruhiker's Wife

Hiker Friends...

We have heard from Scarecrow several times over the weekend, as he was in a town called Silver City, and when he is in a town, it means a signal.  He sounds really happy and excited about the trail and his progress.  I feel part of this is because he is hiking with others who have started the trail along with him.  If you remember, when Teddy began the PCT, he left a month later than "the herd" and was walking alone for hundreds of miles.  This time, he left along with others which allows him to share this experience, challenges and high points with them.  We, at home, can only hear and see this amazing journey unfold through Teddy's eyes... I personally cannot imagine what it is like to travel through miles of deserts, snowy mountains, and everything in between.  I am happy he has these fellow hikers to walk with, camp with, and complete this journey with.

 Stopping in for a well deserved meal and refreshments - here is the crowd (I hope I got everyone's name correct)  Theresa Martinez from the CDTC (Continental Divide Trail Coalition), Scarecrow, Buffalo Shuffle, Hikeaholic, Ducky, Ben and Hamburger.  And, yes, the photo bomber is the bartender.  Looks like a great time was had by all.  Thank you to each of you for these fun times along the trail... you are a part of making this experience so awesome for Scarecrow.

Another gathering of hiker friends... From left heading clockwise,  there is Ursula (which I have been told means Bear), Scarecrow, Ducky, Samarai, and Hikeaholic.  Two of these guys, Ducky and Hikeaholic are the ones who surprised Scarecrow with the cake for his birthday.  Just like the memories you have hiking with Straycat and Strider on the AT, Not Ryan, TOG, Evil Goat, and Banana Pants on the PCT, these hiker friends will help create memories that will complete your triple crown experience, Scarecrow.

Before heading out of Silver City,  Scarecrow stopped for a selfie with Hamburger.  Scarecrow told me this hiker is from Hamburg, Germany, hence the name "Hamburger".  Hikeaholic took his turn at photobombing here - you guys have to jump in these pics whenever you can so we, as your family members, can see that you are safe and having fun out there.  Scarecrow shared this blog address with his hiker friends, who then shared it with their families - so here is a shoutout to Cheryl, Hikeaholic's girlfriend, who is now following this story.  I hope there will be over 3,000 miles worth of pictures to share and write about as this amazing journey unfolds.

Scarecrow has now walked over 145 miles and will reach another town within a week.  There is a weak signal where he is, so he has said he may not be able to speak to us again for 12 days.  Until then, we will keep him in our prayers and wish him well.  If you want to see how far he has hiked, please click here:  where is Scarecrow now?

I will continue to send pics as they come.

Until then,

The Thruhiker's Wife

Beginnings and a birthday!

Okay, so after days of not hearing from Teddy, he finally made it into a town over the weekend and was able to send some pictures.  I will post them in order of how he encountered the trail.  The long-awaited pose at the monument fills me with such pride - it is this one and the final monument pose that will make this whole journey complete.  The southern most point on the trail is marked by the monument, including the coordinates of where he is located.  He is looking happy and determined.

The picture of him at the border is quite interesting.  There is only a broken, chain linked fence separating New Mexico from Mexico.  As you can see, he is putting his foot through the fence to touch both sides.  What a difference from the huge wall that was bordering Mexico and California back on the Pacific Crest Trail.  That wall was so high.  I posted a picture above and to the right to show the difference.  The wall behind Teddy in that photo was the border.  This one appears to not be a restraint for anyone, however, Teddy said there was a high presence of border patrol in the area, because drug smuggling is a big issue here.  Regardless of the wall height, as you can see, Scarecrow is just as excited to move North on this trail as he was back in 2011 on the PCT.

As previously mentioned, Teddy said the desert was dry and filled with sharp things.  The bushes and sharp branches are protruding everywhere and it looks like that for miles and miles. When I asked where the trail actually was, Teddy told me there really isn't a worn trail because of the dry weather conditions.  Even if there is foot traffic, after a rainfall, the tracks disappear.  He has to rely heavily on his GPS Garmin to keep him on track.

no shade here

beautiful desert sky

not so beautiful desert floor

Although the desert sky is beautiful and not littered with pollution, the desert floor was scattered with remains of wildlife, as well as some critters larger than I have ever seen.  At first I thought this was a frog, and was so grossed out.   

fat and happy spiky lizard

So, without a beaten trail, signs became important.  Teddy said these are posted along the way to keep hikers on track, as well as little medallions on the railings, etc. to indicate you are going the right way. 

 If you remember back to his PCT hike, Teddy's selfies became quite impressive as the trail went on.  We also got to see the progression of his facial hair as time went on.  Below, you will find the first official "selfie" of the CDT.  Still clean shaven and smiling bright - I look forward to seeing Scarecrow's transformation over the next 5 months.

first selfie of the CDT

 The desert would not be complete without a snapshot of the first rattle snake greeting Teddy on the trail.  There was not a scary story to go along with this photo, although I would have been scared to death seeing it up close.

Scarecrow began the trail on the 17th, and met two guys named Hikeaholic and Ducky, who are also hiking Northbound seeking to complete the CDT as thruhikers.  The first town stop was 80 miles from the monument, so they have been together for that first stretch of the trail.  They found out it was Teddy's birthday on Tuesday, and when he went out to retrieve something from his room , he returned to find a delicious birthday cake waiting for him - topped with candles marking his 45th birthday.  Boy was that a nice treat for him... THANK YOU to hikeaholic and Ducky for helping Scarecrow celebrate.

Happy Birthday Scarecrow!

Scarecrow took a zero day in town, packaged up his next few stops of food supply, caught up on emails, texts and facebook posts, and had a restful, comfortable night's sleep before heading out Wednesday morning for his next 4 to 5 day walk until the next town.  If you would like to see where he is now, click on this link:  where is Scarecrow now?

Teddy did want me to mention, this map link shows the crow's flight of where he is walking.  The mileage posted is for that straight line, not the actual mileage of his daily hiking.  I will try to keep an accurate record of his actual mileage.

For those of you who asked, the next town Teddy can receive mail/packages is listed below.  He will be arriving there around May 3-4th.  If you are interested in sending a note of encouragement, a card, or a package of treats, please label your mail as listed below:

TEDDY "SCARECROW" WARREN

GENERAL DELIVERY

PO 87827

PIE TOWN, NEW MEXICO  87827

Of course, none of this is expected or required, but appreciated greatly.  Thank you to those of you who have inquired about this. 

Until next time,

The Thruhiker's Wife

As the links disappear, the ending becomes clear...

"We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break." ~ Marquise de Se'vigne'

Easter 2014

A perfect ending to a very busy day.  Our Easter morning began with 9:00 mass, followed by a wonderful breakfast with family at the house.  My brothers and mother joined us for a delicious meal and gifts of candy and treats in clever baskets - thank you Uncles and Grammie.  We attended a family BBQ at the park and heard from Scarecrow for the first time.  He is safe, and moving along.  It seems like weeks since we left him at the airport, and yet it has only been 5 days.  I decided to revive a project I had done with Dakota while Teddy was on the Appalachian Trail back in 2001.  Dakota was only 3 while he was away, so we created a paper chain with each link representing each day he was gone.  We would remove a link every day until there were none - this is when Scarecrow would be home.

Today, when we arrived home, the three of us created a new paper chain.  We chose different colors to represent each month he would be away.

The thought that it has only been 5 days and it has felt like weeks was a bit overwhelming for all of us.  To try and organize and condense this huge amount of time is exactly what we needed to put things into perspective.  So after careful selection by Dakota, choosing colors significant to the seasons or specific things Teddy will miss, here are the final choices we made.

We cut strips thin enough to staple together, but wide enough to write on.  Thanks to my friend Brenda, who came up with the idea, we will write our highs/lows for each day on these strips.

For anyone who knows us, it is a ritual we do at dinner time.  We all go around the table and say what our high was for the day and what our low was for the day.  This is a way for the kids to be able to share their thoughts with Daddy when he comes back home.  He will have insight into what was happening while he was away, and the kids won't fear forgetting to share stuff when he calls home.  We were all on board with the idea and could not wait to get started.  At first, I was not sure if this would fly assuming the kids would think it was too childish - I was taught otherwise.  One is never too old to make a paper chain, too old to anticipate an event, or too old to share their thoughts and feelings with loved ones near and far.  So off we went and began our creation.

Dakota was a trooper and cut out 145 strips of paper, each the exact amount for the days in the months of April, May, June, July, August and 12 days in September.  Scarecrow's estimated completion date is the 10th but we wanted to continue the chain until Jagger's birthday on the 12th, when he will turn 12.  Jagger helped me staple these links together and within minutes, a beautiful, but very long paper chain was created.

 
So, as you can see, Dakota is holding the end that represents April, and as the colors change, so do the months.  We end in September, on Jagger's end, with him holding the link that represents his birthday and the day Scarecrow will be home.  Honestly, with this representation of the days we will be without Teddy, it doesn't seem as long now.  The kids have pointed out different milestones to look forward to as well... once the yellow links are gone, summer vacation begins.  We will visit with Teddy in the middle of the teal chain.  A new school year will begin at the red chain.  Daddy will be home in 145 links.

Where did we hang this beautiful piece of artwork? Where we can see it and take a link from it daily. We took the first link off tonight after dinner, each wrote our high/low for the day and will store these thoughts and memories in a treasure box for Teddy to read when he gets home.

I am so proud of my children.  That was my high for today.  The strength, support and love they display overwhelms me.  I honestly believe they are what fuels my strength and allows me to be as supportive as I am for my husband.  So, this post is dedicated to my amazing children... may there always be happy memories, positive goals, beautiful dreams and paper chains in your lives.  I love you both to the moon and back.

Truly blessed and grateful,

The Thruhiker's Wife

Finally, a phone call from Scarecrow!

 So, after 4 days, Scarecrow finally was in an area where he had a signal to call home.  

via Google images

He was so anxious to share the conditions in which he is hiking.  The beginning of this trail is in a desert, filled with everything sharp.  Teddy said he is shuffling through brush that is sticking and scratching up his legs, with some branches even piercing through his shoe and sock onto his foot.  It has been bright and sunny, and extremely hot.  A fellow hiker's watch read 109 degrees yesterday.  Scarecrow forgot to pack sunblock, so he said he is burnt and red like a tomato.  Can't wait for those pics.  The signal for his phone has been sketchy, so he will not be able to send photos until tomorrow, when he arrives in town for resupply.  Until then, he has said this is the most difficult hiking he has ever encountered.  He is definitely being challenged by this rigorous trail.

via Google images on shutterstock.com

I told him we are all enjoying tracking his progress so he should not forget to check in with the SPOT at the end of each day.  I caught him up on all of our happenings over the past few days, and will be able to speak to him tomorrow.  He did say I can pass along his cell number for anyone who wants to text/call with well wishes along his trip.  631.569.6013  If he does not answer or it goes to voice mail, leave a message or try again another time.  He keeps his phone off while he is hiking to preserve the battery life.  You can also just click on the link here where is Scarecrow? to see his progress.  I will try to remember to provide this link daily so you can track him easily.

I can breathe easier now, knowing he is happy, healthy and well on his way to the triple crown achievement.

Until next time,

The Thruhiker's Wife

Scarecrow's "Ruby Red Slippers"

In the mean time, I would like to continue thanking the generous family and friends who have helped Scarecrow get on his way.  A successful hike would not be complete without a good solid pair, or 6 pair, of hiking shoes.  Teddy purchased several different pair to have on this trip, depending on the terrain and weather he will be in.  The first pair he is wearing was purchased with the help of a generous gift card to REI from the Gemelli family.

John, Chrissy, JP & Joey Gemelli

Chrissy is Teddy's cousin on the Warren side of the family.  She, along with her husband and two awesome boys have shown their love and support throughout Scarecrow's adventures.  They too, are an adventurous family and we have had the pleasure of traveling with them several times, whether it be skiing in New Hampshire or roller coasters in Virginia.  They always attend our get togethers, birthday parties and family gatherings in the midst of their busy schedules with sports, etc.

We appreciate your love and support throughout Teddy's travels and he is very happy and comfortable in his new hiking shoes.  Hopefully they will bring him hundreds of miles of cushion, comfort and guidance.  Now, if only they could help him send pictures my way...


With much love and thanks,

The Thruhiker's Wife