walking to Bayard to Santa Clara to Silver City, NM
Sunday July 18, 2004
Okay, for some strange reason I lost count of dates in typing my stuff up, so, I added this extra July 18th to get my count straight again. It's a totally different day, I promise. I just got mixed up with the numbering.
5:30am I just woke up by this cow-field in this guy's property. Right next to his fence. By the road. Last night I put down my poncho, my layers and my jacket. I didn't put my thermals on, it wasn't that cold. It's cold now.
6:24am I just packed up all my stuff at my crash spot, where I crashed out last night. It's so awesome how right when they dropped me off this stranger guy pulled up in his car and said I could crash on the other side of the fence. I had told him, "Yeah, I'm going to find a place to crash and take off walking in the morning." He told me to just hop over the fence right there. Perfect. The universe provides.
6:30am I'm coming up on the 61 junction. Straight ahead to Silver City, left to Deming.
6:55am Mile marker 15.
7:03am Santa Rita 9 miles, Silver City, 24.
7:54am I stopped at mile marker 14 to rest.
7:25am I had a good little morning session. I took a shit and smoked some weed. I got my stuff packed up and I'm walking. I'm leaving from mile marker 14.
7:47am I stopped next to this big wall in the shade. I'm going to take my army pants off. It's getting warm.
8:11am I took a hit of weed and I'm walking now.
I just replaced the batteries in my recorder, but it's not taping right. Damnit, let's see.
Hopefully it'll work. Hopefully it won't break. I'm going to keep walking.
I ate some airline peanuts I had.
8:44am I am up walking. Now passing mile marker 12. Cool, I see a fellow pedestrian walking the other way.
9:03am Mile marker 11.
9:11am I am leaving my rest.
9:46am Passing Buffalo Bill Road.
His name is Eloy. The truck that pulled over for me. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.
Wow, we just drove up to the the Chino Mines, is it?. It's humongous, man. It's just so much rape.
Eloy told me they pull copper out of there. Wish I had pictures.
9:57am Eloy dropped me off over in Bayard.
10:00am This tape seems to be recording better. Anyway, I got dropped off in Bayard. That guy Eloy picked me up. I walked a hell of a lot. That last mile was haul ass. He dropped me off in Bayard at some gas station and I'm going to bum me a cigarette. The Shamrock across the street. Oh yeah, I am only ten miles away from Silver City. Check that out. Cool, huh.
There's a sign that says Deming 42 and Las Cruces a hundred and something, I don't know.
Oh yeah, I replaced my tape.
I just came back up to the Chevron. I'm going to chill at the Chevron. I am only ten miles away from Silver City. I am thinking about walking.
10:27am I'm here at the Chevron and this cop just pulled up. I was taking a hit in the corner and a cop pulled up. I was all freaked out. I was hoping he wouldn't come talk to me. He didn't, so I stood up and walked up to him. I told him, "Hi, how is it going? I'm a long-distance walker." He asked me where I was from and I told him that I was born in Puerto Rico and moved to San Antonio when I was three. I asked him, "I don't suppose I could score a courtesy-ride to Silver City?"
10:32am I am talking to Officer Lopez out here. Telling him my story. He agreed and even gave me a destination. He told me that down the street, about six or seven miles, there is a white ranch house with a swimming pool. There lives a hundred and two year old woman name Juanita Franks(I think) that believes in legalizing marijuana. He told me she would probably listen to my story.
How awesome! I'm going to go talk to this a hundred and two year old lady about my mission! She wants to legalize marijuana! I was telling the cop my story at the Chevron and he, of all people, gave me this destination. I'm off walking now. I'm kind of excited now.
10:40am Holy shit! Tennis courts! I'm at Cobre Courts. "A cooperative project with NM Natural Resources Department and the U.S. Department of the Interior."
10:45am I found at least one tennis ball.
Cool, another one. Man, these tennis courts were here just for me. It just fell in my lap.
10:47am Three! Awesome. Praise Love.
10:55am I scored a total of four tennis balls. It couldn't have been more perfect. I had walked all those past miles wearing my stick between my backpack and back. All because I didn't have a tennis ball and didn't want to wear my stick out. And then bam, look what ends up in my path. Santa Clara two miles.
10:57am I am going to read the Bayard Official Scenic Historic Marker: "Bayard, Population 3,036, Elevation 6152. Fights in the surrounding hills indicate that Indians in the Mogollon culture(A.D. 300 - 1450) lived here long before the Europeans. In the late 19th century, this was a stronghold of Apaches led by Victorio and Geronimo. Today Bayard, which was incorporated in 1925, lies in a great commercial mining region."
11:03am Mile marker 122. Santa Clara village limits. Elevation 5950.
Engine brake use prohibited. Wonder what that means.
11:13am That was so awesome how I found those tennis courts. It was a big drag having to carry my stick on my back.
11:17am Junction 152.
Oh yeah, I have been walking down 180 this whole time.
11:24am I came to a junction. I'm going to chill in this little shade shelter in front of this house. I'm going to open up that can of chili that I have.
11:45am The town I took a rest in was Santa Clara. The sign at the junction says Silver City eight miles. Then, right after it there's a highway sign that says Silver City six miles.
11:47am I walked up to the Official Scenic Historic Marker. Another one. It says, "The Santa Rita Copper Mine. Copper has been mined here since 1804. For five years, development by Francisco Manuel Elguera resulted in some 6 million pounds of copper being transported annually to Mexico City by mule train. Brief periods of activity were haulted by Apache opposition until the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, when the area became a major copper producer."
11:52am Another historic marker. "Fort Bayard. 1866-1900. One of the several posts created by the Apache Frontier, Fort Bayard protected the Pinos Altos mining district. Company B of the black 125th Infantry served here, as did Lieutenant John J. Pershing. In 1900 the fort became a military hospital and today serves as Fort Bayard Medical Center." Cool.
12:00pm Silver City 5 miles.
12:20pm Mile marker 119.
12:25pm Passing Arenas Valley Road.
I think I am in the town of Arenas Valley.
12:33pm I am walking into the Diamond Shamrock here. I think I walked like four miles.
1:05pm I had a good rest at the Diamond Shamrock. I'm going to keep on walking. I'm not going to ask for a ride. I'm going to walk all the way to Silver City. I'm going to find this 102 year old lady's house. I'll tell her my story.
1:09pm Mile marker 118.
1:13pm I see a billboard that says, "Subway 2.8 miles on left." They always hook me up at Subway.
1:27pm Passing mile marker 117.
1:39pm This is awesome exposure for me. I have been giving every single car the peace sign. This is a busy street. Everybody's waving back. It's awesome.
I am going to rest at this Caballeros restaurant. There's a bench outside. I'm going to see if I can score me some food.
1:45pm Moni and Dennis hooked me up with a cigarette. Thanks a lot guys. Everybody gets credit.
2:04pm I had a good rest at the Caballeros place. It seemed to be closed, but the janitors were working. They're closed on Sundays(shit, I think I got the days mixed up now that I am typing this up). I'm going to keep going.
2:07pm Silver City town limits. Elevation 5953.
2:13pm Dude, I just saw a sign that says, "KFC 1 mile next to Walmart." There's a Walmart here. I need to replace my compass. It broke. I just need two bucks.
2:18pm That's weird. Silver City has a big W on their mountain.
2:24pm I'm going to go in the Wendy's and see if they hook me up. I'm over here by the Holiday Inn Express.
I went in the Wendy's and saw some girl smoking a cigarette outside. She worked there. I asked her for a cigarette, but she didn't have another one. She gave me the rest of hers, though. I smoked it and now I'm going to go ask for food.
2:30pm Eric is hooking me up with some gasoline for my stomach. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.
Cool, I'm going to score at the Wendy's. He said, "Give me a minute."
Cool, Eric even hooked me up with a soda. Wish I had a cigarette.
Man, I am in full-force in Silver City. I'm here at this crowded Wendy's and everybody is looking at me recording myself right now. I just got hooked up. Right in front of everybody's faces. They all had to pay, ha.
2:45pm Eric hooked it up with a double meat burger and Biggie Fries. Right in front of all these Babylonians in there. They were all staring at me. Me and my Willie Nelson shirt and the peace tattoo on the back of my neck.
Welcome to Silver City, Victor.
The weirdest thing. I ate outside at the Wendy's. I needed to blow a snot-rocket, so I pressed my left nostril and blew. All of a sudden my left nostril started bleeding. It shouldn't be bleeding. That was the side I held down. Anyway, I quickly grabbed my roll of toilet paper from my mission bag. Okay, I'm walking.
Still on US 180, about to pass 32nd Street.
Walking to the Walmart. I'm going to spange up two bucks so I can get another compass.
2:57pm Juan hooked me up with some change so I can get my compass. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.
3:04pm Alena gave me a dollar so I can get a compass for my walking stick. Everybody gets credit, thank you.
3:11pm I bought my compass and I'm going to put it on my stick right here at the entrance.
3:18pm My stick was magically brought back to life. Thank you, Love. Thank you so much. My compass is on there and it has a ball at the bottom.
3:35pm I was walking and asked this kid for directions. I asked him, "Hey man, is there a plaza or a square nearby?" He directed me to this park. Make sure I turn left.
I never found that old lady's house.
3:52pm I talked to these two gay dudes sitting down and asked them for a cigarette. One of the dudes told me, "The only cigarette I have is the one hanging. Want it?"
Whoa, there's the CTS Cleaners(7-17-04-5:56pm). Shit, it's right there. I don't know if they're open right now.
4:57pm I came up to the Diamond Shamrock. I smoked a snipe I had found. I don't know if I turn left or right here.
I bummed a cigarette off this guy and he told me to go to the mission, down the street.
5:46pm I came to the rescue mission. I knocked on the door of the house here and the guy inside told me they didn't have any more beds. I'm going to go find the skatepark people keep telling me about and go talk to some kids.
6:00pm I just had a really good presentation with these two girls. They listened to me. I'm going to go find the skatepark.
6:32pm I had a great presentation here at this little park. Penny Park I think it's called.
7:26pm Tyler, at the Diamond Shamrock, I asked him if I could score a cup with ice for this hot soda I just found. He told me no, but he came out and gave me a chunk of meat! Some roast he had left over. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.
7:57pm Antoinette hooked me up with two cigarettes. I only asked for one. In front of the Snappy Mart.
8:19pm I am walking around Gouge Park. I shared my soda with the bums outside the Snappy Mart. I got three cups with ice. I had just found that soda. It wasn't mine to keep.
8:54pm Not only did Jason and his friends listen to my whole story, he gave me a cigarette too. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit.
9:00pm Zadie just gave me six dollars! I didn't ask her for anything. She just listened to my story. Everybody gets credit. Thanks a lot. Sweet! What's your name? Chad gave me a five dollar bill too! Bus fare! Perfect.
I got even more money! I have eleven dollars total from them. How awesome. She gave me six and the guy gave me five. Perfect. I want to tell my story some more. It was cool, just this group of kids hanging out by their car. They weren't doing anything.
10:23pm Stephanie just hooked up some little kid. He was short for his cookie and she told him not to worry about it.
11:20pm I'm over here at the Snappy Mart. I didn't get to finish my story with Stephanie, the lady inside. I just bought me a pack of cigarettes for three dollars. American Spirits. Good deal. I saw these kids smoking rollies outside and I offered them a Spirit. One of the kids was in a wheelchair. He had broken his leg or something. I'll try and get their names later. I asked them, "Hey, do you know anyone around here who could smoke a brother out?" He had to wait for these other guys to leave, but then they came and told me they'd smoke me out.
12:30pm I was having a little trouble with my recorder. Hopefully it's working now. Anyway, I have to make an update of what happened. Those kids smoked me out at the Snappy Mart. They seemed to be squatters so I asked them if they knew of a place I could crash. They brought me to this abandoned house. It's a total mess. The floor is all cracked and bent up. Hell, it's a place to crash indoors. I crawled in through the window and opened the front door for the other guys. I appreciate it, guys. I wasn't sure where I was going to sleep tonight. That's so awesome. I lit my candle and we smoked some more weed. I can't wait until tomorrow when it's light and I can look around this house.
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