April 28- Day 2 / A Mean Lean Hiking Machine

I was up at 6 AM and was hiking at 7AM. I slept well for the first night on trail. I was the first one hiking in the morning and began blazing the trail. Goosebumbs and Foxtrott quickly caught me. The official CDT signs ended yesterday afternoon and we were now following wooden posts held in place by piles of rocks. There was no visible trail. To complicate matters, Some of the posts were knocked over by cows that like to rub up against them. We did some trail maintenance and set them back up (when we could find them). Damon caught us mid-morning  and we played leapfrog  for most of the day. We ended up camping together after hiking 27 miles today.

The weather was beautiful and there was not a cloud in the sky until sunset. The wind was blowing but not abrasively. Water was scarce, but exactly where the map said it would be.

It's hard to describe how vast the desert feels in New Mexico. It goes on and on for as far as the eye can see. In every direction there is nothing but dirt, rocks, and plants that express the pain of living in the desert by growing huge thorns that repel man and beast. There are regular sightings of rabbits, snakes, and an abundance of cows and ants. 

I go to bed tired but thankful. I wake up a few hours later to rain. I get up quickly and attach the rain fly to my tent. I crawl back inside and go to sleep to the sound of rain.