G.E.T. Guidebook

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Segment 25: Lookout Mountain  11.5 miles

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Segment Length			Segment Status	Season
11.5 mi.			finalized & accessible	spring, summer, fall
Resources
OVERVIEW MAP ELEVATION PROFILE G.E.T. Topo Maps 65-67 Town Guide: Winston Water Chart Image Gallery: Album 7				Additional maps: Gila National Forest (USFS) Land management agencies: Gila NF Black Range Ranger District

PLEASE NOTE: THIS CHAPTER REMAINS UNFINISHED. SEGMENT OVERVIEW AND ROUTE DETAILS INFO BELOW ARE IN DRAFT FORM AND HIGHLIGHT ONLY THE ESSENTIALS NEEDED FOR NAVIGATING THIS SEGMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOPO MAP SET.

SEGMENT OVERVIEW

The Continental Divide atop the remote Black Range is less prominent in this segment, more forested, and provides for easier passage in comparison to the early miles of Segment 24. However, because terrain features are somewhat nondescript, in spite of their continued ridge-and-canyon complexity, it can sometimes be difficult to ascertain one's bearings here. This would not be much of a concern if the CDT were well defined and clearly marked. Alas, in the first 4 miles or so of this segment, the CDT is not always that. In fact, the trail can be rather confusing to follow in places, particularly as there is more than one route marked as the CDT: a former route that tends to hug the physical Divide more closely, marked with i-blazes and occasional wooden CDT markers on trees, as well as a newer route signed with the more familiar, blue-and-black metal CDT markers on trees. Trail maintenance in recent years (tread improvement, cairning, blowdown removal) has helped somewhat, while the following guidebook description aims to further minimize any head-scratching here.

Once the trail gets its act together - which it does finally do - navigation is quite undemanding. The well-plotted and -graded trail contours this way and that along the broad, ponderosa-clad crest of the Continental Divide, offering up occasional glimpses east toward the San Mateo Mountains and nearer Cuchillo Hills, or west toward sere grasslands and island-like forested ridges of northern Gila country. The easy transit here also has an added advantage, ferrying one expediently along an increasingly droughty trail corridor. The most reliable opportunity to fill water bottles between Seg 24's Chloride Creek and Seg 26's Adobe Spring appears at this segment's halfway point, a trio of small springs in separate drainages off the Divide. The spring-fed trough located east of the trail remains the only one yet explored firsthand, seemingly fragile, but never reported dry.

ROUTE DETAILS

From signed CDT trailhead along FR 226A, the summit of Lookout Mountain - at 8870 feet, one of the higher peaks in the vicinity - is a couple of miles east via the road, featuring a lookout tower, and might make for a scenic diversion.

Immediately north of the gate the CDT bends toward the right while another trail - actually an old fire line cut - goes straight and was blocked with debris in an attempt to limit any confusion. 2000's-era trail maintenance had made the CDT somewhat easier to follow now as climbs east, soon topping out on flat, burned ridge. At around 0.1 of a mile since the gate, look for a large covered fiberglass tank perhaps 50 feet off-trail (this was first reported in fall of 2017, 15 feet in diameter and full of good water at that time). Trail now turns north through a small, spotty 2007 burn, sometimes without much tread evident. But trail and terrain conditions improve as the trail turns east again in a couple hundred yards, contouring along north side of height of land. Better established after first or second gully contour where it mostly exits this particular burn. Gate in wire fence at saddle at 1.2 - trail passes through - a reassuring landmark.

First junction with former (now abandoned) CDT route to Franks Mountain (mapped dashed line) not really evident, so need not be concerned here. However, those heading the other way (toward FR 226A trailhead, aka westbounders) can be led astray at 2.1. Tread can be quite vague along correct CDT route in upper part of semi-burned gully just south of 2.1 (has a few CDT metal markers on trees, but these are easy to miss). Physical Divide all along the top of the ridge features i-blazes (bark cuts) on trees, and possibly some old wooden CDT markers on trees, continuing toward Franks Mountain as well as over the summit of peak 8843. Bottom line: all of the mapped black dashed lines here should be carefully avoided, as it's possible to be lured onto them by mistake.

Beyond 2.1, correct CDT route from FR 226A trailhead contours below peak 8843 on established tread with occasional metal CDT markers. It returns to the physical Divide west of peak 8843, where those heading the other way should again be careful not to continue up the ridge toward that peak. Now the correct CDT route heads vaguely with tree cuts and metal CDT markers through another small burn area, then meets a wire fenceline (yellow dashed line) at 3.1, which it crosses without the aid of a gate at waypoint 25050. (This fence was apparently constructed around 2007 for the benefit of the grazing allotment, not the pre-existing National Scenic Trail. More recently a gate was added in a perpendicular fence immediately west of our hop-across point. Ignore this gate. The trail continues SOUTH of all fences when heading north along the CDT here) The trail then generally parallels the fence at a distance of 10 or 20 yards, with greater or lesser degrees of obviousness. Returning to the fence once more, the trail follows along it for a short distance without crossing it, then turns west away from it for good. (Those heading toward FR 226A trailhead, upon meeting the fenceline, the trail follows along it briefly without crossing it, then turns away to then parallel it at some distance, and finally returns to and crosses the fence without a gate at waypoint 25050.)

CDT tread remains a bit vague as trail continues along broad, forested (mostly unburned) crest of the Divide - look carefully for i-blazes, metal CDT markers, and small cairns. But trail gradually improves, then becomes quite good approaching 6.1. Important potential water source 0.3 mi. east of Divide; leave CDT at flat campable saddle (waypoint 25070), passing through wire gate. Folow vague trail tread along northerly (left) slope above gully, which finally drops steeply into the gully itself at an spring-fed metal trough alongside drainage. Water in trough sometimes rusty, or look for good small pools in eroded portion of drainage here. 250 vertical feet below Divide. In the as-yet-unheard-of case of finding no water here, backtrack to Divide, then seek out springs to west (approx. 0.8 mi. from Divide; connecting trails and source reliability unconfirmed).

From 6.1 to around 8.5 (and to a lesser extent before 6.1 as well) the CDT served as a fire line during a 2010 fire that burned low to the ground (a beneficial fire). Due to the use of ATV's in fighting the fire (and keeping it east of the trail) the excellent singletrack trail had become something of a 2-track in places, but had largely recovered to a single-wide corridor by 2014. In any event, this section remains a good walk, with the easy-going trail contouring along the broad, forested crest of the Divide. At 8.5, pass through gate & stile approaching Kline Mountain. Junctions with little-used jeep roads thereafter typically not confusing. At 10.7, CDT crosses better jeep road to begin newly built trail section that avoids former walk along this road (the mapped road that heads due north to reach NM hwy 59 at the physical Divide). This purpose-built trail, again heading through a portion of the burn described above (minus the associated trail damage), descends leisurely through a shallow canyon to reach a CDT trailhead (with vault toilet and information board, but no water) at NM 59 about a half mile west of the Divide (11.5, waypoint 26010). Hikers planning to resupply in Winston would hitchike east along the highway here, or else continue about 30 miles (north / east) to NM Hwy 52 - see the Town Guide for more info.

Segment 24

Segment 26