Truth or Consequences to Williamsburg, walking towards Silver City, NM
Sunday July 18, 2004
10:57am I'm really bad with names. Gail hooked me up with a little traveling weed for my walk to Silver City. I appreciate it, Gail.
11:10am Dude, it's so awesome I wound up at this place last night. Today I got a shower and a shave. I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I even got some traveling weed. I even got a pipe! That was so cool.
Praise Love. Praise Love.
Now, I am walking to Silver City. It should take me like two days. I think Gail told me to go to Hillsboro and turn right.
11:20am I am walking towards the gas station by the highway. Oh yeah, I never told you. I had some great presentations at Jeremiah's house last night. I was telling my story to every person I could. I got to tell an eleven year old kid my whole story. I had a really great time in T or C this year, but I have to keep moving.
11:24am I am still walking on Broadway. Right now I think I am in the small town of Williamsburg.
I walked to the same gas station I met Jeremiah at last night. I am going to keep walking the highway. I asked directions to The Black Range.
11:55am Cool, I came to the gas station, the Shell and this one employee has been outside listening to my story for a long time. She told me her friend had just died. I hope my story can cheer her up. She really likes the story so far. I am almost done with it.
12:30pm The nice girl who was listening to my story earlier just hooked me up with some gasoline for my stomach. Silver City here I come.
12:32pm I just left walking from the gas station. That girl gave me a bean and cheese taco to fuel me up. I have my Muscleblast that I can eat on the walk. I have a full water bottle. I am going to walk South until I get to Hillsboro and then turn right. It will be a lot quicker if I go through the mountains. I'm going to walk to Silver City. Watch this, hehe.
12:50pm Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Since I don't have a tennis ball, I am wearing my walking stick. On my back. It's going to stay there until I find another tennis ball.
1:07pm Passing mile marker 74. Las Cruces, 71. El Paso, 114.
1:25pm Passing the mile marker. Sign next to it says, "Exit 71. Left 10 minutes."
There's no shade anywhere.
I am up walking.
Exit 71
2:04pm Did I tell you I passed a mile-marker?
2:06pm I am sitting under this bridge for a minute.
2:09pm Enough resting. I'm going to get up and start walking.
2:20pm Passing mile marker 71.
2:25pm Garfield 22, Las Cruces, 68.
Silver City, Exit 63. "Get to know us."
2:26pm Passing mile marker 70. Let me find some shade.
2:44pm I am up from my rest.
2:47pm This big truck just pulled over. Badass! I was just walking.
2:48pm I didn't walk that much at all and Dean, the guy I had met when I stopped into Elephant Butte, like over a month ago(6-23-04, 4:35pm), right before I got to Socorro, just pulled over. He pulled up and said, "Hey, Victor. What's going on?" He recognized me. That's awesome, dude.
2:55pm That was so awesome! I just got dropped off at the Hillsboro exit, where you turn right off 25 to go to Silver City. I'm going to go all the way through The Black Range, damnit. He was going to take me all the way to Las Cruces and at first I told him okay. I changed my mind at the last minute, when I saw the sign for Hillsboro. That was so awesome. This random guy I bummed a cigarette from in Elephant Butte gave me a ride!
He was all, "How's it going, Victor. Remember me?" I told him to refresh my memory. He did and I remembered. Like I said, the universe provides. Thank you, Love. Thank you, Love.
He told me that when he saw me he said to himself, "Hey look, there's Victor Antonio from San Antonio."
3:00pm I turned right on the street to Hillsboro. Passing mile marker 65.
Oh yeah, I am seventy five miles away from Silver City. Eighteen miles away from Hillsboro.
3:12pm I just walked over this place where there is a big turn and there's a big picture of a smiling alien. It's funny.
3:18pm Some guy just pulled over for me!
3:22pm John is driving the truck that just pulled over for me. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.
3:32pm That was awesome. That guy pulled over. I kind of stuck my thumb at him and he rolled down his window and said, "Want a ride?" I am in Hillsboro already. Straight ahead to Silver City.
Let me read you the Historic Scenic Marker for Hillsboro:
"Hillsboro was founded in the 1870's after gold and silver were discovered in the surrounding Black Range. The town developed into an important mining and ranching center, and served as the Sierra County seat from 1884 to 1939. It is the site of several renown trails and is said to have had the last operating stage-line in the United States."
3:38pm I came to this restaurant and refilled my water. The waitress came up to me and said, "We have some lunch specials." I told her, "I don't have any money, thanks anyway. Unless you'd like to donate some gasoline for my stomach." She shook her head and walked off.
3:42pm I walked down 43 Years blvd.
3:44pm Passing mile marker 48.
4:01pm I stopped to rest at mile marker 47 in the shade. John told me he had gotten me off the plateau, so it wouldn't be as hot.
4:10pm I rested and smoked a little weed. I'm going to keep on walking. Mile Marker 47.
4:28pm I came across this big beautiful wall. The stuff I am seeing on this walk is downright breath-taking. I think I can die now.
I walked up to the Percha Creek Bridge. Here's the historical marker:
"This historic steel deck truss bridge, a Warren design, was built in 1927. It is the oldest of 5 remaining steel deck truss bridges in New Mexico. This structure has been preserved by the New Mexico state highway and transportation department."
I am going to rest here and have some Muscleblast.
4:41pm I am leaving Percha Creek now.
4:53pm I just walked by these cows with really long horns.
5:02pm Passing mile marker 45. I am going to sit in the shade and rest.
5:10pm I am done resting and am going to walk now.
5:27pm Mile marker 44. I'm going to stop, bend over and rest my shoulders and drink some water.
5:48pm Mile marker 43.
5:51pm I am up walking.
6:10pm I stopped at mile marker 42 to rest and drink some water and some Muscleblast.
6:29pm I ate some Muscleblast and am up walking now. I don't have that much water left. I hope some water falls in my lap soon.
6:32pm I have the weirdest feeling I am walking in the wrong direction. My compass says I am going West. I just passed this bridge that says, "19 feet wide." I know I have passed that bridge before. I hope I didn't just waste a lot of time.
6:59pm I came up to this house and saw a guy outside. I asked him if he could spare any water and he said sure.
7:03pm Steve is the guy's name. He gave me some water and even came out with some traveling food. He asked me if I needed anything and I told him not really, unless he could spare some gasoline for the stomach. I wasn't sure if he had heard me say that but sure enough, he came out and brought me some snacks. I appreciate it, brother.
Man, I got hooked up at that house. He gave me a bag with food in it and he just went back to look for some more food for me.
7:20pm That was badass! It kicked so much ass that I stopped at that house. Steve even gave me a big gallon of water. Perfect. He gave me bananas.
7:25pm Damnit, I just busted the compass on my stick again. Since I carry my stick on my back under my backpack, it slipped down and hit the ground. I'll just get another one at another Walmart.
7:37pm Mile marker 40. Passing sign that says, "Gila National Forest. Fire Danger High. Please clear around home."
7:38pm I am now in the small town of Kingston. I'm going to go find me a cigarette.
7:45pm Santa Rita, 34 miles. Silver City 49 miles.
Oh yeah and that guy Steve at the house I just passed told me, "Yeah, we saw you walking earlier." He told me that they saw me walking when en route to some funeral service. Someone they knew had just passed away. That's so awesome he had seen me walking before. He hooked me up.
7:53pm Passing sign that says, "Gila National Forest."
8:00pm Leaving mile marker 39. I had a good rest. I ate a lot. I had a good little dinner.
8:20pm Badass! A VW bus just pulled over and they're going to give me a ride!
8:22pm What was the roll-call again? I am living a book. Nothing but the truth. What were your names again? Jim is the driver, Cory, Van and Dawn. They just picked me up in a VW van. Everybody gets credit.
Oh yeah and Ben Funzy, the dog.
8:45pm Van is recommending a book. What was it called? Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon . It's about a guy who drives his van across the desert and all around and met all different kinds of people. It's a true story. He told me it's not exactly the same kind of trip I am on, but it's pretty interesting reading.
9:20pm I just got dropped off in front of the Rio Mimbres. I'm going to look for a place to camp out. It's dark.
Badass, right where I just got dropped off some dude pulls out of where he lives and said, "Hey, you can just jump the fence and crash in there. It's my property." His name is Rudy Sepulveda. I already have a place to crash! I just got dropped off.
Thank you Rudy Sepulveda. Right when I got dropped off he told me to crash here. Perfect.
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