On 4/28 I did 8.8 miles after resupplying in Lordsburg. On 4/29 I did 23.4 miles and camped in the middle of nowhere. On 4/30 I did 18.5 miles to a cow pasture. On 5/1 I did 23.2 miles to a culvert under I160. On 5/2 I did 6.1 miles into Silver City
Check out "Tribal Connection" by Gogol Bordello. It's good to be back with hiker trash.
I rolled into Lordsburg, NM in the early morning on the 28th and headed straight to the motel in town. I needed a shower after the desert hiking but wasn't planning to spend the night in town so I yogied a room key from a random hiker who was about to checkout. The hiker didn't care if I used his room after he hiked out, so I was able grab a shower and get a jump on all of my town chores. By 11am I was done with everything and spent the rest of the day resting in the shade until I pushed out of town once the sun started to go down.
After Lordsburg we crossed another 10 miles of desert plains but quickly started to gain elevation. By the end of the next day we were at 6,000 feet and had gone over an 8,000 foot mountain. This all came as a pleasant surprise as I had no idea there were mountains in southern NM (next your going to tell me pineapples don’t grow on trees). We were now in high desert forest which brings lower temperatures, pine trees (shade), and flowers I hadn't seen since hiking the PCT. The water is still sparse and we are still drinking out of cow troughs but you don’t need as much water in the cooler temperatures which is nice. If you look out at the landscape and see all of the green trees you would never know you were just a 100 miles from the US/Mexico border.
I have been hiking with a crew since I started the trail which came as a big surprise as I figured I would be hiking by myself for most of the trail. I know we won't be together forever but I'm enjoying the company. We all do about the same daily mileage so we end up together at most water sources, and usually end the day together. It's great to be back around other hikers. While every hiker comes from a diverse background they almost share common traits of: finding comedy in every situation, pushing through ridiculous circumstances and always sharing everything they know. It's good to surrounded by solid human beings.
I did my first road walk going into Silver City. It was 13 miles and I am promised there are many more miles of road ahead. I honestly didn't mind it. I spent a lot of time on roads in Spain plus I was having great conversations on my way into town which helped pass the time. We ended up taking breaks and eventually sleeping underneath the highway. It was actually some of the best sleep I've had on trail. We were able to make it to town early and were eating at a diner by 830am, I couldn't have planned this stretch better if I tried.
Heading into the sunrise, but I thought we were supposed to be going North....
Hungry Cat getting water at the 100 mile marker
Desert Forrest!
Hiking in a small canyon before Silver City with Heat Wave and Claire.
Indian Paint Brush!
Hiding from the sun on a road walk