Journey Day 514 | CDT Day 177

i was resting atop my pack when Craig Holme pulled up.

12/8/87

Up early to avoid detection, I'm pleased to find myself quickly at a turn off. No luck flagging down truckers, hunters. I stop for water uneasily at farm bureau tire outlet, get water, and hike on more easily. Break at last crossing of the Mimbres River. Big pasta chow. Watch a breakdown. A local questions if I'm prospecting. "There's gold in that river," he says.

Ramon, who I meet later, again advises me to take the low road, past ranches. I pass an old schoolhouse, ranch of Los Chapparales. On down road, talk with a guy in a neck brace.

Rather than following to intersection, I follow scrub, rousting rabbits and climbing over a ridge, under a fence line to road, passing an empty water collection bottle. Take break at road, survey marker. Up pulls Craig Holme, who offers me a bit of civilization. I take him up on it.

Craig Holme, at center, with Cowboy Mike and his wife Debbie.

We drive back to Los Chapparales, where he lives. I meet Cowboy Mike, his wife Debbie and Roberto and David, illegal Mexican immigrants working at the ranch. Learn Richard from Texas won't be meeting me at the border. Into the house, I talk with Craig, then Mike and pretty young daughter Carrie. After shower, b.s. and eat quick burgers, we drive to Deming for Carrie's Christmas Chorale.

After performance, we head back, check out tunes, beers and screwdrivers. Talk of religion, life, etc. before I crash late.

So far I'm feeling an anti-climax. It may take time, friends, to bring it all into perspective. I'm about to end at the Mexican border where I began three years and 8,000 miles ago.

12/9/87

 A day off the trail. Three excellent meals. Help David and Roberto drop the top floor from an old lady's old house. I crash early after an excellent home-cooked steak dinner.