"In Arroyo Seco 4/29"

Day 18 "This morning I came across a large plain that forms an of the old spanish grant. Then I crossed the Rio Chama, a quite large stream than I headed up Arrayo Seco. Here I got a ride on a wagon up to Canjilon near the summit. Where I camped. I noticed some interesting rock in the valley I crossed today, [it] appears to be some kind of Obsidian or I believe it is commonly called flint it is of several different collars [sic.], black, blue, gray, yellow y white. and where the old surface are exposed they are covered with a white coating which could indicate that this flint rock has been inbedded [sic.] in the white lime-stone. I have not been close enough to the lime-stone cliffs to verify this."


This post is part of an ongoing story, told in real-time, of Pete Parsons journey in 1924. Over the next several months, we'll follow him using his photographs and journals to retrace his travels. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and the Mazama blog as we track his progress and learn about him and his journey of a lifetime.

"Jemez NM"

Day 15 "This morning I left town [Albuquerque] abt 8 am after about a mile I got a ride through to Bernalillo 18 miles from there I got another ride to San Ysidro where I had lunch. I started off from Jemez Hot Springs and after 5-6 miles I got another ride to the Springs, all together I have come about 60 miles today. ... I have passed a couple of Indian pueblos and met a lot of the Indians, they all seem happy y contented y most of them have a piece of [unintelligible], they all wear a red band around the head. I have made so good progress today y it was so cold y wet that I took a room in a hotel tonight. People say there is too much snow north of here for me to get through, but I will try it tomorrow."

 Parsons passed through Jemez Pueblo, the ancestral home to members of the Jemez people. Today it is home to members of the Jemez and Pecos Tribes.

 As Barney Mann writes in "The Swede who showed America how to hike," in Parsons day there was no Continental Divide Trail, only the next ridge or pass to cross.* "Parsons pieced together prospectors' trails, old mine and timber tracks, railroad rights of way, long lengths of cross-country, and road-walking on two-lane highways. He was capable of 30-mile days and strung many together." Long before thru-hiking was a thing, his goal was to get there, if it meant taking a ride made the journey a little easier, so much the better.

 *Backpacker, Jan/Feb 2020

"On the trail in N.M. 4/24"

Day 13 "It as been interesting to note all along the valley the great number of red-winged blackbirds. This p.m. I got me a new knife on whim I removed the handle y ground down the shank in a machine shop y manana I will try to get the materials for another handle. I also got me some maps and have been planning my route ahead."

Parsons was also very good at taking photographs of himself, no small feat in an era before cameras were equipped with easy to use remote shutter technology. As you will see in the coming weeks, Parsons often trips the shutter with a length of twine.

Like most long trail hikers, Parsons was obsessed with weight, always on the lookout to trim a once here, and an once there. This is just one of many examples in his journal where he modifies something to either make it lighter or better fit his needs, be they functional or aesthetic.

"In the Cuchillo Canon" 

Day 11 "4/22 I was on the trail about 6 y I had hard to keep warm, after hiking 7-8 miles a [unintelligible] overtook me y it was the same fellow I rote with yesterday, he gave me a ride all the way to Magdalena (about 40 m.). Then after having dinner there I struck out over a shorth-cut towards Polvadera in the Rio Grande Valley y hiked about 12 miles. I was told I that I would find wather [sic.] before this, but I did't find any so this is nearly a dry camp as I drank most of what I carried before I camped. I found a lot of nice flowers around here that I put under my bed to keep everything from getting full of sand. ... I did't intend to come as far east yet, but the [unintelligible] was going east to beat the band so I was in Magdalena before I could lay a different course."

"View from camp"

"In the Cuchillo Canon"

Day 9 "This morning when I started for <> [Diamond] Peak, I thought I would take a short cut and climbed the wrong hill before I saw it, then when I finally got there, there was not much to come for, but the trail went over the top." Pete works his way cross country for several miles until he reaches a valley. "After going down this for a mile I can to a cabin where there was an old miner living who was just fixing up his dinner so he invited me to stay for some eats as I had nothing but R. oats left myself. He told me it was about 12 miles down to Cloride y 2 more to Fair View where there is a store."

 Day 7 "I had a pretty early start this morning and it was very cold, there was ice every where on standing water and wet ground. I was following up along Cherry Creek Canon to Red Rock R.S. here I branched off towards Scotts sawmill which is deserted except for a caretaker who told me where to find the trail. ... I have a nice camp tonight at the head of a stream. I don't know just where I am at, but it does not matter, I have plenty of grub and agua."

Day 4 "I did not sleep very well last night because the wind was blowing very hard and there was a lot of noise from the threes and it was still blowing very hard this morning so I did not dare to start a fire because there was dry pine needles all around. ... I found a cactus this p.m. that had some good juicy fruit on it. Then I was going to try the fruit of the cholla cactus. I could not feel any stingers on the fruit, but I guess there was some anyway for I got a lot of fine stingers in my thonge [sic.] and lips, I learned a lesson."

Day 2 "Last night I camped right on the open prairie, this morning I stopped at a ranch for a while to get some information about the country ahead but I found out that a lot of the younger people at least only know the country by the auto routes. Well I layd [sic] my route as straight as possible for a pass in the Chiricahua mountains where I expect to cross tomorrow."

Ninety-six years ago a young man started a journey. Over the next several months, we'll follow along in real time using his photographs and journals to retrace his travels. Don't know who Pete Parsons is? That's okay. Get to know him by joining us on Facebook, Instagram, and the Mazama blog as we track his progress and learn about him through his journey of a lifetime.

Day 1: "April 12, 1924. I left Douglas Arz. yesterday at 1 pm and headed north along a road that goes up to some ranches up in Spring valley. I carried about a gallon of water to start with, but I found out after a while that it was not necessary as I could get water at the ranches. It was cloudy and raining at times, I hiked barefoot."