Description

Spanning from the U.S./Mexico border at the Crazy Cook Monument all the way north to Canada, the CDT is one of the most highly-acclaimed thru-hikes in North America.

This segment begins on NM-9, near mile marker 45.5 for those heading northbound (NOBO). After traversing the eastern slopes of the Big Hatchet Mountains, this segment transitions into mellow, rolling grades along the east side of another mountain range.

As you hike, expect views of 5,000'+ peaks shouldering the trail, notably Pyramid Peak, Cedar Mountain, and Rimrock Mountain, as you near the northern terminus of this segment.

Trading in singletrack for road, this section ends with a brief road walk into Lordsburg, NM, just north of the interstate. For thru-hikers, one of the most important variables on this stretch of trail is the water.

Several cache boxes are available along the way, plus multiple water tanks with solar panels can be found along the trail.

Most are murky, and others may smell of sulfur, so always treat or filter it first to be safe.

A detailed, up-to-date list of water sources along the CDT [can be found here](http://www.cdtwaterreport.org/). According to [this source](https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/continental-divide-trail/caching-water-new-mexico-bootheel-cdt/), if you commission a CDTC Shuttle from Lordsburg to Crazy Cook Monument, you can pay a small fee to have water at every cache box, which are spaced evenly for 85 miles along the trail's southernmost section.

Passing up this opportunity could be deadly as the summer heat intensifies, and the author issues a grim warning that "there is a very good chance you will run out of water and die alone in the New Mexico desert," if you don't plan accordingly. Sources: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/continental-divide-trail/caching-water-new-mexico-bootheel-cdt/ https://continentaldividetrail.org/