I left camp at 6:20am, headed for Ghost Ranch — a historical landmark with guest accommodations, once the home to Georgia O’Keeffe, and a site of preserved dinosaur fossils. My mom sent me a box of food to Ghost Ranch to finish out New Mexico.
| 🗓️ Date | May 11th |
| ⇢ Mileage | 23.8 |
| 📍 Trip Mileage | 644.9 |
| ⛅️ Weather | Cloudy 60°F with some occasionally clearings; clear through late day |
| 🏞️ Trail Conditions | Clean trail most of the day; steep rocky exit from Ghost Ranch followed by night dirt road walking |
Instead of the dirt road alternate into Ghost Ranch, I decided to follow the true CDT for some rim hiking above the stellar Chama River Basin.
I took the Rim Vista Trail to cut from the CDT to the dirt roads into Ghost Ranch. The desert sculptures and forms carved by the waters of the San Juan’s did not disappoint.
I got into Ghost Ranch at 11:30am after 16 miles of walking. Time melts at town stops. After a couple of meals, recharging, and food packing over five hours, I had to decide my move. I didn’t know if anybody personally who made it any further north, and the few people who attempted were said to have encountered an uncrossable river. Yet, an anxious beckoning called me to see for myself.
I departed late, 6:30pm, following Box Canyon Trail. I hiked late into the night, pitching camp eight miles out from the ranch.
Signing off,
Zeppelin
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