October 27th, 2024
Mile Marker: 2909.6
Miles Hiked: 19
I woke up around 6:15 this morning after a deep sleep. The sun seems to zap all energy from us when exposed all day.
I started making my coffee and turned on my inreach and cell service to wait for Journey’s morning text to come in. This has become a new favorite part of my mornings.
This morning however, I received a message from Journey that was sent during the early morning letting me know his father had passed.
I reread the message several times and felt a deep sadness. We all knew this was coming but it still doesn’t feel real when it happens. I instantly wished I could be holding Journey and with him in this time, sharing as much of this via words on a text to him.
His father was no longer in pain, but man did it hurt. I caught myself going through memories of him, especially when I first met him a couple years ago. Walking into their house and seeing his bright eyes and big smile grinning at me. It’s a smile that makes you feel welcomed, special. It’s how I will remember him. Rest Easy Jim, you are so, so loved and will be forever missed.
I announced to Whatever and Aster what had happened, catching myself choking up on my tears.
I was thankful to be with Whatever and Aster this morning to help keep things light and continue to move with our morning. I watched the sun come up and let the tears fall. We were going to be okay.
Mornings.
This is my favorite part of everyday. I love watching the world come to life while I sip on my coffee. These are the moments that make me want to stay on trail forever.
We started walking a little after 7 and were grateful for the cooler weather.
After a mile or so we ran across rocks in the middle of the road that showed 100. This was a mile marker typically for NOBOs, but we felt excited by it, under a 100 miles to go to complete the CDT and my triple crown. Unbelievable!
The trail had us on a gravel/sandy road for the first part of the day and we reached our one and only water source after 2 miles in.
Here we met another couple hiking the CDT and realized we would be finishing on the same day as them. They had a wobble to their walk, all of us feeling the miles of trail. We didn’t break too long here and continued on since it was town day.
Around 8:30 we could see Lordesburg, New Mexico in the distance but still had around 15 miles to go, what a tease!
The higher the sun rose, the more we could feel the heat on our backs. It was going to be a very hot day.
Eventually the gravel road turned to trail that snaked its way through bushes, cacti, and a bunch of spikey things.
And eventually, just like the CDT has shown us, the trail would disappear for sections and we would bushwhack to a sign way in the distance.
I was however, surprised at the big CDT signs and was thankful for whenever I could see one. This didn’t always happen but occasionally.
After miles of having to pull out my phone and check where the trail went, I went from loving the CDT to being ready to be done. I think this is just how the CDT is, a love/hate relationship.
I would come out of some bushwhacks with spikey things sticking in my skin and shorts and would just keep walking with the stinging pain.
The closer we got to the highway, the more the trail disappeared and we came out onto flat sandy wide open space. We really are in the desert now.
We came to the fence before the highway and realized we were to go under it instead of having a gate to go through. All of us shaking our heads at this trail. A couple miles from town and there still is nothing official. I guess it’s the beauty of the trail. I wonder what this trail will be like when it’s more popular in 10 or so years.
We then popped on the highway and had about 3ish miles on pavement until we reached our hotel. This is where we all had to dig in.
Hot, dehydrated, hard pavement, we were so close.
Aster and I stopped in a dollar general to pick up a Gatorade for the last mile or so to our hotel. I drank mine within a few steps.
We made it, to our last town stop of Lordesburg, New Mexico and I can’t even believe it. It feels surreal.
We arrived at our hotel and immediately went across the street to eat at Ramona’s for some Mexican food. We then also got some desserts, which I got the apple cobbler and ice cream and it was delicious!
I also asked about their cinnamon rolls which the waitress told me they were making them fresh at the moment and to come back later for one. That I will.
We finished up, took showers, did laundry, and found ourselves exhausted and napping for a couple hours.
Around 6 we headed over to get pizza and I snuck back to Ramona’s to grab a cinnamon roll.
I just had to try some after pizza and I would say it’s probably my fourth best cinnamon roll. It was surprisingly light and fluffy but had amazing flavor. I typically like my rolls more dense but this was pretty dang good.
As I walked back to the hotel Journey and I chatted on the phone. It felt good to hear his voice, both of us wishing we could be together but knew that we would see each other in a few days when he came out to the finish. We just needed to hold on until then.
Tomorrow will be a pretty chill day and I’m looking forward to it.
The countdown is on, 4 days till I’m done! Can you believe it?
Iz and Oz
Izzy + Ozzy 