The following week unfolded as a whirlwind of diverse activities. It all began with a journey to Nashville to reunite with my partner, followed by a joint drive to Huntsville to visit my brother, and culminated in a lively summer lab party with my PhD advisor and his team.
This leg of the journey kicked off with a drive to El Paso to catch a flight. I drove to El Paso the night before and checked into a hotel room. The next morning, with an early virtual conference presentation looming, I deemed the hotel a better Zoom backdrop than the back of my Buick, not to mention the prospect of a more reliable internet connection. I also had a kick-off meeting for a new grant which I did from the comfort of my hotel room.
Following a seamless airport experience, I found myself on a non-eventful plane trip to Nashville, where my partner eagerly awaited my arrival. We had met a few weeks before I left for New Mexico. What started as a casual second date in Nashville unexpectedly evolved into a heartfelt gesture as my partner insisted on taking time off work to chauffeur me around for the next couple of days. While I immersed myself in work at the hotel, he showered me with thoughtful acts of care, setting the stage for a lasting connection.
Our journey then led us to Huntsville, where I found solace in reconnecting with my brother amidst his battle with glioblastoma. Attending a work party provided the perfect opportunity to intertwine professional obligations with personal visits, allowing me to spend cherished moments with my brother, his family, and my nephew, who, in his innocence, expressed disappointment at my quick visit, believing I had solely visited to see him. I enjoyed some time sitting with my brother and nephew while they watched Minecraft videos on YouTube, one of their favorite activities together. I brought my nephew a toy park ranger truck, which he quickly dismissed asking why there was no Aunt Sally in it. As I bid farewell to my brother for the summer, his unwavering support for my backcountry pursuits echoed in my heart.
Upon my return, a delayed flight brought me to El Paso late into the night, prompting an impromptu car sleepover at the airport. Since I was late getting back to El Paso, I decided to take a day to myself. With an extra day on hand, I leisurely drove back to the Gila, pausing to explore the serene landscapes of White Sands National Park and indulging in a paddle board outing at Elephant Butte—a delightful addition to my solo adventure.
Despite a tight schedule, I squeezed in a two-day backcountry excursion near Lake Roberts, spurred by a dormmate’s trail suggestion. It was a suggestion based on a day hike though; he only did the first part of the trail but said it was beautiful. The map looked like the trail made it down to a creek which could be taken over to the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). Then you could take the CDT back to the road and complete the loop with a short road walk.
As I embarked on what seemed like a scenic overnighter, unforeseen challenges soon emerged. A scorching day, dwindling water supplies, and non-existing trail tested my resilience, leading to a sobering decision to backtrack. I do not know if it was the heat, fear of running out of water, the aftermath of being spoiled in civilization for days, the rocky trail that constantly made me feel like I could trip and fall on my face or stub my toes, or the climbs. But I was miserable! This was quickly becoming my least favorite day on the trail so far.
It looked like I was only about 2 miles from the creek, but I could not keep the trail. And it wasn’t easy walking with some wayfinding needed. It was downed trees everywhere, still scorching hot, super slow-moving, and I was down to my last liter of water. I had no idea if the creek would have water – even if I was able to get through the maze of downed trees to find it. At this point, I probably had just about enough time to make it back to my car before dark if I turned around and would no doubt run out of water on the way. But I was so miserable and didn’t know what was ahead – so I turned around. The way back was still fresh in my head even though I had been off trail for some time and the trail, when I found it, was mostly downhill to my car, so I got back in a fraction of the time it took me to get lost in that mess.
I drove around for a bit looking for a good place to stealth car camp. Loud partying people were out en masse in this part of the Gila. There was a campground near the CDT trailhead I planned to explore the next day and it looked like a full-on rave, ATVs decked with blinking lights seemingly synced with blaring music. This was not the backcountry in which I had fallen in love. I had dinner and slept in my car at the Lake Roberts camping area. The CDT hike the next day was lovely.
The only thing, I was hoping to do a lollipop hike and come back through a canyon. But just like my canyon adventures last week, I dead-ended in a steep drop I was not comfortable making by myself, so I had to turn around and take the same path back. But water was plentiful, the trail was pleasant, and all was forgiven about my hardships the previous day. I love you, Gila.
I also hiked the Purgatory Chasm on the way back, which was a short but cool hike and thanks to the extreme heat was void of people – even though it is generally accessible and popular. I did a lot more juggling this week and not as much time in the wilderness that had my heart that summer. Even though I had an easy clean-up when I got back to the dorms because I never even pulled out my tent – I felt a sense of anxiety that had become foreign in my solitude that summer.
Necessities for a Hot Day1
Water Storage – I usually carried about 4 liters of water with me just in case I could not find more
Water Purification – I carried Aquatabs in case I could not find fresh spring water
Water Filter – but I usually felt fine just filtering water if it came fresh from the spring
Electrolytes – LMNT if you need a lot of salt and NUUN if you want something fizzy
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