CDT 2024 - Day 28, An early pickup for Fire Evasion

Rendezvous on a Forest Service Backroad and bad news.

View of the hillside from Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

My phone alarm went off at 5 AM and I had coffee and skipped the breakfast at the dining hall as I needed to pick up Runningbird on the FS road early. She only had a couple of miles to hike before I was to meet her and I had an hour drive to get there. She was waiting when I arrived and she was as happy to see me as I to see her. She explained the previous day of hiking was difficult through a lot of snow and she had to do hours of post-holing. Her arms were exhausted and with the deep heavy and slushy snow she had tweaked her ankle.

On the drive back to Ghost Ranch Peggy spoke to her sister Eleanor who told her it was nature and the cosmos trying to tell her, with the water, the swollen foot, and now the fire and smoke, it was time to come home. Peggy's brother had just passed away and, although it was expected, and he had said he didn't want her to leave the trail when the time came, she ultimately decided she needed to be with her family. So it was now the time.

From the campground we could see the heavy smoke up in the canyon and we thought of her friends, Alligator, E-Rod, and Chukar Bird. We sent them a text and told them it looked pretty bad and we would be happy to pick them up on the same backroad and give them a ride to Ghost Ranch. They said they would let us know. That afternoon the CDTA and the FS closed the trail. The wind had picked up significantly and the fire was obviously building in intensity. Chukar Bird texted back and said they would appreciate the detour ride. I had my Wingman assignment for the next day.

Chimney Rock, Abiquiu, New Mexico. The smoke was evident in the evening sky.

Sad Beau.