Day 132, August 13, 2012

 I woke up at around 7:30am. I was so tired and hardly slept. The trucks zooming by were loud so I just got up. I had a bad kink in my neck and a headache.
       I packed up and put all my stuff away. I was so beat and for sure did not feel like walking far. There was nothing around at all and for a while. I headed out to the 40 and started walking.
       I walked about 7 miles up and down rolling hills. The weather was nice and everything was pretty smooth. I stopped under a bridge and took a break. I made a peanut butter sandwich and drank some water.
       I continued and hit a good stretch. I walked until about 2 when it was really warming up. I was maybe another 7 miles in. I was ready for a break but there was nothing at all around with shade. No exits, and there were fences all along the highway so I couldn't even really walk off.
        I ended up just sitting on the center divide right next to the road on the other side of a railing. I was planning to take at least an hour break, but about 10 minutes in it began to sprinkle. I checked the weather and the rain was on the way. So I got up and wanted to try and find somewhere better to cover possibly. I kept walking west.
        I came to a downhill stretch where I spotted a car and trailer pulled over. I walked down towards it. As I was walking down I could see off in the distance it was nasty clouds and I could see the rain. It was moving my way.
        When I came to the car it was an el camino pulling an old trailer. The trailer had a flat. I asked them if they needed a hand and they said a buddy was on the way with a spare. They asked how long I was walking. I told them and they were tripping out. It was funny. They said they had cold sodas and the guy went and got me one. They were headed a couple hours away. I told them I was gonna try and get to cover before the rain came. They told me there was an exit around the corner a few miles ahead of me. I shook their hands and said thanks for the soda. I was on my way again.
        I walked about a mile when the rain cloud was just about over me. I knew it was about to rain, so I pulled off into the dirt and rolled my cart up against the fence. Suddenly the wind picked up. I was having a hard time getting the tarp over me and my stuff from the wind. I finally got it over my cart and I bungeed it to secure it there. It was big enough where I was able to stay covered while sitting next to my cart on my sleeping bag. It was perfect timing. Just then it began to pour!!
       I sat there and heard the drops crashing inches above my ears on the tarp that lay over my head and shoulders. I was staying dry and it was actually pretty cool. It had rained about 10 minutes when I was a little hungry. I decided to eat one of the MRE meals I had been packing since Mississippi. It was meatloaf and gravy, and it was damn good. But I'm not picky and like just about everything except pickles and olives.
         After a half hour or so of rain it stopped and I packed up to move on. It still didn't look all the way clear and like there was a chance of more rainfall, but the bad part was past for now at least.
          I finally came to the exit. There was nothing there but a few houses. They were mostly trailer homes or very old houses. I felt ok, so I just decided to keep moving.
        I started climbing and came into a really cool section that went through a mountain. The rocks were really pretty and tall on both sides of the highway. I was enjoying the scenery. It was a pretty steep climb and out of nowhere the wind picked up again and was gusting. Again I felt sprinkles. With nowhere to stop and railings on the side of the shoulder all the way up the hill, I had to continue. I dug out a rain pancho someone had given me in Texas. I threw that on and kept at it.
           I reached the top of the hill and the wind had died down, and the rain stopped. Another mile up was an exit. It was a little town called Laguna. These towns don't show up on my GPS for some reason. Maybe they are Indian Reservations? Not sure.
        I exited there and walked through the town on a frontage road. There was a gas station where I stopped to get a drink. I sat there for about 15 minutes relaxing. I was gonna stay there since I had gone about 20 miles now, but I randomly had the urge to keep going. It was about 6:30pm. I figured I would walk until dark, and then find a random spot and rough it.
         I walked on the frontage (which went all the way to Grants from here) and watched an awesome sunset. Just after the sun went down a truck pulled over and offered me a ride. I told them no thanks and I was only walking. Then they asked if I needed anything and if I was ok? I said yes and thanks. They were nice guys.
         I walked past dark and still didn't see a good spot. I was walking through an area now with nothing really there but desert. A truck pulled over in front of me in the dark and someone got out. I was on guard a bit and had my hand on my knife. Then as the guy came near me I could see it was a security officer. He asked where I was going? I told him I was just walking until I saw a place to sleep. He seemed a little uneasy about that, but then told me there was a camp ground 7 miles up. I knew I wasn't walking that much further, but I told him thanks and I would keep my eye out for it.
        After he left I walked up to another small area of a handful of houses. The only thing there to possibly sleep was an old souvenir shop that was closed. I went behind it but it seemed to be part of a driveway to a house down the dirt road. It wasn't hidden really either. So I continued.
        I walked another 3 miles when I saw something ahead that looked to be public or a business. As I approached it, i saw it was a high school. It was a week night and it's now the school year, so I was skeptical. But I got close and saw a parking lot to the football field on the other side of the school. It was hidden decently and would have to do. I made my bed in the flat asphalt parking lot behind the bleachers and laid down. I then looked at the GPS and I had walked 29 miles that day! After a horrible night of rest and feeling tired and beat up too! My neck was still stiff. I fell asleep around 10pm and was beat!