CDT - Day 8
Woke up at 5am, it was 41°F in my tent. Off on the distance coyotes were howling. Breakfast , coffee, and morning routine all done by 5:44, my goal was 18 miles to reach the highway.
Met a couple of SoBo section hikers at 9.7. They were struggling with the heat, but in otherwise good spirits. Their plan was to section hike, then flip up to the Gila River. I might see them again.
Couple of side by sides passed me on Saddleock Canyon Rd, mile 14.61. I had to backtrack quite a while because of a wrong turn.
Exited NF and onto private land at 19.5. Immediately after walking past the "Leaving National Forest" I walked past a beautiful ranch house out in the middle of nowhere. I walked along the dirt road for another couple of miles reaching highway 180. From here it would have been another 14 mile road walk along a busy highway. There was no way I was going to do that after just walking 22 miles through the forest. I tried hitchhiking for a while with no luck so I called up a popular trail angel that lives in Silver City, and she drove out and picked me up.