Spring has sprung in America’s southwest, so it’s time for me to migrate to higher elevations to avoid the eighty-plus afternoon temperatures.
From the small town of Deming, NM, at an elevation between three and four thousand feet, I’ve begun preparing for the hiking season by attending the 2024 Continental Divide Trail (CDT) Days in Silver City, NM.
The CDT Trail days is a celebration of the two thousand plus mile trail from the Mexican boarder to the Canadian boarder. Hundreds of people attempt this long tour hike resupplying food and other necessities at what is becoming know as trail towns and gateway communities to the CDT, like Silver City NM.
With desert morning temperatures hovering between forty-five and fifty-five degrees, I stay snuggled warmly inside my sleeping bag, sheltered inside my tent, and waiting for the sun to warm the tent’s interior. During this time, I imagined the propane furnace in Foxy as an alternative to where I could be.
Over the years, I have encountered day hikers and backpackers with their pets, including dogs on leashes and birds, squirrels, ferrets, and snakes carried on backpacks, on their owner’s shoulders, or laying around their owner’s neck like the below image. In 2019 this woman hiked the two thousand plus mile Pacific Crest Trail with her cat humbly riding along. PCT trail Link (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/pct/home/?cid=stelprdb5310782 )
But, when I witnessed what I thought was an oversized, long-haired Great Dane on a leash, I had to stop and talk to its owner.
Jarred is hiking sections of the Continental Divide Trail with his pet Yak, Knuckles, who is a year and a half old. Knuckles carries his food, which is hay inside the saddle bags, across his back and is managing reasonably well.
Jarred and Knuckles have interacted with many curious people inquiring and learning about his hiking adventure with Knuckles. When I met him in the parking lot of the Walmart in Deming, NM,
One woman drove past, stopped, talked with Jarred, and petted Knuckles. She then offered to return from her home with some outdated fruits and vegetables as her offering of support for Jarred and Knuckles.
Jarred and Knuckles attended the Continental Divide Trail Days event to become one of the main attractions, with several hundred attendees curious about his adventures.
If you are interested in supporting Jarred and Knuckles, click the links below to watch the YouTube videos of their adventures.
Family and friends have asked me to provide background information while displaying images of my hiking and backpacking adventures and I will do so in the coming months.
Below are links to incredible sites for more information about this blog posting.
Continental Divide Trail National Scenic Trail, US Forest service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/cdt
CDT Gateway Community silver City NM. https://continentaldividetrail.org/communities/silver-city/
YeeHawYaks, Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/@YeeHawYaks
Yeehaw Yaks, Linktree Link:
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