84 miles down, heading north to Silver City

Here is a picture from Thursday when we were dropped off. It was 10 in the morning, and the heat was climbing... We were eager to leave! I'm wearing the green shirt. On my right side are Ruiboos, Brock, Bass and Bad Noodle in the lower row. Bass is a chef in Portland. Ruiboos and Brock are from England, and this is their honeymoon!

On the other side, Caveman is on the monument too. He's hilarious... Unfortunately, also very fast, and after today I might not see him again... He headed out tonight for Silver City. Next to him are Slim, Michael on the far left, and Brainstorm on the bottom. Slim, Brainstorm and I will head out in the morning, along with GG and Blueberry.

It's amazing to see high mountains in the far distance, shimmering in the haze... And know that not only will you reach them... You'll pass even those mountains by and keep moving north.

We are all dreaming about pine trees on the slopes of Burro Mountain, which we'll probably reach Tuesday. Tomorrow is a steady upward climb marked by very little water. It's 15 miles to the "engineers windmill," where we can filter water from a holding tank. There are no more caches... Now we are on our own.

Huge bummer, there is a slow leak in my sleeping pad. I tried to find it in the bathtub in the hotel, but no luck. It means I have to reinflate every three hours.

I'm getting better at estimating how much food I need. I brought too much on the first leg. Olive oil, dehydrated refried Mexican beans, taco seasoning and Fritos corn chips make an excellent dinner. During the day, tortillas with cheese or peanut butter. Oatmeal for breakfast. Sometimes, instant potatoes for dinner instead of the beans... The other ingredients remain the same. Hiker food!

Here is trail angel Apple. Every year he sets up this amazing shade tent, brings ice cold drinks and donuts up to a hilltop lookout. Standing with him is Bluejay, who I enjoyed a great conversation with in the morning.