The Unpolished Princess

Start: 508.2

Stop: 522.2

Today’s Miles: 14

Total CDT miles: 386.4

We awoke to a mockingbird singing. I won’t lie to you and say I was initially charmed, it took a few minutes to get over being pissed off at being woken up before my alarm by a bird that wouldn’t stop repeating itself.. plenty of other types of birds joined in, but the mockingbird was the loudest. Eventually, I started to laugh, thinking about my best friend Sarah.. we used to quote Dumb and Dumber a lot growing up, especially the “mock-ing-bird-YEAH!” Part! Dang, I miss her! 

We packed quickly and left the ranger’s station before 6:30am, just in case a ranger happened to get to work early today. We made sure we left no trace of our existence there, minus my wave at their camera last night. 

It was quickly back to road walking. My feet were tender but ibuprofen definitely helped. Close to 10ish, we were reaching the train tracks that go into Grants. You could either take the tracks or the road. I thought we had decided on the tracks, and my feet were excited to be back on the dirt road that followed along beside it. I went down to the underpass to start heading along the tracks, and Pebbles stayed on the road. I thought he was just coming down an easier way than I decided, but no-he decided last minute he didn’t want to take the tracks and kept steady pushing on the pavement. 

I walked beside the train tracks, I walked on them for maybe 5 minutes-the whole time my heart in my throat waiting for the shaking to come indicating a train was about to barrel through, and then I walked along the other side. Two trains did pass me, thankfully when I wasn’t too close. They were fast and hauling over a hundred containers each. The breeze was incredible and it was a little thrilling. I enjoyed it.

When I got to where the overpass for the Walmart in Grants was visible, I made my way through some scrub brush until I hit the road. Thankfully I didn’t have to climb under or over any fences like I feared. Cutting across put me out right between two motels and on flat ground. I didn’t actually have to climb anything! It was nice! I kept walking right to the Taco Bell! I was eating a burrito by 11:30am. I called the morning a success. 

Pebbles showed up minutes after I used the Taco Bell bathroom to wash my hands and got my food. We walked together to Walmart and started to do our resupply. I decided I wanted a motel room and not a hostel bunk bed 2 miles farther down the road. The motel I chose was practically IN the Walmart parking lot! Ha! I ended up walking back over there twice for things. 

Anyway. We got our resupply done and Pebbles walked with me to my motel. I checked in (just before 1pm-very lenient), and got to my room. Pebbles hung out a minute, trying to get a shuttle or an Uber to take him to the hostel. After he walked out and I got in the shower, he text me to tell me his Uber never showed and he was walking the 2 miles.. and it was starting to sprinkle! Dammit, man! 

He said the rain didn’t last long at all, and he was soon checked in and relaxing too. He had Russell there, and some cyclists doing the Great Divide. So, he was content, and I was, too. I washed my laundry and laid on the bed, watching SVU and eating chips and cheese and not doing a dang thing! It was so relaxing! 

I’ve been trying to catch up on my posts. My service has been terrible in general, but I’ve also been lazy about posting. Mainly because I want to rest and not have my mind constantly going. Oh well, this is what I signed myself up for huh? 

In the morning, I’ll have to check out early and walk the 2 miles to catch up to Pebbles. He’s an earlier riser than me (bed or no bed) so, we’ll see what happens. I don’t want to hold him up, which I doubt he’d just wait.. it’s too hot to sit around. So, it looks like I should get some sleep, so I can get up early enough in the morning to not be left behind! Goodnight! 

Start: 441.8

Stop: 508.2

Today’s Miles: 27.2

Total CDT miles: 372.4

We knocked out another 27+ mile day! And man, everything hurts right now. My hips, my legs, my feet. Pebbles is hurting pretty bad, too. We made it to a ranger’s station that’s closed, and we decided we can’t walk another step to attempt to camp “out of the way.” We’re literally cowboying right by the picnic table by the front door! 

So, we left before 7am and hit the dirt road. Before it was too hot, we had already made it to the paved road. While it made for even hotter conditions and sore feet, the views made up for it. On the left side was lava rock for miles and miles and on the right side was huge canyon walls. It really was spectacular. 

Also, another car stopped and offered a drink, I took a coke this time! These folks are so nice! As we were walking, we passed two older hikers we originally met on one of our first few days leaving Lordsburg. One of them made a comment about my walk, saying I looked like I was walking funny-like sir, I just did 27 miles yesterday-I hurt-I’m sure I am walking funny. 

We passed them, got to a water trough and rested.. about 15 minutes later they came walking up. For the record, they were both also walking pretty damn funny. I didn’t point it out. We talked awhile, filtered water. They had something to say about where I got my water in the tank, too. To be quite honest, they were on my nerves and I knew my niceness was about to run dry and I’d be telling them both all the thoughts in my head. So, to avoid that, I packed up and walked funny right on out of there. I had a feeling we’d end up staying a head of them, and so far, that’s held true. 

Pebbles and I just kept walking and walking. The views got lots of ooos and ahhhhs from us both at different times. I snapped picture after picture. We got water from a cache someone left by a parking lot. We saw a natural arch which was pretty neat. And that’s really it. As the sun started to dip, we walked up to the closed off rangers station parking lot, went under the gate, and walked right up to the front door. I even waved at the camera. 

There was a water spigot there, which is the reason they don’t mind thru hikers coming up there after hours, but all of the comments recommend camping “out of sight.” I feel half dead. So, I’m to the left of the picnic table and Pebbles has his sleeping pad set up on the other side of this tree the picnic table is at. We’re cowboying, so it’s not like we’re driving in tent stakes or anything. 

We’ll be up and out of here by 6:30 tomorrow. Just saying that makes my legs hate me a little. This sunset is phenomenal.. and I feel pretty dang lucky to be able to witness such natural beauty. Even if I am next to a picnic table and a parking lot. Ha.

Ok, time for some shut eye. Before I know it, the sun will be rising again! We walk into Grants, New Mexico tomorrow, and I so cannot WAIT for a shower and a real bed! Goodnight yall!

Start: The Toaster House

Stop: CDT mile 441.8

Today’s Miles: 27.5

Total CDT miles: 345.2

Today was our longest day on trail so far! We both slept like crap at the Toaster House. It was hot and stuffy inside and we couldn’t get a window to open in the room we were in. Pebbles could hear something scratching in the walls-I’m glad I couldn’t hear that!

We packed up quick and hit the road by 6 something. Pebbles must have been real irritable, because he just took off without a backwards glance. I don’t blame him, I was cranky too, and listening to an audiobook definitely helped distract me from my lack of sleep and the boringness of our dirt road walk. 

Today and tomorrow are all roads.. dirt roads for now, past ranches with acres and acres of shrub brush and cows. Mid morning, a man in a van stopped and offered me a cold soda. It was already so flippping hot and I had my umbrella up, trying to give myself some shade. I took a Dr Pepper from him and thanked him profusely. He said that everyone driving these roads knows we’re CDT hikers, so if we run out of water, just hold the bottle upside down when anyone passes-they all usually have some extra on hand for emergencies. How kind!

I made it to the TLC ranch by noon, Pebbles was already sitting at a table in the shade eating his lunch. We did 16 miles by noon! Road walks can be so fast, even in the heat! This ranch set up a shaded spot for hikers with a table, chairs, and coolers full of water! I was thankful for all of the above as I sat down and got my lunch out. The lack of humidity is crazy to me, it can be so hot you want to die in the sun, and then so chilly you want a jacket in the shade. Too bad home isn’t like that. 

We finished up eating and resting, both of us in better moods from this morning. We set out into the sun, umbrellas up. We just walked and walked, avoided oncoming pick up trucks, some slowing down to not dust us, some literally speeding up to do just that. The road was littered with empty beer cans and bottles, I don’t think any of these folks are ubering home from a night of drinking. 

We got water from a cow trough, which was just a tire filled to the brim with water and algae. I was so worn out, I probably would have swam in that water if I was told it would make me feel better. It was gross, but if you swipe away the chunky floaters, mostly clear water went into my CNOC bag and then it all filtered clear. It did have a pretty gross after taste though. What can ya do? 

We then decided to just walk until the sun started to set, and then set up on the side of the road anywhere semi flat and not covered with brush. We saw some ground hogs or gophers-probably gophers, and hoped they wouldn’t pop up in our camp when we settled on a spot. They were probably thinking the same thing. 

We picked a place off the road a little bit and then cowboy camped. If this was private property, tents would be more obvious.. and take longer to pack up. Plus, after more than 27 miles, I was too worn out to put up my tent if I wanted to! We set everything up, and then after we were done eating dinner, watching the sun sink and the sky turn all the shades of orange, Pebbles realized his pinkie toe had a massive blister on it and was practically see through in the sunlight! It looked so bad! These road walks and long miles aren’t all rainbows for sure!

I snapped some pictures and now we’re settled in to go to bed. We’ll see how far we get tomorrow. It’s more road walking, but in a few miles we turn onto a paved road, and those are always painful. Hmmmm. I guess we’ll see what tomorrow brings! Goodnight everyone!