Category Archives: Hiking

Day 27, Miles 750 – Cheated Death Again!

(On the CDT – May 23, 2018)

Well, everything was going along fine.

Which always should be a warning.

And then the wheels came off.

An irresistible side trip was to occur…wait for it…
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.

Day Six of the CDT and a Line for the Bathroom ?!?

It’s Day Six on the CDT and I’m 165 miles in. Only 3000 more to go.

As some or most of you know I’m tackling the Continental Divide Trail.

Heading northbound from Mexico through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Should take 4 to 5 months depending on a whole hell of a lot. As 3000+ miles is a long way to walk. Took an Amtrak to Lordsburg, New Mexico, and the starting point.

Already seeing some interesting sights:

First hurdle on Steve Halteman’s CDT hike. 3000 more miles to go.

Old school fence on the CDT.

An Italian immigrant living in New York had a vision to come to the desert and hand build a church. Sometime in the 1950s. He picked Hachita, New Mexico, population 36, from a map. Then made his way there. The visionary then spent many a year constructing his stone homage to Christ solo. Christ’s reception was not as anticipated. For three days before the first service was to be held in the almost finished cathedral, our visionary climbed under his truck to check on something. Then was run over and killed when the truck mysteriously slipped out of gear.

In the busy morning hours, there was a line for the outdoor bathrooms on the CDT.

This is Steven “Blast” Halteman on the CDT, signing off!

 

 

Steven “Blast” Halteman – Off Again! This time hiking the CDT.

(Continental Divide, Southernmost Point, April 25, 2018) Decided to step away for six months or so. Maybe try to visit a couple countries I haven’t seen before. Also, try to get in a good hike.

Started the hike part four days ago. The trail is called the Continental Divide trail lasix sin receta. I’m 85 miles in and have 3015 miles to go.

The trail starts on a part of the Mexican border called Crazy Cook. Which is so named because an early surveying party was marking the border circa 1907 when one of the crew gave an unflattering pre-Yelp review about the food and was promptly murdered by the cook.

 

The photos above is of a fairly questionable water stop which didn’t work out well for my friend got there before me. But I found to be quite palatable. Sometimes it’s nice not to have a choice.

My sleeping quarters and some interesting views (below):

Until next time!

Steven “Blast” Halteman, from the CDT. See you on the trail.