Day 112 – October 17

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3 Highlights:

• Three hitchhikes when I needed them most

• Genuine human interactions on the trail

• Reconnecting with friends and family

Daily Summary:

• Distance hiked: 38 km

• Starting point: Grants

• Ending point: km 4102 (2 km left on Cebola alternate)

• Weather conditions: Cloudy and windy, mixed with sunshine

Reflections (Challenges, Insights, Musings):

So here’s the deal. I didn’t sleep much last night—blaming the late coffee and being glued to my phone. Who’s to blame? Me. Definitely me. But whatever, I did my best to relax horizontally, which is the best you can do sometimes, right? At 7 a.m., I kickstarted the day with a cold shower, because why not. And then, off to the post office—either a 45-minute walk or, fingers crossed, a hitch.

Lucky me, the same bus company that picked me up yesterday stopped again. Seriously, they offered to wait for me at the post office. Unfortunately, the post office was closed. Fortunately, I found a decent espresso bar nearby. Then, the post office came through with a replacement fanny pack, courtesy of HMG. So, some wins!

From there, I hitched a ride with Veronica, a nervous but kind teacher who spotted me at the post office. She wasn’t a fan of picking up hitchhikers, especially with a prison nearby, but I managed to convince her that CDT hikers are mostly harmless—just smelly. We hit up El Cafecito, and I demolished an omelet, three pancakes, and ice cream for dessert. I might’ve gone a bit overboard, but I was leaving town—gotta fuel up!

Hitchhike number two came from a Navajo family. They took me 10 km toward Pie Town, and from there, I hit the paved road. Only managed about 2 km before the sheriff, Salvador—yes, the sheriff—gave me a lift. Turns out he’s from the Pueblo tribe. He dropped me another 25 km down the road. Legend.

I saw a snake and snagged a water bottle a kind sole handed me from the car. I went from pavement to dirt road to trail, and now I’m camping close to the road after a 38km hike. Honestly, I’m beyond tired, but I’ve got to catch up on sleep. Tomorrow’s will be amazing. Good night.

Hitchhike with the law
Sunset
Moonrise

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