It was finally time to leave Lordsburg. This meant a long walk on a paved road before crossing flat cow pastures, then eventually climbing into a high desert version of “the woods.
There was no was water for the first 15 miles of the day. Lucky for us the morning was cool and we could hike farther with less water. Unlucky for us was that when we finally reached the water, this is what it looked like.
There were hundreds of dead bees and many more live ones in the water. This water was the only water for many miles in each direction. When I arrived there were two hikers there. One who we hung out with the night before and a new one I hadn’t met.
Eventually more people showed up and it was the largest group I had seen on trail. There were 9 of us.
Soon after a long siesta we hit the 100 mile marker in the trail. It’s a good start to a LONG trail.
Today also involved our first significant climb. We got up to about 6500 feet and the scenery changed drastically. Instead of just sandy desert, there were actually some trees!
<img src=“/img/Into The Woods4.jpg” class=“img-fluid”>
Near the top of the climb, the road turned to a trail and we hiked downhill through the forest. For the first time the temperature was comfortable for hiking. My goal was a trailhead where I figured there might be trail magic and a water cache.
The water cache was there and so was a woman who gave us a can of Mountain Lightning. (Wal Mart’s version of Mountain Dew)
Today’s ending may be a bit bittersweet. The trail is tearing people up. It’s hot, difficult, and rough on your body. At least one guy I talked to is planning on quitting. Another is going to skip ahead to town and rest. One more wants to take a zero and let their body recover.
Luckily I am feeling great and can’t wait make it to my next stop. Silver City.