I arrived in Cuba this afternoon with Clement, Ross, and Waldo. Ross (whom I met in Pie Town) and Waldo caught up to us in Grants and we have stuck together for the past few days. Clement and I are heading out first thing in the morning, while the others are taking a day off.
The rest of our time in Grants was excellent. We had a leisurely morning at the post office and a quick lunch before Carole drove us to the trailhead so we could walk back into town on five miles of road without packs. We started in earnest just before dinner, but still made another dozen miles.
Shortly out of Grants we climbed Mt. Taylor. It is a volcano that erupted ~2 million year ago, losing about 7,000 feet. We encountered our first snow on the north side, albeit only a few patches.
The trail involved much more true trail and less dirt road than previous sections. We are starting to encounter regular ups and downs as we navigate the beautiful mesas and the afternoon thunderstorms that I had expected from the Rockies. Unfortunately, the weather has ended my streak of cowboy camping--I setup my shelter two nights ago for the first time on the trail.
The next leg is only 53 miles to an access point from where Clement and I will spend a day off in Santa Fe. We both are in need of new shoes and a few other bits of gear.
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