Sandra Bullock

Called at the last minute tonight and said that Jessie was not feeling ill and she would not be able to attend as our official secretary and scribe. I will put in a call to Julia to see if she can make it.

Launching

At 0600 Friday. I will be able to get email on the Crackberry by sending it to the Yahoo account. Of course the cell number will be functional. I will have great coverage through OKC, but nominal from OKC to near Amarillo and it will degrade between Amarillo and Albuquerque.
Unless I totally tank, I will be staying in the Hampton Inn in Albuquerque. If I tank I will stay in Amarillo and hoof it on in to pick up David on Saturday morning.

Zuni-Acoma Trail

Looking over my notes I see we had planned 2 days for this trail and there was conversation about someone meeting us on the trail with water. From what I can find the trail is only a 7.5 mile slog and is easily done in a day. Is there something I am missing? If it is doable in one day then we can look at doing something else? How far to Vegas?

Of Mice and Men

To recap:
1) I am bringing stove, 2-man tent and vehicle.
2) I will be staying at the Hampton Inn-Albuquerque Friday night
3) I will pick up David in Albuquerque from UAL 7653 at 1238.
4) I have reserved room at Holiday Inn Express in Grants for Saturday and Sunday. Will reserve for following Saturday when we hit town.
5) Will pick up water in Grants and finalize cache plans on Saturday; make drops on Sunday.
6) Bob arrives Sunday night.
7) We will accomplish communal shopping in Grants and each will provide their individual meals.

I will depart Friday morning around 0700 and will have email and cell coverage pretty much all day long. It will get spotty between Amarillo and Tucumcari and between Tucumcari and Albuquerque.

Fuego

I know we are supposed to abide by Leave No Track, and I usually follow those rules. But I have to tell you I am just enough of an old fashioned kind of guy that I like a small fire at night to sit around, eat cookies, drink coffee and visit. Absent a fire danger or regulations to the contrary, how do you guys feel about it? I was thinking of bringing along some small fire starters I made of paraffin and sawdust.

EQUIPMENT

Here is my suggested equipment list (taken from the Backpacker Website)

Clothing Outerwear

waterproof/breathable jacket / pants fleece/synthetic jacket or wool sweater
synthetic hiking pants and shorts

Shirt long and short sleeve
underwear (or go commando)
socks

Warm hat and gloves (or travel light and freeze at night)

Footwear
hiking boots
camp footwear (or not)
wool or synthetic socks (3) (or bring one pair and maximize toe-jam)

Extras
sun hat
bandanna

Gear
backpack (I once saw a guy "backpacking" in Glacier Park carrying two Samsonite hard-sided suitcases, so suit yourself here.)

down or synthetic sleeping bag ( to 20°F)
sleeping pad
lighter and waterproof matches
cookset
eating utensils, bowl, and mug
headlamp w/extra batteries and bulb
Water bottles - 2 gallon capacity (or bring cash if you want some of my carried water, because I don't take American Express)
water treatment (filter, tablets, or drops) (or start your own Giarrdia Bowel Prep Early for your next colonoscopy)
pocket knife or multitool
compass
sunglasses
first-aid kit with personal medications (don't tell me 10 miles in that you forgot your insulin)
stuff sacks
assorted zipper-lock bags
bear-bagging rope if necessary (I predict bears, mice, rats, and pecchary will be in the area)
insect repellent (I have not used this crap since I melted a compass in Yosemite in 1987)
mesh head net or suit(optional) (bring it and your photo will be on this blog the minute we get home)
sunscreen (SPF 15+)
lip balm (SPF 15+)
toilet paper and trowel
toothbrush and paste, shave kit, etc. (adapt to whatever level of hygiene your desire, but if you don't bring a toothbrush, please try not to say much)

notebook and pencil

I included the above list for your amusement. If anyone really needs to be told to bring a backpack and boots we are going to have a problem out there. In addition, I am a big fan of cross loading. I know we all don't need a water filter or purification tablets, but thats ok, I think we should all have them.

Now for the group gear.

I think everyone should bring:
gps if you have one.
camera if you have one

As for the big items
We need tent space for all and a stove for every two or three people.

I am bringing a stove and a two man tent. Since Doug is also driving, I have talked with Doug, and he will bring a two man tent and a stove.

As for computers, I think that Doug is going to try to bring a computer at least to connect to the outside world. David, if you could also bring a computer to take data home, that would be great.

We will have Doug's truck and my suburban for vehicles.

I have also talked with Doug about hotel rooms, he is going to try and find a reputable place with a suite so we can live and work like humans.

That's all folks.

Comments are welcome.

Bob

El Malpais/C of C Info

Great resource for geology, culture and Fed planning within our area.

http://www.nm.blm.gov/aufo/el_malpais_feis/chapters/MALPAISCHAP3.PDF

Deader Than A Bag of Hammers

This site needs some activity!

Up and At 'Em Team

Working on my gear list tonight and getting excited about the trip. Looks like the area is still rainy and cool. I am predicting we will have great weather! Inasmuch as it looks like we will be no more than 5 people, what do you think is an adequate water cache? I want to pick up water containers this week from our supply chain guys and want to get enough. Think four 5-gallon containers is adequate? Any additional thoughts on chow? Communal meals for all or just heat water and let each guy be responsible for his own cuisine? I am thinking the latter as it allows the most flexibility for individual taste. With no more than 5 people I would think two stoves to be adequate. I will bring one, who would like to bring the other? Finally, I have one and two men tents. Unless someone has a different idea I will bring the two-man tent for maxium flexibility.

Meteorology

FYI

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/87020?locid=87020

Software needs?

I was looking at an example of what our end product should look like at this link: http://backpacker.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripID=29024&mode=TripSummary

I was particularly looking at the trail notes and pictures attached to GPS coordinates under the "Trip Details" header. I'm wondering how our team will be able to keep track of this data if we're using different model GPS units, cameras, and smaller split teams? Is there a preferred software that Scott Gates wants us to use for their processing and publishing?

A low tech solution is for each sub team to keep a field book with all the data collected listed by the coresponding coordinate. Unfortunately, we'll most likely need to send everything we collect ellectroniclly via the internet, and books don't travel well that way.

Anyone got any ideas?

Hellooooooo....................

Anyone out there?

Road Access in C of C

The Chief Ranger at El Malpais called me this morning and I had a great visit with him. Although he is not responsible for anything at C of C, he is intimately familiar with the the whole area. I explained what our team was about and he confirmed that CR 42 is indeed in good shape, and absent any gullywashers, will be easily passable when we are out there. He said that basically any road in the area that is physically accessible is ours to utilize. The area is crisscrossed with many logging, ranching and hunting roads and he said that the chief problem will be mud immediately following rains.

Inquired about the weather and he said that we could expect 40 degree nights and 60 to 70 degree days. Good chance of rains during mid-May as well.

I asked if we could come by and visit and but unfortunately he is retiring at the end of April and said that he would not be around.

It would appear that we can cache supplies and water pretty much anywhere we choose.

A Very

Happy Easter to all. The site has been quiet so I thought I would do something.
Enjoy the weekend.
Doug

Pete

Did you get in and find this thread?

Routes?

Reviewing Scott's map, it seems as if we are responsible for finding a route from Junction 117/42 (02NM Start) to Junction 53/42 (02NM END). As Scott also said in one of his early emails, this is not the most hospitable part of the CDT, but we have a very strong team. I certainly agree with Doug, water is good, and I personally need alot of it, about 1-2 quarts per mile in the heat.

I think that any route between the Start and the End should include the "Chain of Craters" region. With that, it seems to me that there are three likely routes.

Route 1: Get on County Road 42 and walk from the Start to the End.

Route 2: Get on County Road 42 at the Start and walk to the trail head by Cerro Brillante, hike the trail to point 0143, then get back on County Road 42 and walk to the End.

Route 3: From the Start, navigate using available roads and trails to the trail head by Cerro Brillante, join the trail at Cerro Brillante, hike to around point 0143, then again navigate to the End point using available roads and trails that we might find. I would envision the first part of this hike to be potentially bushwacking a route South of and parallel to Road 42, and the last part potentially bushwacking a route west of and parallel to Road 42.

Route 1 does not appeal to me. Route 2 is the most reasonable, and fairly easy to do. But again, hiking 15 miles of dirt road is not really great. Route 3 is more of an adventure but I am concerned with potentially bushwacking 10 miles of desert at the start. On the other hand, Road 42 would be just to the North if we had to bail out.

Just some thoughts. I look forward to other ideas.

Bob

It looks like it is working. I have never done this blog thing before. Sitting here in the Hilton catching up email and thought I would give it a shot.

I did hit the Backpacker weblog and suggested that instead of Team 2 we call ourselves the "Cinderheads". Or maybe the "Coneheads"?

First Post

This is a test to see if the blog works