Deming, NM to Silver City, NM

Photos - click here

Day 1
After an extended break from hiking, for six nights, our weathered bodies were rejuvenated enough to proceed with the journey. The next stretch, same as the last was on the road, so we were accompanied by many waved hands and honked horns by the kind motorists of New Mexico. All of this had begun before we had really left. The exit from the town was a seemingly endless stroll under underpasses, as if they were giant jaws ready to chew us up so that we could never leave. But finally we did, and we passed the imaginary divider that separated the oasis-like town from the sheer bareness of the interstate.

Pace after pace and step after step we trudged our throbbing feet on the asphalt, day dreaming. I was way ahead of my hiking partners and when you are engulfed in solitude its difficult not to let your mind wander, to explore aspects of your past and future in serenity. The sun had begun to set and the vale of light that crept over the mountains served as a dimly lit candle, and then I head a rattle like a can filled with rocks, and looked over to the fence in a dazed state to try to locate the noise. With a hiss, I looked to my feet and in dismay I leaped back. A rattlesnake with fangs barred had its tail quivering vigorously at the ground before me.

It was an exciting moment with the rattle snake, and we had made good mileage. A hundred-yards behind a locked fence; dad whipped his tent into the air as Leslie pushed the frame into their designated place. When all was done, I was tucked into my sleeping bag; the source of discomfort was discovered. Leslie’s feet were terribly blistered and raw; dad's feet were irritated but by no means in the same ballpark as Leslie's. My feet had never been better.

Day 2
The sun always seems to rise too early, and this case was no different. Cloaked in my sleeping bag, I attempted to ignore the light, and my worst fear was realized. Having heard horror stories about dangerous confrontations with ranchers and the paranoia of being camped on private property, it was always in the back of my mind, and then I head it, “Get off of my property. What in Sam Hill are you doin'? Get off of my property!” Oh God, I thought. I’m going to get shot by a rancher. Leslie groggily muttered to herself, “This can’t be happening.” Then I peaked my head out of the rain-fly to see my dad, holding his guitar like a gun equipped with a dromedary of water. NOT FUNNY!

That same morning, only fifteen minutes after the “rancher” incident, I puked neon-green puke, and to make matters worse, my retainer could be found in the middle of the pile. Why did I puke? Because I ate the some of the foulest smelling vitamins approved by the FDA, without eating anything. My dad was still laughing but Leslie had problems of her own, the shoes had given her such bad blisters, she began hiking in her Crocs. Crocs are flimsy plastic shoes like slippers with a sandal-like backing. We hiked the entire day and with the only reward of sneaking over a barbed wire fence and falling asleep with the concern of being trampled by a hundred cattle.

Day 3
Leslie’s blisters hadn’t gotten any better, but our pace had slowly picked up speed. After twelve or so miles, we ran into an airport. It was a good time to stop and take a break so we did. The three of us were lusting over the idea of pop, candy and other town-food extras. So when I entered the airport it was like Christmas. This airport was in a very deserted region and the terminal was very small, so there wasn’t a restaurant, but there were two vending machines. We ate a lot of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and orange soda.
The terrain following the airport was magnificent. It’s hard to describe, but something about it truly reached out and touched your soul. But we hit a gate that obviously didn’t like all of that soul touching. It read something along the lines of private property, trespassers will be prosecuted. So Leslie called the rancher Jim McCauley, and with her polite mannerisms, got us access to the road and the free ranging bulls that didn’t seem to like us very much.

It was getting late and we had hiked a very respectable day considering how long we had been out for but we still had more miles to make. The wind was relentless like a screen to block out conversation. I saw this guy, leaning on his truck with his shirt off. I nodded and kept walking; he shouted at me, “Hey! Are you hiking the CDT?”
“Yeah”, I said.
“Are you going to get your pin?”
“Huh?”
“You hike the Appalachian Trail, you get a pin. You hike the Sierra Trail, you get a pin. If you hike the Continental Divide trail, you get a pin and your name in a book…forever.” As apposed to a week, haha. The guy had really weirded me out so I wasn’t about to ask him what the Sierra Trail was, which later, Leslie informed me that he probably meant the Pacific Crest Trail.

We were going to camp about 7 miles south of Silver City, but it was a residential area, so we hiked all the way in and were completely spent. And the hotel that was supposed to be right at the start of town was actually far from it. We finally checked in then went across the street to eat before the restaurant closed. That day was a marathon day, literally.

~David

Info on Deming from: http://www.cityofdeming.org/about.html.

Deming is located in the Southwestern part of New Mexico, 33 miles North of the Mexico border, a land of an ever present sun and flowing desert rocks and cacti. Deming has been named a "Rock-Hunters Paradise."

The history of the area dates back nearly 1,000 years ago, when the Mimbres Indians, the first people known to inhabit the area, lived in villages along the Mimbres River and farmed the area. Primitive though they were in other respects, the pictures of daily life they painted inside their pottery reflect their gifted creativity and unsurpassed skill in reproducing likeness of animals and birds. Known throughout the world, some beautiful samples of the magnificent Mimbres Pottery are on display in the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum.

It was about 1800 that the Americans entered Southwest New Mexico. Deming's first years were hard ones, with the usual problems of a small Western town. It had such a bad reputation that some outlaws rounded up in Arizona were given one way tickets to Deming. Back in 1850 it was a Butterfield Stage Trail stop.

Deming is the county seat of Luna County and was founded in November, 1881. Named for Mary Deming Crocker, wife of a railroad magnate of the Southern Pacific Railway system the town was the result of railroad expansion to the West. The Southern Pacific, building toward the Pacific coast, reached this point in late 1881, and made preperations for the construction of a round house and repair shops. This activity furnished the incentive for the erection of a city of tents and shanties. Six months later, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe completed its junction with the Southern Pacific at Deming, thus assuring Deming a prominence in the Southern part of New Mexico.

During the year of 1882, settlers flocked in, and substantial buildings were erected. E. Germain and Company opened the first store in Deming, using old boxcars for storerooms. Pictures of Deming's growing up years can be found on the picture page.
The business district of Deming is located on what was a Wayndotte Script Location. As the result of treaties with the Wayndotte Indians on March 17, 1842 and January 31, 1855, the U.S. government issued land warrents, later termed "Wayndotte Script." which were good for land in the public domain.

With a population of 1600 persons in 1887, Deming had two schools, one private and one public, a Methodist and a Congregational Church and four hotels. By 1891, there were in addition to the other chuches an Episcopal and a Catholic church which was under construction. There were two newspapers, the Headlight (which is still in existance) and the Advance. This same year a "City Club" was orginized, composed of the citizens of Deming, and having for its object the establishment of a library and the promotion of social, commercial and scientific development for the community.

In 1923 and 1924, a serious economic decline hit the Deming area. Demings two banks, The Bank of Deming and the First National Bank were forced to close their doors. Recovery was slow. Like many other towns, Deming had its problems during the depression. The coming of World War II stimulated growth in the community. As a part of the war effort, the Deming National Guard was called into federal service and was sent to the Phillipines. This unit was the 200 Coast Artillery commanded by C.G. Sage, the publisher of the local paper. Altogether, there were about 246 men from Luna County in the regiment. In the Phillipines, most of these men participated in the infamous Battan Death March where several Deming soldiers lost their lives. Most of them remained prisoners of war until 1945.

During the first World War, the War Department established Camp Cody near Deming, as a training encampment that covered over 2000 acres. At the termination of the war, Camp Cody was used for a tuberculosis sanitorium for ex-soldiers. It was operated by the Catholic Sisters of the Holy Cross. In 1939 Camp Cody was completely destroyed by fire and the sanitorium closed at the same time. During World War II, an Army Air Force Base was installed in Deming, located at what is now the "Municipal Deming Airport and Industrial Park." This base trained bombardiers and there were over 5000 men stationed at this base.

There was not a serious decline in Deming's economy following World War II as there had been after WW I. Deming's industry and farming grew and its population increased to its present day size of 14,116 (Census Bureau 2000)and Luna County is 25,016 people of mixed nationalities. Deming has grown 20% and Luna County has grown 38% since the 1990 Census. Today Deming is a full service community with low cost of living, affordable taxes, taxi service, municipal airport, hospital/ambulance service, nursing home, senior citizens center, library, over 40 churches, over 80 listed organizations, 18 hole golf course, civic center, public auditorium, schools and a community college