Elk Mountain Camp to Bobcat Camp I woke up in the beautiful New Mexico forest, feeling grateful for yet another great wild camp. It was pretty warm, but a high fog layer kept the sun at bay while I made coffee and breakfast and packed up. I realized I have been doing this long enough now, it was feeling pretty automatic at this point. I got on the road at a reasonable time, and pushed off with a slightly shorter goal: Rock Canyon campground about 60 miles on that would put me in position for a relatively short day into Silver City tomorrow. I pedaled along at a modest pace, feeling OK, but not breaking any speed records. I stopped at a USFS facility called Beaverhead work center to top off with water and rest a bit. Turns out there was an unattended electrical outlet as well, so I topped off my battery pack while there. I knew the second half of the day had some pretty good climbing, so I didn’t linger too long before I pushed off again. I enjoyed the views and terrain very much; it seemed wild and remote—I had read this was Geronimo’s native area, and it was really something to see. After a couple good climbs followed by corresponding descending, I realized I was feeling “bonky”. I guess the miles of the previous week were catching up to me. I pulled over and ate all the snacks I had. I even dug to the bottom of my camelback and found an old GU packet and ate that. I rested for maybe 1/2 hour and felt way better. Bonk averted, I got on the road once again. The route was up and down for miles, and so scenic! I even crossed 2 pretty good sized streams, one made bigger by beaver dams. At the high points, I could see mountains in all directions, with Mogollon and Gila being most prominent. By the time I got to what I thought was my last climb of the day, I was feeling pretty good again, so made relatively short work of it. After some rolling terrain through more New Mexico ponderosa, I started down a long, rocky descent to my proposed camp spot. Soon after surviving a near-collision with an Alberts squirrel, I arrived at the camp spot and decided to move on. The spot was at the bottom of a deep dark canyon, and I didn’t want to camp in a hole. I like to see out! Besides, I wouldn’t see the sun until noon in that spot! Unfortunately, moving on to find another spot meant climbing up out of said hole, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. With some positive self-talk I grudgingly hoisted myself up the hill to a ridge top the road followed. This was more like it, and soon I found a small road leading off into the forest to a small clearing perfect for my little camp. I would be able to see the sunrise and stars and it was so peaceful. The clearing was ringed by oak and pine trees with unlimited flat spots to put my tent. While I was deciding where to put my tent, something caught my eye: a bobcat! It was clearly curious and seemed cautious but unafraid. It stood there long enough for me to get a picture and a short video, then silently weaved away into the forest again. Im sure I enjoyed our encounter more than the cat did! After dinner, I talked to my wife for a while—I even had a faint cell signal at bobcat camp—and then had dinner. After dinner I sat in my chair watching the stars and sipping hot chocolate again. Once again I felt so small in that place at that time, but so grateful for my little place in it. What a gift it all is…