Day 93: September 4th 2009, Aguirre Springs to Las Cruces (25 mi)

It was another completely draining day. I don't think I have anything left. Exhaustion has really set into me. The day didn't start too well. Although I had a hearty oatmeal breakfast and a beautiful sunrise, I had to walk 7 miles uphill and downhill on a sketchy, windy mountain road to get back to 70. It put the day at a real shitty beginning. I didn't feel like taking the curvy road so I decided to take a short, straight line through. It worked but it was a painful, frustrating way to start the day. I kept getting stabbed in the leg by all kinds of thorny, desert shrubs and it was no fun. It took alot of work to dodge the fuckers and the constant movement of my bag on back put too much pressure on it. By the time I got to 70 it was already 1037. My back was really hurting from the weight which must be in the 30 lbs by now. The extra water and 3 extra books don't help, besides the 4lb sleeping bag pulling down on my back. It takes alot of discipline to be patient and fight through the pain. I'm not at that level yet; I threw my bag down a couple of times, angry at the pain it was causing my shoulders and back.

And where I got off was more uphill through the San Augustin pass between two mountain ranges. It wasn't that long, but it was pretty steep. I had a stem from a yucca cactus I used as a walking stick and as a brake going downhill, dragging it on the concrete as hard as I could (as a matter of fact the tip sort of caught a flame). It was not a fun ride downhill. The shoulder had tons of loose gravel over it, and the road was packed with traffic. It was also pretty steep, as steep but not as long as the down from Cloudcroft. I had to stop myself at the on and off ramps to the highway. I was drinking water just to ease the wight off my back. The pain is torture. At 230 something I was on top of the I-25 overpass looking over Las Cruces.

"I made it to another citttaaaaayyyy!!"

310 I was in downtown Las Cruces so grateful to be in another city, to relax for a couple of days, to get cleaned up and rejuvenate. At 634 Eric calls me up and we meet at the intersection of Alameda and Amador. Eric seems like pretty cool dude.