“We say Gila heals,” said Augie over a delicious dinner. As the sunset’s soft light lit the cliff red above the river, I thanked Augie for his amazing stories, wisdom, and fresh meal and entered one of the hot springs pools to enjoy the view as the night fell. Soon the sky was filled with sparkles of stars. 

After three hot soaks and cold plunges into the river, I went to bed, feeling my body and spirit were nourished and fed with the good energy of people and nature. I thought that this would be a night I would remember for the rest of my life. 

Dawn soaking in hot springs is my favorite thing to do. The next morning I saw the dark sky turning into indigo blue and slowly the stars disappeared.  Soon it was light and I plunged into the river to cool myself off and thanked the hot springs for taking good care of me.

Before I left, Augie came over and gave Sheehan and me a friendship feather to carry on our adventures. “Be safe out there and we’ll see each other again,” said Augie. In my mind, I said to myself that I would stop here again to surprise Augie when I bike back from Canada. Next time I’ll make him Japanese food. 

I got a ride from Graig and Netta, a couple who have a van life, to the trailhead. They said there were hot springs half a mile down the trail. Sure enough, the natural hot springs were right next to the trail! I could not pass without soaking so I took time to enjoy it. 

For the rest of the day, I handled numerous river crossings. More than half of the crossings were too deep for me so I had to find alternative paths to cross. Constant scouting and bushwhacking for safe passage became a regular practice. The more I did it, the more I developed the “eyes” to see the best spots for crossing.

The canyon was incredibly beautiful – huge red rock sandstone towers, new leaves, and signs of beavers. For two days, I was mesmerized and stopped many times in awe. There was something so sacred about this place. These rocks are beyond rocks- to me, they were like temples.

I learned that the Gila is a wild monument to the Ndé culture. For the Apache, this region was a treasure of resources: timber, wildlife, waterways, food, abundant transition zones, grassy valleys, plains, sheltering mountain ranges, minerals, and the open space and freedom to promote a mobile way of life. The Apache Creation stories tell that these lands were set on a perfect foundation specifically for the Chiricahua people. Ussen, the creator, White Painted Woman, Child of Water, Killer of Enemies, and the Mountain Spirits have told them they were created here and have held this territory as their own since time immemorial.

Perhaps I was feeling the presence and energy of these caretakers. With that in mind, I was focused and intentional about every crossing. Every turn I took I was greeted with new scenes. As I was entering into the sacred headwater of Gila River, I felt calm and quiet. Once I reached Snow Lake, I didn’t have to cross the river anymore. It was more like a creek crossing. 

The landscape changed dramatically from canyon to rolling hills of grassland with juniper and pine trees. Then it got very windy. I was walking on the dirt road the entire time. I saw white dust swirling in the sky. Soon I realized that there was a control burn. When I passed the area and whenever the wind gust came, I was covered with ash and dust. I had to laugh! I thought after bushwhacking and river crossing, it would be a little easier but I was wrong.

When I reached the saddle which was 9,029 feet, I was planning to camp there but the wind was so intense. I decided to decent down on the trail and find another site for camping. Then I saw a burned forest ahead along the trail. That’s not good! I couldn’t tell how long the burned forest would be and it was already 6:30 pm. I changed my plan again. I looked at the map and found a ridge away from the trail and down the wind. It’s not perfect – I would still hear the wind but at least in the trees and it’s flat. 

The wind blew off my tent stake a couple of times through the night although they were firmly placed in the ground and heavy rocks were on top of them. I couldn’t sleep so I decided to get going in the dark. My favorite part of that day was going into an alternate route called the Govina Canyon route. It was only 5 miles and it went along a creek protected from the wind. I appreciated the quietness without the wind. Listening to the trickling sound of water is healing to me after not having access to much running water in the desert. 

I decided to take another alternative route to Pie Town to avoid highway walking. Still, the alternative route came with off-the-pavement road walking. I don’t enjoy walking on or off the pavement. Since there wasn’t any other option, I decided to do a lot of cross-country hiking. I enjoyed it so much since it allowed me to tune into the land, and use my senses and navigation skills. I discovered a couple of clear running water that wasn’t on the map as I was doing so. The route took me to Mangas Mountain at 9,649 feet, the highest point so far. From the top, I could see where I came from in the south and was amazed at what our feet and legs could do! I saw the first snow on this trip on the north side of the road as I started to descend from the peak.

As I descended from the mountain, I followed the Martin Canyon, a natural feature or what we call “Handrails” in wilderness navigation that is easy to follow almost to a desert oasis for CDT hikers called Davila Ranch, 14 miles south of Pie Town. Right when I arrived, a man on a motorcycle came behind me, pulled over, and said, “We got a space for you.” John, a rancher who manages this place, greeted me and gave me a tour. There was a shower, laundry machines, a fridge full of eggs, potatoes, and more! When thru-hiking, a simple thing, such as a warm shower becomes a treasure. It is a learning opportunity for me to distinguish between what I need, and what I want. Once I am aware of that, I know what to receive and how to keep life simple. I took a shower and did laundry, gave donations, and left everything else for others who needed them.

This morning I left in the dark. The Pie Town post office only opens from 8:30-12 pm. I wanted to be there before they closed. Walking at dawn in the open desert is a magical experience. There was no wind and it was silent until birds started chirping, letting me know that I have many companies. I was loving it.

I got a ride from Jimmy, a rancher, for the last 6 miles and he kindly dropped me off at the post office. The town is small and the post officer greeted me with a smile and my resupply box. This will keep me going till my next stop at Grant.

Pie Town sits a little over halfway of the New Mexico section. Last night was a new moon which means that I have been on the trail for about half a month. It’s been wild, exceptional, difficult, and beautiful. I’m looking forward to what’s out in front of me in northern New Mexico.

I’ll see.

*I am using the official CDT trail mileage of 414 at Pie Town. The Gila alternative is shorter in mileage. The actual walking distance or mileage is different.

Appreciation: Augie for the dinner and friendship feather, Greg and Neeta and Charlie the dog at Gila for giving me a ride to the trailhead, John at Davila Ranch for creating such an incredible and critical desert oasis for hikers, Jimmy for the ride to Pie Town.

Best learning: More practice brings more knowledge in reading nature. I never paid attention so much to moving water in my life. Although I taught a river crossing class on a NOLS course and have a basic understanding of what to look for to make a safe crossing, I learned so much about the Gila River. It’s like I can see a face and its expression on the water now after crossing over 200 times!

Challenges: River crossings and having my shoes and socks wet the whole 3 days of my river journey. Walking on the dirt roads in the wind gusts, being covered by ash and dust. 

Disappointment: I didn’t think it would be at freezing temperature so I went to bed at Snow Lake leaving my shoes outside of my tent. Then I woke up realizing that my shoes and socks were rock solid frozen! It took me a while to thaw them and put them on me, which was disappointing and uncomfortable.

Exciting moments: Gila River traveling is nothing like what I have ever done before and it was so exciting. I would love to do that again! Seeing the educational display of Ndé at Gila Hot Springs taught me about the original people of the area.