Fun little adventure in the Gila National Forest that offered a sunny escape from the snow coating Northern NM. I completed this course unsupported and carried all the water and food I need for the day. Though my vehicle was parked at the midpoint (also the start/end) of the course, I did not utilize it for any kind of support.
The first half of the course to Hillsboro Peak and fire tower was relatively smooth sailing as the trail was well maintained and graded. I did encounter 3 sections of snow with the final section lasting about a 1/2 mile to the summit. The fire tower and forest service cabin at the top were unexpected and really cool-- the views from the forest service cabin front porch are stellar.
The run back down to Emory Pass was relatively smooth although things got a little chilly when the wind started to pick up. I visited the well-timed forest service outhouse at the pass then started the climb up to Sawyers Peak. This is when things got a little spicy.
The trail to Sawyers Peak appears to be less traveled and lightly maintained. It is an area that burned in 2013 and the soil here is really loose. This, combined with blowdowns and more frequent snow patches on the trail, made this part of the course much slower going.
As far as I could tell, there is no trail to the summit of Sawyers peak, and I did flail around a little bit in the final section to the summit. Once you find it, there is a fun homemade trail register at the summit. For future reference, it seems like the most direct route to the summit is following a series of orange fence posts that are on trail right as as you near the top. A word of warning, there is a lot of barbed wire at ankle level in the summit area, and much of it is hard to see.
The run/hike down from Sawyers Peak offered ample opportunity to slip and slide in snow and loose dirt. I did get some FKT attempt battle wounds as a result of a few falls and numerous encounters with spike-covered bushes. But it is not an FKT without a little blood being shed, right? ;)
Despite the challenges, I really enjoyed this adventure and would return in a heartbeat later in the Spring. There is great car camping at the trail start/end (Emory Pass) that includes absolutely breath-taking views and a super clean, well-appointed outhouse.