It was not hard getting up early this morning. Because I slept next to Gordon's van, his clock announced the time in a female voice, which seemed like every two hours. I slept well outside of that. I was humored by the female voice. And I was the first hiker up and ready-to-go. It was dark at 6:00 a.m. so when I walked up to the passenger side of Gordon's van, I did a face plant (or a headlamp plant) right into the passenger side window. Laughing at myself, I stepped back, only to step onto Rest Stop's tent. Irritated, Rest Stop yelled at me to get off his tent. "Uhhh...ok.. buddy...calm down now." "Go have a smoke." I apologized for stepping onto his tent before I began my hike. We basically filed out one-by-one as Gordon played a CDT theme song. Today, the plan was to hike 12 miles before we reached Gordon's van, rest, and then hike another 5. The problem for me was, no one ever shared with me what trail the group had planned to take. Since Troll had hired Gordon to help him, he was basically the one to decide things. He shared his plan with "the boys," but not me. If one of the guy hikers asked a question about the route, the 4 of them formed a group and decided together which was or wasn't the proper way to go. When I asked a map question, Rest Stop replied, "Don't you have your map?" I watched this the entire 12 miles. Together "the boys" could decide something. Individually...they could not. But there was no way that any of them was going to let me ask the same question/s that they were asking and answering each other. Hmm, I thought to myself. This was certainly not like having 30-30 as a hiking partner. And so I hiked until Troll and Oblivious became overheated. I reached Gordon's van first. I phoned Bruce to let him know that I would be coming home. I asked Troll to not write about my getting off the trail until I could have the chance to contact my sponsors.

Troll assured me that his entries would run at least a week late. "Thank you," I said. I do not want my sponsors to learn anything from an outside source. Oblivious rested underneath Gordon's van as Wilderness Bob and Rest Stop hiked on. Their thinking was that by the time Troll and O got started, they could be finished with their final 5 miles and ride into town to use my shower. I would have done the same thing.

Thru-hikers are opportunists and I am no different when it comes to getting a shower. I decided to check in to a Best Western in Lordsberg, NM. Gordon drove me to the hotel and I got out to see if they had a room available. The Best Western did indeed have a room available and I paid for my room in cash and was then handed my room key. I asked the manager where my room was because I had some boxes to go through.

And the manager then decided that I could not have that room after all? Huh? "The boxes are my luggage," I complained. "You don't wasn't my business?" "No," he replied. "You cannot stay here." Dag...I thought to myself. Where is our society going anyway???? I felt like Rosa Parks!!!! I picked up the manager's business card but not before I asked Wilderness Bob to come inside. Wilderness Bob came inside as I explained to him that I was denied a room after the manager had learned that my luggage was in boxes. "Oh well, " said Wilderness Bob. "If he doesn't want your business, f-him." And so I went to the Comfort Inn and Suites where they could not have been more hospitable. Wilderness Bob helped me unload my boxes from the van as Rest Stop used the shower. Wilderness Bob then showered as I went back outside to give Gordon a big hug goodbye. Gordon Smith is a dear man. I will miss him much!