Ramen noodles never tasted so good.

So again, I’m making more miles than I initially anticipated, and I am exhausted. No suprise there. The first month of a long hike is the break-in phase, and really, the only way to get in shape for a long hike is to hike all day every day…and I have been doing a good job of that.

My biggest challenge today was the wind. The wind is CRAZY out here. I had a great morning, made easy miles, saw a couple of coyotes, really reveled in the terrain and the trail, and then after a lunch break the wind started, and by started I mean it howled. At times I thought I would get blown over, and the decision to put on my Chacos was not a good one as I was picking my way over the rocky ledges of Coyote Hills, looking for rattle snakes and getting blasted by the wind…it just took all the joy of the morning out of me.

There is nothing to block the wind out here

Getting grumpy when you are hiking by yourself really doesn’t mean much. If you have no one to complain to, what’s the point? This is the second day in a row that I haven’t seen anyone, and all I wanted to do was bitch about the wind and terrain (yes the same terrain I loved this morning). Anyway, during this time I came up with a good anaology: If the Pacific Crest Trail is a purring kitten, then the Appalachian Trail is an angry house cat that still has its claws, and the Continental Divide Trail is a mountain lion about to take your face off with one wrong move.

The consequences are immense with one mistake out here, I’m confident in my abilities, but I’ve never been on a trail with this many challenges. Today, the wind.

A 23 mile day puts me about 23 miles from Lordsburg. Yes, that’s right. 23 miles from pizza and a shower and maybe even a bed. Right now it’s all I can think about. Ramen is tasting pretty delicious, imagine what a pizza would taste like!

Digging a hole helps when there is a lot of wind