May 9, 2000: Day 7—130 miles—Just arrived at the Gila Hot Springs, where we are relaxing after a tough but enjoyable first week. Our route has been a direct one, mostly on back roads with some cross country travel.

Time is racing. It doesn't seem like a week ago that we were dropped at the border by the lovely Thelma and Louise. We owe them a lot for helping with many last minute logistics.

The desert country has been a shock to the system after the cold northern winter, but we have been dealing with the heat by taking siestas beside windmills and hiking in the cooler part of the day. The Deming Plain made fascinating hiking, and so far the vistas outnumber the blisters manyfold.

Seen lots of wildlife, including our first roadrunner (much smaller than on TV), javelina, elk, snakes and lizards, but the most dangerous beast we've encountered was a dog on the outskirts of Columbus who didn't speak english.

Darryl and Simon's Tip for this week:

Don't forget the stove fuel. Although you can cook noodles by leaving them in the sun for half an hour, soggy pasta is not very palatable when cooked in this way. [ MORE. . . ]

Continental Divide Trail CDT Fun Facts It takes approximately six million steps to walk from Mexico to Canada on the CDT. CDT Links Continental Divide Trail Where the Waters Divide CDT Forums

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