Hikers on the shuttle ride May 1st 2024
This monument is situated 10 meters from the barbed wire border fence. There is a gate that is unwired in a flash and just on the Mexican side there is this comfy chair. Just beyond where Jobie sits, oasis-like in the barren, beige desert, Mennonites have created productive green farmlands with irrigation and persistence. This start up point was full of contrasts.
The Chihuahuan Desert is new to us. After hiking in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona with its saguaro cactus and the Mojave Desert in California with its distinctive joshua trees, the identifiable features in southern New Mexico are lack of shade and minimal vegetation- barren.
The first stretch of this hike from the monument at the Mexican border to Lordsburg took us by surprise. The ideal start to any new endeavour would be to take it easy so accordingly we planned on taking 5 days to do the 84 miles to allow us to adjust to the heat and fitness demands comfortably. But that didn’t happen! Instead we were forced to finish in 4 due to distance between water sources and lack of shade! No shade is hugely motivating as when there are no resting places, you venture forth. Don’t think, just do!
Cattle are scattered throughout this desert. (What do they eat??) Water sources are shared with them but at this one, the bull didn’t understand the concept. He pawed the dirt and stood his ground, grunting and staring us down. We were not getting any of HIS water! Reluctantly we moved on…
As I sit in our motel room on our “zero” day (rest day or no miles walked day) to rest my legs, heal my blisters and rashes, from the open door I can see where the trail led us into town. I realize that one isn’t motivated to walk out from a comfortable place into the desert to experience it in the midday heat. But when one finds themselves in situations where they are in the desert and must walk more miles than they think they are capable with less water and no shade, one finds the way to do it. There is personal empowerment but oh so much beauty in walking all the day long in the desert. A balanced wind always helps!
Out of Lordsburg the desert plains slope ever so gently up 1,000′ to the distant hills. Within just a few miles the surroundings change to include juniper trees, small then medium sized, and quickly to huge ones that are cut for lumber! Pine trees and oaks appear. We are in a new world as we follow the hilly trail up and around the ruins of a gold mine. Meandering we make our way through these hills seeing fewer hikers than cows on the way to Silver City. Here we will pick up our resupply box from the post office and take a zero at an Airbnb.
A fellow hiker named “Energizer” produces youtube videos of his hikes. He is amazingly thorough!! He captured us during the first few days on trail. If you wish to really “SEE” how the land looks – check out his videos. He does a great job!
Zip and Jobie Go Hiking 
Can you go back to that cactus with the pretty yellow flower and find a smaller one to bring home for me?
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Hi Robyn and John,
What beautiful photos and what amazes me is the ecological diversities in this country and your photos show it well. Thank you for letting us walk along,
Christian
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