[pct-l] At the southern terminus

[blisterfree@surfree.com (Brett Tucker)]

Headed down to the border this afternoon, checking on the condition of the
trail. And looking for hikers. Reached the international boundary monument
just before sunset and in the midst of an incredibly powerful windstorm.
There in the shallow gap separating the United States from Mexico, winds
must have been blowing a constant 50mph, with gusts possibly above 70mph.
The desert-like vegetation offered little protection from the elements.

The sun plopped down behind distant westward hills, and I slipped through
the cracks in the barb-wire fencing intended to exclude me from our southern
neighbor. Or perhaps the correct logic runs the other way. Either way, I was
very well hydrated on this little outing, and now in the promised land at
last, it was time to go. And although most conventional cowboy wisdom is
little more than myth and hyperbole, one surefire anecdote worth saving is
the one about wind and correct orientation during the moment of truth. High
stakes, no matter how I looked at it. I took a few pictures of the ornate,
white obelisk presiding over my brief first world hiatus, picked up a small
third world rock as a momento, then went back from whence I came - but not
before considering, then dismissing, an alternate plan.

A bit over a mile from the southern terminus is the nearest long-term
parking for the AT, and just before heading out I checked the hiker registry
there for any possible thru-hiker entries. Was surprised to find only 3
end-to-enders had signed their names in nearly the past two weeks, and all
on the same day: Easter. I assumed that others must have set their sights on
a late March or early April start, to take advantage of the cooler weather
and more abundant moisture, but I could only speculate.

The trail running from the parking area down to the aforementioned border
was in excellent condition: well marked and maintained, little damage or
erosion, not a speck of litter to be found, all quite surprising this close
to a likely smuggling and immigration route. The views extending south into
Mexico were superb, and I was astonished to find myself alone in this
magical place on a Saturday evening. However, dusk settled in as I regained
the ridge leading back to my car, and with the wind still lashing at whole
gales, I found myself fighting to avoid several near-trail collisions with
the cane cholla plants common to these borderlands.

I at last reached the parking area in total darkness, totally convinced that
the AT offers, by far, the best starting point / southern terminus
experience of any long distance hiking trail in the nation, not to mention
the safest, cleanest, most hassle-free international border approach.
Contented, but rather wind-whipped, I drove away from Montezuma Pass, back
down the winding canyon road, past the Coronado National Memorial
headquarters, with sights set on the highway, Sierra Vista, and distant
Tucson. One of these days, I told myself, I'll be back, with a backpack, and
heading north to Utah. The Arizona Trail (AT) offers a promising journey,
indeed. :)

- blisterfree (that's right, they're fixing to borrow the AT acronym out
here)