CDT Trail Days, Silvercity

23.04.202

I'm awake in the middle of the night. So I get up and start to sort and organize things. While I have to get my sim card out of the phone to check the number for a US phone subscription provider, it happens! I lost the sim card tray! I am searching for more than an hour but that bloody tiny thing is gone! I whatsapp call my parents because I received a text from my bank saying I should call them due to some unusual activities on my accounts. Also, I am waiting for the activation code to access my bank apps on my new phone. I could then check the unusual activities, most likely being me in the US. However, to activate the app I need to enter a code send by sms, but my phone somehow doesn't want to receive sms any longer. This is a mess! Also my parents can't yet access my bank accounts. I text my bank manager, not aware of it being saturday. But he replies, informing me that my Credit Card limit of several thousand bucks has been used up! What, is this really possible? That's the reason my cards have been rejected yesterday, and not the power lack! So what do I do now? I have to get in my app and transfer money from my checking account to my credit card. But that's impossible cause I cannot access the app, as my phone doesn't send me the silly sms! I'm screwed. A couple of hours later and many grey hairs more my bank manager manages to transfer money to my credit card, thanks god! And in the meantime I also figured out why I don't receive messages on my phone anymore - the sim card is not in the phone!🙈 back on searching the room for the sim card tray, I clean the room with a broom (I think that's the first time for a long while the room has been wiped!), even unpack all the pillows, but nothing! I really don't know what to do. Wlan still works but no other calling service. First, I have to get money from the cash machine on the other site of the village, then settle the bill from last night. While doing so I run into Orianne, a hiker from the UK. Crazy but her partner is Bullocks, whom I met on the PCT in 2018! He's hiking the CDT too with Boss his mate, I also know from the PCT. Such a small world😁 Orianne also quit trail after two days because of the heat, she is waiting in town for the boys, to then hike on together again. Telling her my troubles I am currently in, she offers to order a sim tray card online for me (no credit card = no online orderings!). So at least I should get a sim card tray when back in Lordsburg hopefully on saturday morning after successfully hiked the first stretch (or earlier if I have to quit trail as so many others). But in the meantime I have no phone net, and can't access my bank accounts... but I will survive!

Ordering a cup of coffee, my shuttle body for the transfer from Lordsburg to the CDT starting point, walks in. He arrived last night. We haven't met yet, just texted on facebook. Same time some older ladies pass by, telling the are going to CDT trail days in Silvercity, if we wanna join too? Hell yes, off we go! No coffee for me then. 7 of us squeezed in her car for the 50 minutes drive up to Silvercity. Also the CDT trail goes from Lordsburg to Silvercity an we can picture the upcoming days. Looks very hot and not very interesting of a hike. Flat lands, only sand with some (already death) cactusses, next to the highway, no shade at all! Well that will be my problem in a week or so. Now I enjoy sitting IN the car😁

The CDT trail days are once a year, where gear suppliers and its communities present themselves. Hyperlight mountain gear, six moon design, sawyer and others are here, pretty cool! I get new shoes from altra matching my Outfit perfectly (I must be the best cloth matching fitting person on trail!), a funny pack from Hyperlight, free insoles and a CDT bandana. This year there are about 600 CDT hikers, which is an absolutely high hiker year, compared to 200-400 hikers on a normal year. I like that😁 we get to know many other hikers on that day. What a fun and unexpected day that was! Thanks the ladies for driving and letting us join them!