(On the CDT – May 23, 2018)

Well, everything was going along fine.

Which always should be a warning.

And then the wheels came off.

Bearing points.

Home for the night. So far I’ve only set my tent up once the very first night because of threatening rain. Since then all dry and stargazing.

 

 

Morning trail

A valley to look forward to.

Sand river

A collared lizard. So wild and unused to humans that I put the camera about 3 inches from its head. The only cannibal lizard in the States. Eats other lizards as well as its own.

I dubbed it camel rock.

Even the cactus is in the swing of spring.

Windmill fallen from grace

Typical water source. This one is actually a spring. It was one similar to this that was to take me down.

Following the top of the Mesa

Excellent irony

Spacing out on a break

Old Indian sweat lodge on the way out of Ghost Ranch

My ambulance (see below).

Note my pack strapped to the top.

Here’s the abbreviated story. So about five days ago I came down with Giardia. Picked up from one of those water sources where I figured it was OK not to treat the water.

Giardia is an intestinal parasite that basically tears you apart inside.

Your belly swells, you constantly burp sulfur. And you projectile shit mustard incessantly. You can’t sleep or hold any water or food in.

After a couple of days wasting away by a stream I began to doubt my ability to hike forward. Which was unfortunate because there was still 70 miles to go to civilization.

I got a little gloomy about my future.

And then I heard a chainsaw in the far distance.

Managed to get up the mountain where two guys were cutting up fallen logs.

In exchange for loading up the trailer and truck with wood I got a ride to Espanola 80 miles away.

Five logs in and then out behind a tree. The two guys couldn’t stop laughing.

In Espanola an urgent care doctor confirmed my diagnosis and the fact that I had dropped 20+ pounds.

But all good now.

Antibiotics, multiple large pizzas and HBO have nursed me back to health.

Back on the trail tomorrow.

My ambulance.

Avoided.

But in Espanola I found my dream camper van. You can still make out “Bus” on the side. Going to make an offer this afternoon. Drop a 350 in it, five speed, 4 Wheel Dr. and put a bed and a little stove in the back. Would be the sweetest touring sugar shack on wheels for Klaire and I.

Found my dream camper van in Espanola.

This is Steven “Blast” Halteman, signing off.

See you soon, from somewhere on the CDT.