Being back on a long trail feels a lot like breaking in a new pair of shoes. Initially everything is awkward and a bit uncomfortable but after a while it can be hard to remember ever doing anything else. My feet are fatigued from long hours of walking each day, most places that can produce chafe already have or will in the near future, and I can’t seem to settle on the optimal pocket for snack storage. The break-in period is ongoing.

The hiking in New Mexico’s boot heel has met my expectations. It’s hot, sandy, and windy as hell. The trail, where it is defined, is easily lost as it winds through a maze of jeep roads and cow pastures. There’s a barbed wire fence to crawl over or under every few miles, and a generous group of folks maintaining water caches to make to heat more bearable, or at least, less likely to kill you. Miles have been ticking by quickly as I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and bad 90s pop-rock.

From my hotel room in Lordsburg (Mile 84) I am feeling optimistic. Tomorrow I’ll get up before the sun and trundle through the desert while doing my best not to get sunburned or kick a cactus. I’ll share water troughs with cows, consume potato chips in unreasonable quantities, and start working my way through the third audiobook (suggestions please!) of the journey. With a little luck, I’ll be in Silver City in a few days.