Journey Day 477 | CDT Day 140
A view as I hiked into the Ghost Ranch in November 1987.
11/1/87
Up early, I eat gorp, descend to corral, orient and hike around to spring. Enjoy water, breakfast despite cold morning. Jeep trail from camp, extrapolated at contour, ends me at Road 636A, a road I noted at the spring, which also coincided with (guidebook draft writer Jim) Wolf's cattle guard crossing, so I follow his route, leaving road at the high point, heading up ridge, some heavy willows, but hit higher ridge road. I follow until it too descends, pick up faint tracks at turn, which lead along a ridge. Dead-ends as noted in Wolf's route, so I hike south-southwest, coming to a steep, rocky, scrubby final descent to a road.
Meet Hispanic couple looking for cows. Talk, part, I hike on to Yeso Tank Road, along an unusually solid roadway. Down this road, pass a fellow with a horse trailer, who yells me down. After a short talk long distance, I got to the tank where I eat final meal before the Ghost Ranch, including a pound of chicken noodle soup.
Observe tank access, quality of standing pool, hike road through pines, desert plants, juniper in a daze. Eventually viewing excellent Mesa de Abiquiu, Mogote Peak. Hike to end of the road and another good view. Descent more to west easier than expected, little trouble in hiking down to second bench, finding jeep road to gully, past cave and rock outcroppings atop a cliff.
Excellent change of pace. Some trouble locating pack trail. Initially climb too far up to cliffs, but upon descent successful in finding trail. Hike along enjoying desert flora, rock formations, warming trend. Push past camp, good views ahead into a deep valley through the canyon. Hike past chollas in bloom, break before final descent, in awe of scenery, but tired from hike.
Follow cairns, trail down, hit creek, then Ghost Ranch markings. Rain begins, cover up, hike on past aqueduct, hit road, which I hike down into camp, past displays, hogans, etc in midst of Kitchen Mesa, other formations. Rain stops, photo a bit, hiking through camp. Meet San Diegan on elder hostel, who directs me to the office. I'm early I'm told, having no track on days passing. Talk a bit with OJ in charge of high desert farm research, who hiked with Mugs and Jo Kneczak, colorful Indian sisters who winter hiked this trail. With my box, I walk to staff housing and enjoy a shower. Then over to dinner, nearly missed by reading interesting literature, realizing my childhood church, Parma South Presbyterian, funded this place.
Load up on food, talk with elder hostellers from Chicago and Cincinnati. Seconds, salad, bread and desert. Inquire on laundry, procedures, girl employee with a child on her pack runs for soap in a hard rain. I decide to wait for clearer skies, but she's gone for the soap. So I retrieve my dollar, decide to wash anyway. Williamstonian organic vegetable farmers, Philadelphia woman has Ghost Ranch background she shares. I comb shelves, tend to laundry, talk and listen.
Nearly through shelves when I find Razor's Edge, abandon book on Vincent and Theo Van Gogh, Ghandi autobiography for long sought-after read. Settle in with coffee and hot chocolate. Somerset Maughan's easy style draws me in, as does the story, recollecting the movie with Bill Murray as main character.
Read until all the others are gone, a break to discuss the Long Trail with farmers. Read into the night-early morning, eventually going to room to save for the next day, but read more in the room before crashing.
