The first twelve miles north of Lordsburg meandered through an arid desert pasture, supporting a sad handful of sickly looking cows. By 7am the sun baked the back of my calves and the breeze pushed hot sandy air in my face. When the water in my bottles, warmed by an unimpeded sun, matched the current air temperature of 87 degrees I question my choice to hike this trail.

Turning north and climbing toward the Burro Mountains I find a few trees and a lot more cows. The cow pies are so plentiful as to blend in to the surroundings and it is difficult to determine what is dirt and what is manure. A solar well, pumping water into a trough, is my water source for the day. This late in the spring surface water is rare, so hikers rely on the hospitality cattle ranchers and the generosity of folks who maintain caches of water spread throughout this section. I spread my ground sheet under some shade and enjoy a break front the heat.

The following day I wake up determined to make Silver City before dark. Ahead, a section of trail is closed for a prescribed burn, and after weighing a few options I elect to detour around the closure with a 19 mile road walk. The road walk is tough. Relentless heat and hard pavement roast my neck and chew up my feet. I have turn on some dance music to keep my spirits up and my feet moving.

I arrive at the Triple Crown Hostel in Silver City at 630pm after 31 miles and am immediately handed a beer and a bratwurst. Salvation. A shower and laundry are on the docket, along with a handful of other errands to be handled tomorrow. My feet and back are looking forward to a day off tomorrow and my stomach is looking forward to another beer and a second bratwurst.