Good Bye New Mexico, Hello Colorado !

Ghost Ranch and its beautifull sandstone cliffs was our last look at the desert. Since then, we have been in cool green aspen, pine and spruce forrest and rolling alpine meadows. Depending on altitude, spring is only just beginning to think about springing ! Some meadows are already busy with blue iris, yellow lillies, purple lupins, red columbines and indigo delphiniums - as well as the less exotic (to the European eye) dandilion. A few hundred feet higher, the snow has only just gone and the flowers are not out yet. The omnipresent lizards have been replaced by stripy chipmunks. Still lots of humming birds around though and lots of ravens (caw caw!)

It has been easy walking (with tricky navigations since there are many old and new trails up here). We are told that the weather we are having is unusal for this time of year: it has been thundering (sometimes for hours) and raining out of static clouds (no winds!) every day for a couple of weeks now. Above 10 000 feet (3300 m), the nights have been very cold indeed with lots of condensation and frost on the tent (inner!).

Two days ago in the afternoon, we crossed the state border into Colorado (with fellow hikers Ted and Richard, who joined up with us again in Ghost Rhanch). We made a celebratory fire at our campsite that night and Ted burnt his last New Mexico maps. We've come 650 miles (1080 km) since the border!

Chama, where we are now, is in New Mexico again - we had to hitch-hike from a pass on the road in Colorado back into New Mexico! Chama's main attraction is a narrow gauge steam train and we are in a charming 1930's hotel next to the "station" and can hear the train hooting! Lots of knick-knack shops, nice cafees and very friendly people!

The next section is appartently quite snowy. A few other hikers have already opted to walk on the road to the next resupply town rather than flogg trough the snows. Mary-Joy, our supporting trail-witch in Montrose,CO (I'm sure she'd rather be called that, than being called a "trail-angel") has sent us ice axes and bigger boots as well as some extra clothes. So we are now in a position to go and have a look at how much snow there is. It's only 65 miles to the next resupply town - there will be hot springs there! Great incentive to plod on!

Brian is away to try and find somewhere in Chama where he can download photos from the last section.

M