Hiking NM at night?

[Timinator]

Hi it's me again with another question. I'm wondering if there is an advantage to night hiking New Mexico to avoid the heat? If I do the cdt It will probably be a bit later than is recommended and I hear it gets really hot out there in the summer.

[fiddlehead]

If you like night hiking, go try it.
But, IMO New Mexico is hard enough just to find your way.
In today's world of GPS, that may not be a factor anymore, depending on how many batteries you carry.

Remember, the CDT is usually at the highest elevations around.
So, the temps aren't as bad as you might think.
Of course, I have never been there in August.

Wearing proper clothes is important IMO.
Lightweight cotton shirt (yes cotton, soft cotton too), a straw hat (that ventilates well), a handkerchief handy at all times, long (lightweight) pants.
Look at Mexican or any farmers near the equator and what they are wearing.
They tend to cover up rather than expose any skin.
Same with long distance motorcycle travelers. Cover up so you don't lose moisture from within.
I see many fishermen in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanman. They even cover their faces almost entirely in the daytime. Only their eyes are visable.
So learn something from the pros.

But night hiking? It was never something I enjoyed.
But with a GPS and some decent routes planted inside, possible.
Keep it fun.

[bearcreek]

I just returned from two weeks of August hiking on the CDT in NM, one week on the new route between Pietown and Quemado, and another week further north in the Carson forest. Temperatures were not bad at all. The only part of NM that gets insufferably hot in the summer is the desert region to the south. It is unpleasantly hot there by late May. If you hike there at night you will be inviting a lot of trouble, not just from becoming lost but also from the federal officials down there who are looking for illegal traffic headed north. Most of that travel is at night.

[Timinator]

I see, ok then I guess I won't night hike. I do have a gps with plenty of backup power but If the temps aren't bad I'll just roll with daytime.

[Datto]

Pearson and I couldn't have night-hiked New Mexico -- we'd have gotten tagged to many times from the desert plant stickers that we had to avoid using eyesight and light. Even with that I got tagged a few times anyhow, even in the middle of the day when it was obvious and I still missed the paddle cactus ahead of me. Lots of "Golly" that hurts exclamations.


Datto

[litespeed]

I just returned from two weeks of August hiking on the CDT in NM, one week on the new route between Pietown and Quemado, and another week further north in the Carson forest. .

So tell us about the new trail. Where is that, exactly?

[BrianLe]

I hiked the CDT SOBO last year and so finished in November. Hiked at night a couple of times towards the end just because there was so little daylight to hike in and the moon was pretty full. It wasn't too bad at times, but my hiking partner and I did a bit of "yes, it's the CDT" cross-country travel and on occasion did interact unpleasantly with an ocotillo or two as a result. The right-through-the-shoes sharp thorns towards the end would have been as bad during the day as at night.

Bottom line is that I think there are times and places that you could night hike fine in NM, but quite a number that it wouldn't be recommended, just something you figure out as you go I think.

[bearcreek]

So tell us about the new trail. Where is that, exactly?

Currently processing the GPS data and will make information about the reroutes available before we leave in three weeks to do the same in Montana. I will put up enough info so this year's SOBO group can to hike them if they desire. 2013 Mapbooks should be completely up to date with new data, mileages, etc.