Journey Day 492 | CDT Day 155

New Mexico offered a different landscape.

11/16/87

Up by 7 a.m., shower again, put gear up and out to the post office. Organize in the lobby, ask questions, nice clerks watch my pack. I go to the Bureau of Land Management office. A state land man is there. He sets up a meeting for me with a BLM official. First lunch, call Sandi, return notes, etc. Gregory pack company to send me another belt clip for me to product test, as well as a pack cover to Pie Town. The one I'm using has worn out.

Taking a break atop my pack in 1987 in New Mexico.

Back to the post office, finish, get pack operable, hike down to BLM office, where official Steve Fischer shows me a shorter route and the Dominguez-Escalante Trail. Decide it's for me, no luck calling Pie Town. So on to store where I buy lubricating oil for my boots, gas station for stove fuel, then walk out of town on Route 66. Find Zuni Canyon Road, spot snow-covered Mt. Taylor.

Pass trailers, out of civilization, into National Forest, but road well traveled. Dodge gravel until I decide to ditch behind a tree. Pitching when a state highway patrolman notices me and comes back. But he's no trouble, says I have more guts than him to camp in these days. He leaves, I finish pitching, cook, eat dinner, massive candy dose. Read, then crash.