Another chilly morning, but today we woke up to a delicious home cooked breakfast prepared by the kind folks of Merryville. They brought us (yes Doctor Mark, infinite) biscuits, homemade jams, and sausage gravy. After filling ourselves beyond capacity, we set out for our 56 mile day.
We got to Oberlin, and we are staying at the local fire house. Lucky for us, they have a tv, and we finally get to watch a game of the World Series! Frosty (the Australian) brought us some Big League Chew to set the mood. Thank you, Frosty.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Day 41: Merryville
We woke up FREEZING today. The low last night was 38'.
We made our way to Louisiana today! Merryville has been said to be the definition of southern hospitality, and our visit was no exception. We camped outside of the Merryville historical society, and about 10 or so people from town came and made us dinner (and breakfast the next morning). Every year, these folks get together for all of the American Adventure Cycling Tours passing through. Not only do they allow us to camp and use their showers, but they cooked us a (probably the best) meal we will have in Louisiana. Mark's blog has some good pictures. THANK YOU MERRYVILLE!
We made our way to Louisiana today! Merryville has been said to be the definition of southern hospitality, and our visit was no exception. We camped outside of the Merryville historical society, and about 10 or so people from town came and made us dinner (and breakfast the next morning). Every year, these folks get together for all of the American Adventure Cycling Tours passing through. Not only do they allow us to camp and use their showers, but they cooked us a (probably the best) meal we will have in Louisiana. Mark's blog has some good pictures. THANK YOU MERRYVILLE!
Day 40: Silsbee
Our last full day in Texas! It was a nice ride today, and the weather was much cooler. Accommodations lately have been nice but sometimes lack some modern things we tend to take for granted (aka a washing machine and dryer). Rumor had it, the accommodations tonight have 3 working washers and 3 working dryers, and I was looking forward to being able to clean my clothes again.
The terrain has become mostly flat, and we often have 5-15 mile stretches with no turns. I much prefer this to what we had in Arizona, but I have a feeling it might get old after a week or two.
The terrain has become mostly flat, and we often have 5-15 mile stretches with no turns. I much prefer this to what we had in Arizona, but I have a feeling it might get old after a week or two.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Day 39: Coldspring
At about 3 am, the winds became very strong, and it was mostly a sleepless night. A tree fell on my bike!!!
Unfortunately, the winds were from the north at about 15-25 mph. It felt like we were getting some of that cool, crisp fall air from Minnesota! We had a really strong head/cross wind the whole way. Despite that, it was a nice ride (minus the death highway) as most of the roads were asphault or worn finer chipseal.
The weather cooled off signifcantly, and the low tonight is supposed to be 38!
Unfortunately, the winds were from the north at about 15-25 mph. It felt like we were getting some of that cool, crisp fall air from Minnesota! We had a really strong head/cross wind the whole way. Despite that, it was a nice ride (minus the death highway) as most of the roads were asphault or worn finer chipseal.
The weather cooled off signifcantly, and the low tonight is supposed to be 38!
Day 38: Navasota
I think today was the hottest day since we left the desert. It reached about 93' and the humidity was (relatively) high. Despite that, it was a nice day, and if I remember right we had a tailwind most of the way.
The houses in the country range from gigantic mansions to rundown trailer homes. We stopped at a mansion (hoping they would invite us in for tea) and made friends with their donkeys.
We went through Independence, TX, which is said to be the birthplace of Texas.
Tonight a front is supposed to come through and stir up the winds, but tomorrow the high will only be about 80.
The houses in the country range from gigantic mansions to rundown trailer homes. We stopped at a mansion (hoping they would invite us in for tea) and made friends with their donkeys.
Tonight a front is supposed to come through and stir up the winds, but tomorrow the high will only be about 80.
Day 37: Carmine
Eric left this morning, so I had to catch up to the group. Thankfully, the airport was on the east side of town, so he drove me out a ways to shorten my ride. His flight left at 6-something, so he dropped me off at a McDonalds at about 5 where I sat until the sun came up. While I sat there, a lady came in and asked if I was the one with the bike outside. I told her I was, and we had the "normal" conversation. Then she said she used to bike until she moved east of Austin. I asked why she didn't anymore and she told me because there were too many rednecks in this part of Texas. Great.
The ride in wasn't bad, but I was exhausted from getting up at 4am. I was supposed to cook dinner, but luckily there was a really good restaurant in town called JW's and I was off the hook.
The ride in wasn't bad, but I was exhausted from getting up at 4am. I was supposed to cook dinner, but luckily there was a really good restaurant in town called JW's and I was off the hook.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Day 36: Austin
Austin rest day #3
Things we did:
Kerby Cafe
Fixed my bike (thanks for your patience Eric!)
Barton Springs
Congress Street Bats
Gueros Taco Hut (Amazing margaritas)
Things we did:
Kerby Cafe
Fixed my bike (thanks for your patience Eric!)
Barton Springs
Congress Street Bats
Gueros Taco Hut (Amazing margaritas)
Day 35: Austin Rest day #2
Day #2 off in Austin.
Things we did:
Whole Foods (yes, the grocery store. Austin's is the original, and it's huge, worth the visit)
Mellow Johny's
Moved to the sweet condo (THANK YOU SHAUNA AND JASON)
Looked at some sweet river-side mansions
Mount Bonnell
6th St
Vikings vs Packers
Things we did:
Whole Foods (yes, the grocery store. Austin's is the original, and it's huge, worth the visit)
Mellow Johny's
Moved to the sweet condo (THANK YOU SHAUNA AND JASON)
Looked at some sweet river-side mansions
Mount Bonnell
6th St
Vikings vs Packers
Day 34
Austin rest day.
Eric got in today, and I made him take me to get a new rim at Performance Cycle (thanks Eric!). Lets just say I seem to have gotten a pretty good deal once again (although it will be tough to beat a power tap for $300). Then we went to the Salt Lick for dinner, and we met Shauna, Jason and family there. It was about 30+ miles out of Austin, but it was well worth the drive. It's a BYOB place, and it was packed. We walked in with our little 6-pack, then Shauna comes with a cooler, and then we're seated next to a table that brought their own keg. Pictures to come...
Eric got in today, and I made him take me to get a new rim at Performance Cycle (thanks Eric!). Lets just say I seem to have gotten a pretty good deal once again (although it will be tough to beat a power tap for $300). Then we went to the Salt Lick for dinner, and we met Shauna, Jason and family there. It was about 30+ miles out of Austin, but it was well worth the drive. It's a BYOB place, and it was packed. We walked in with our little 6-pack, then Shauna comes with a cooler, and then we're seated next to a table that brought their own keg. Pictures to come...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Day 33: Austin
After an early start due to the incoming thunderstorm, we made it to Austin today!
We made it to Austin today! It was a nice 70 mile ride into town. At the beginning, we were fighting a nasty headwind, rode through a short but heavy rain storm, and ran into a local politician campaigning outside of an early vote location.
We got into town and stopped at a few bike shops. I figured I should go before Eric comes because I don't expect him to want to spend much time in them. We went to Austin Tri-Cyclist (great store) and then made our way to Lance Armstrong's store, Mellow Johnny's. It turns out he has a charity ride this weekend, Ride for the Roses, so Team Radioshack was at the store signing autographs. It was pretty cool to see some of the team (although not quite the same as that night with the Navy Seals and company in Silver City).
We made it to Austin today! It was a nice 70 mile ride into town. At the beginning, we were fighting a nasty headwind, rode through a short but heavy rain storm, and ran into a local politician campaigning outside of an early vote location.
Day 32: Blanco
We've reached hill country! All I can say is that it is not a good idea to go for a wine tasting with 25 miles left in the day. Here is the Winery we visited
Day 31: Kerrville
Right out of camp, we had a 600+ foot climb at grades over 10%. That's one way to start your morning! I tried to forget about that part because the rest of the ride was beautiful.
As we made it into Kerrville, we came to a stoplight, and I was unable to clip out in time. I wasn't in any danger, just embarrassed at falling with cars all over looking (laughing) at me. Shortly thereafter, I was riding behind Frosty when his rear tire burst and sent my heart racing. He's on a Bike Friday (folds up, fits in a suitcase) with these really small tires, and I think that was the 4th one that popped.
We made it to the bike shop in Kerrville, and they seemed nice, I got a few tubes, and I inquired about my the wear on my front rim. There are wear marks on rims, and I recently noticed that one of my rims was heavily worn. The Trek rep happened to be at the store at the time, and we chatted about it. It might be enough left to get me to Florida, but I should start looking at rims. This store had the same rim I got in the back available for the front, so I asked about what they wanted. The guy quoted me at $200. I got the same one for the back with a Power Tap for $300. I politely declined, and I'll check around in Austin.
As we made it into Kerrville, we came to a stoplight, and I was unable to clip out in time. I wasn't in any danger, just embarrassed at falling with cars all over looking (laughing) at me. Shortly thereafter, I was riding behind Frosty when his rear tire burst and sent my heart racing. He's on a Bike Friday (folds up, fits in a suitcase) with these really small tires, and I think that was the 4th one that popped.
We made it to the bike shop in Kerrville, and they seemed nice, I got a few tubes, and I inquired about my the wear on my front rim. There are wear marks on rims, and I recently noticed that one of my rims was heavily worn. The Trek rep happened to be at the store at the time, and we chatted about it. It might be enough left to get me to Florida, but I should start looking at rims. This store had the same rim I got in the back available for the front, so I asked about what they wanted. The guy quoted me at $200. I got the same one for the back with a Power Tap for $300. I politely declined, and I'll check around in Austin.
Day 30
Short and hilly!
(Picture to come)
And beautiful at times.
I had the best milkshake in Leakey after 20 miles. I wasn't sure if that was a good idea so early on in the ride, but it turned out alright and get me up the hills. Apparently there is a race on these hills every year called "Can you Climb the Dragons Back?" We slayed the dragon.
(Picture to come)
And beautiful at times.
Day 29
The rim on my rear wheel began to crack a few days ago, and I wasn't sure how long I had until it would completely fail. The last bike shop for about 200+ miles is in Del Rio, and unfortunately it wasn't open yesterday (Sunday). I figured it was probably necessary to suck it up and wait for the bike shop to open and see if they had a replacement rim.
While we were waiting, across the street was a "River City Donuts", so we had a (few) donuts. Turns out they all used to be Dunkin Donuts, but then they wanted some exorbitant fees so many of them in Texas set off as River City Donuts. I had 1, but I was still hungry so I bought 2 muffins for the road. I intended to save one for Melina, but I ended up eating them both pretty quickly along the road.
Now the bike shop was open, so we went over. It turned out the only decent rear rim the guy had already had a power tap hub on it. We chatted for a little bit while I tried to decide if I wanted to spend the money on it now, as I have been seriously thinking about getting one. He offered it to me, rim and power tap, for $300, so I took it. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure it could have easily cost me more than $1000 elsewhere.
Now it was noon, and I still had 70 miles ahead of me. My goal was to get in before dark. I rode a steady pace, despite cursing the wind and chipseal, and made it in about a quarter to 7. It was a rough, hot afternoon, but the last hour as it started to cool off was beautiful.
While we were waiting, across the street was a "River City Donuts", so we had a (few) donuts. Turns out they all used to be Dunkin Donuts, but then they wanted some exorbitant fees so many of them in Texas set off as River City Donuts. I had 1, but I was still hungry so I bought 2 muffins for the road. I intended to save one for Melina, but I ended up eating them both pretty quickly along the road.
Now the bike shop was open, so we went over. It turned out the only decent rear rim the guy had already had a power tap hub on it. We chatted for a little bit while I tried to decide if I wanted to spend the money on it now, as I have been seriously thinking about getting one. He offered it to me, rim and power tap, for $300, so I took it. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure it could have easily cost me more than $1000 elsewhere.
Now it was noon, and I still had 70 miles ahead of me. My goal was to get in before dark. I rode a steady pace, despite cursing the wind and chipseal, and made it in about a quarter to 7. It was a rough, hot afternoon, but the last hour as it started to cool off was beautiful.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Day 27
The second day in the wind tunnel, and I think we're starting to enter the Texas hill country. There were many rolling hills, and the entire day was spent on chipseal. We did a little over 80 miles, and the winds were 10-20 mph. I left early because it is my day to cook, but there is *very limited groceries between Sanderson and the park. This is what the route looked like after about 10 miles
and this is what it looked like after about 60 miles (5 hours later)
We had to buy dinner (rice and beans) in Sanderson, the town we stayed at the night before, and lug them across the desert for dinner. I took off at about 8 and I hardly stopped, and still didn't make it in until past 4. Dinner was far from the gourmet quality we usually prepare, but no one complained. The State Park was gorgeous.
Day 26
The headwinds begin. Another long day, and by the end of the day the headwinds picked up. There wasn't much in town, but everyone we met told us we had to go to the high school football game that night. High school football in Texas is like high school hockey in Minnesota. Sanderson is the only high school in the entire county, and there are 82 kids in grades K-12. Like many of the small towns in Texas, they play 6-man football. There were about 10 guys on the team, and the rest of the guys were in the band. There were about the same number of cheerleaders, and then the younger girls were "aspiring cheerleaders" who were allowed to do some of the cheers. There was one girl who couldn't have been much past 4 years old. I don't know anything about the Sanderson school district, but the stadium, uniforms, and enthusiasm were all very impressive.
Day 25
It's had to remember the day because the days are starting to run together. We are still in the Chihuahuan Desert, and it all kind of looks the same. The rest stops/towns are few and far between. We made our way into Marathon, TX today, and on Saturday there is a marathon in Marathon (called marathon2Marathon).
We found a bar in Marathon, and it was said to have The Best Margaritas in Texas, so naturally we headed over. There, we met 2 young ladies who were spending the weekend in Marathon to run the half in celebration of one of the ladies 50 birthday. They gave us all sorts of tips for Austin, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in Austin (if only Shauna could bring some of her babies with ;) )
We found a bar in Marathon, and it was said to have The Best Margaritas in Texas, so naturally we headed over. There, we met 2 young ladies who were spending the weekend in Marathon to run the half in celebration of one of the ladies 50 birthday. They gave us all sorts of tips for Austin, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in Austin (if only Shauna could bring some of her babies with ;) )
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Day 24
Rest day! After sleeping in late and having a nice breakfast, I started wandering the streets of Fort Davis. I came across a Broom Shop with a guy, Ron Cox, who makes brooms using the machines and techniques from the 1800's. He was quite talkative and interesting to listen to. About 13 years ago, his wife told him he either needed a hobby or they would get divorced, so he took up broom making. Now he makes between 10,000 and 12,000 brooms a year and works about 50 hours a week. It made me wonder if she's still glad he got a hobby!
Day 23
91 miles with a 2,000 foot climb. The first 40 were on the interstate. It's not bad to ride on the interstates (where it's legal), as the pavement is generally really nice, the shoulders are really wide, and there is a nice rumble strip between you and the traffic. The last 50 miles were actually much worse, despite the fact there was hardly any traffic (we saw no more than 20 cars in the 5+ hours it took us). It was all on a really rough chipseal, and we had 2000+ feet of climbing to do. It was beautiful, and there wasn't any towns, stops, stores, etc., so we had to stock up on food and water. Bob gained about 10 pounds (of water and food) in the town of Kent before we started the stretch.
Day 22
We were supposed to have a 75 mile day, but we cut off about 6 or 7 miles by taking the interstate (instead of the back roads). From what we heard, the back roads we missed were in pretty bad shape, so we were thankful we took the freeway! It was a pretty nice ride, with a 1,000 foot climb, and the rest was mostly flat. I help a pretty good pace, and I can finally put pressure on my knee again. We crossed another boarder patrol on the highway
Monday, October 11, 2010
IMG00226-20101011-1814.jpg
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Day 21
Today was my third day back on my bike, and I'm still really nervous. I need to focus on every pedal stroke because I know one false stroke may mean the end of my trip. With that said, I took all of my things except my tent, so I'm getting closer! It helped a lot that today was completely flat and we had a 5-10 mph tail wind.
We rode pretty close to the Mexican boarder today,
and tonight we are staying in a boarder town. The citizens are all Mexican-American, and the language spoken is Spanish. It doesn't feel like the US that I know, and the town looks like a town in Mexico with the exception of the schools. We're staying at the community church, and it is right by the middle school and high schools, both of which look very nice. I don't know much about the schools in Mexico, but from what I do know I don't think the public schools look as good as these.
We rode pretty close to the Mexican boarder today,
and tonight we are staying in a boarder town. The citizens are all Mexican-American, and the language spoken is Spanish. It doesn't feel like the US that I know, and the town looks like a town in Mexico with the exception of the schools. We're staying at the community church, and it is right by the middle school and high schools, both of which look very nice. I don't know much about the schools in Mexico, but from what I do know I don't think the public schools look as good as these.
Day 20
Second day back on the bike, and I'm still really nervous. My knee didn't hurt too badly today, but it was certainly soar. Only once this afternoon did I have any "bad pain" and I immediately backed off. As we came into El Paso, there were people tailgating for the UT-El Paso football game, and we started chatting with some folks as we rode up a hill. I lost my focus on my cadence and pedal stroke and was quickly reminded that I need to be careful. I did manage to stand up and pedal very briefly today, which is a big improvement from yesterday (knock on wood).
The ride was absolutely beautiful today. We lost about 400 feet over 70-some miles, so it was mostly flat. We rode through the pecan farms.
It would have been a really fun day to hammer out the ride because there were 20 mile stretches on great pavement and no sharp turns. At the same time, it was nice I was forced to slow down and look at the land a little more. At the last stop before El Paso, I finally found a cinnamon roll! It was good, but no where near as good as Big Boys.
We (fortunately) took a wrong turn somewhere and added a few miles, but we were then able to see the "Welcome to Texas" sign.
The last 10 miles into El Paso were rough due to the traffic. We were on a 6-lane road that was packed with cars and no bike lane. Luckily, drivers were decent, with the exception of a few that honked (for no reason).
We found our way to camp, which was a hostel in downtown El Paso. People had said that the city was so bad/dangerous (Melina went out and got a u-lock for her bike), but it wasn't so bad. It seemed just like any other big city, and I think as long as you stay out of the drug scene it's not that bad. The hostel was a hotel from the 1920's, oldest working hotel in El Paso.
The ride was absolutely beautiful today. We lost about 400 feet over 70-some miles, so it was mostly flat. We rode through the pecan farms.
It would have been a really fun day to hammer out the ride because there were 20 mile stretches on great pavement and no sharp turns. At the same time, it was nice I was forced to slow down and look at the land a little more. At the last stop before El Paso, I finally found a cinnamon roll! It was good, but no where near as good as Big Boys.
We (fortunately) took a wrong turn somewhere and added a few miles, but we were then able to see the "Welcome to Texas" sign.
The last 10 miles into El Paso were rough due to the traffic. We were on a 6-lane road that was packed with cars and no bike lane. Luckily, drivers were decent, with the exception of a few that honked (for no reason).
We found our way to camp, which was a hostel in downtown El Paso. People had said that the city was so bad/dangerous (Melina went out and got a u-lock for her bike), but it wasn't so bad. It seemed just like any other big city, and I think as long as you stay out of the drug scene it's not that bad. The hostel was a hotel from the 1920's, oldest working hotel in El Paso.
Day 19
First day back on the bike. I am really nervous. The first 10 miles were downhill, so I didn't pedal at all. Then there was a short uphill, and I had to spin until I couldn't anymore, stop, and then repeat. If I let my cadence drop, it puts more pressure on my knee. So, it seems almost counter-intuitive that when it hurts, I should try to go faster. It also helped that Bob lost a lot of weight. I sent a lot of things back, and people took my tent, mattress pas, and sleeping bad, as well as all of my group great. THANK YOU!! I didn't spend much time looking at the scenery because I was too focused on my knee. The last 2 miles I started to put a little pressure on it (ie I started using it a little), and it seemed to hold up ok.
Day 18
This is my 3rd day without riding, and it's starting to get rough. I must say that if I had to take 3 days off, this was a good time to do it. Chuck drove me up Emory Pass to our next stop, and I know I couldn't have ridden it. THANK YOU CHUCK.
Today we are staying at a really nice bed and breakfast in Kingston, NM.
In the 1880's, Kingston was the biggest city in New Mexico with a population of 8,000 (I think it was Santa Fe that was the second largest with 7,000). People flocked to the city for silver, but after the gold standard was adopted in 1893, everyone left the city. When they left the city, they actually took all of the bricks and foundations of the buildings with them, so the only building left was the bank. Some years ago, a guy bought the building, and he has since turned it into a little museum of Kingston. The population today is 22.
The folks at the BB made us a traditional New Mexican dinner. It consisted of enchilads, tamalis, homney, ect, and was delicious (though really spicy!). I think this was the best meal I've had so far. They also made us breakfast the next morning.
Today we are staying at a really nice bed and breakfast in Kingston, NM.
In the 1880's, Kingston was the biggest city in New Mexico with a population of 8,000 (I think it was Santa Fe that was the second largest with 7,000). People flocked to the city for silver, but after the gold standard was adopted in 1893, everyone left the city. When they left the city, they actually took all of the bricks and foundations of the buildings with them, so the only building left was the bank. Some years ago, a guy bought the building, and he has since turned it into a little museum of Kingston. The population today is 22.
The folks at the BB made us a traditional New Mexican dinner. It consisted of enchilads, tamalis, homney, ect, and was delicious (though really spicy!). I think this was the best meal I've had so far. They also made us breakfast the next morning.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Day ?
Happy Birthday Carissa! Miss you!
Back on my bike. Nice and easy.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Back on my bike. Nice and easy.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Day 17
Today was the group's rest day in Silver City, and my second day in Silver City. About half of the group went to the Gila Cliff Dwellings which is the best preserved part of what the Mogollon people lived in about 700 years ago. I wanted to go, but I needed to go to the bike shop to see if I could get a smaller front chain ring (ie easier granny gear) to east the burden on my knee. Unfortunately, they didn't have what I needed, but I might try to call ahead to El Paso.
I spent some time chatting with Chuck, the one who took me on a tour of Silver City yesterday. He offered to take me to our next town if I couldn't ride, and I think I might have to take him up on the offer. My knee feels better, but if I do another 2,500 foot climb, I'm pretty sure it would ruin my chance of recovery. After I went to both of the local bike shops (neither had what I needed), I went to Kumquats again for lunch. It was so good yesterday that if I went somewhere else I think I'd just be disappointed.
So far, I was feeling pretty good, despite the fact I missed a day of riding. After I returned to camp in the afternoon, I began to realize that I shouldn't ride tomorrow, and I started getting a bit down about it. I spent most of the afternoon updating the blog at a really nice coffee shop called Javalina. Then I went back to camp and asked Chuck if I could take him up on the offer. He said of course, but he still wouldn't take any money even for gas. Earlier we had been chatting and I discovered he liked burbon, so I went to the store to get him a nice bottle. If they won't accept cash, try a gift!
I spent some time chatting with Chuck, the one who took me on a tour of Silver City yesterday. He offered to take me to our next town if I couldn't ride, and I think I might have to take him up on the offer. My knee feels better, but if I do another 2,500 foot climb, I'm pretty sure it would ruin my chance of recovery. After I went to both of the local bike shops (neither had what I needed), I went to Kumquats again for lunch. It was so good yesterday that if I went somewhere else I think I'd just be disappointed.
So far, I was feeling pretty good, despite the fact I missed a day of riding. After I returned to camp in the afternoon, I began to realize that I shouldn't ride tomorrow, and I started getting a bit down about it. I spent most of the afternoon updating the blog at a really nice coffee shop called Javalina. Then I went back to camp and asked Chuck if I could take him up on the offer. He said of course, but he still wouldn't take any money even for gas. Earlier we had been chatting and I discovered he liked burbon, so I went to the store to get him a nice bottle. If they won't accept cash, try a gift!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Day 16
Day 16 (Tuesday, Oct 5)
After getting to bed late, I was woken up at 6am when a local reporter came by camp to interview the Seals.
Marty and Chris (the one that passed us yesterday while we were riding) offered me breakfast, and I hung out in the camper with them for a little while after the Seals left.
As Marty and Chris were taking off, one of the "residents" of the RV park, Chuck (formerly a part of the Marine Corps), came over and was talking to us. After they left, Chuck took me on a great tour of Silver City and the surrounding area. We drove around for probably close to 3 hours while he took me to the Santa Rita Copper mine
and up to the top of Emory Pass (the pass I am supposed to ride after our day off).
He gave me tons of information about the area, and I had a great time! Silver City used to be a mining town, and until about 5 years ago there were 2 live copper mines. At the same time, it became an artsy town as many aspiring artists from the Santa Fe area moved here to sell their work. As the price of copper fell about 5 years ago, one of the mines closed. There is some uncertainity of the future of the town and people wonder how long the town can survive if one of the supporting industires collaspes. In the mean time, there is a growing cycling community and the Tour of the Gila brings people from all over as well as many professional cyclists.
We were both pretty hungry by this time, and he took me to lunch at a little cafe called Kumquats
where I had a delicious sandwich (he wouldn't let me pay). We talked about a little of everything from the area, to work (he's also a former police officer in Peoria, IL), to school, and cycling (he rode the Trans am about 5 years ago), and I really had a nice afternoon.
Once we were back, I began shedding as much weight as possible from my trailer. I went from "comfort" to "minimal", and I sent most of what I got rid of to Eric in case I want him to bring it to me in Austin (he bought a ticket!!!).
After getting to bed late, I was woken up at 6am when a local reporter came by camp to interview the Seals.
Marty and Chris (the one that passed us yesterday while we were riding) offered me breakfast, and I hung out in the camper with them for a little while after the Seals left.
As Marty and Chris were taking off, one of the "residents" of the RV park, Chuck (formerly a part of the Marine Corps), came over and was talking to us. After they left, Chuck took me on a great tour of Silver City and the surrounding area. We drove around for probably close to 3 hours while he took me to the Santa Rita Copper mine
and up to the top of Emory Pass (the pass I am supposed to ride after our day off).
He gave me tons of information about the area, and I had a great time! Silver City used to be a mining town, and until about 5 years ago there were 2 live copper mines. At the same time, it became an artsy town as many aspiring artists from the Santa Fe area moved here to sell their work. As the price of copper fell about 5 years ago, one of the mines closed. There is some uncertainity of the future of the town and people wonder how long the town can survive if one of the supporting industires collaspes. In the mean time, there is a growing cycling community and the Tour of the Gila brings people from all over as well as many professional cyclists.
We were both pretty hungry by this time, and he took me to lunch at a little cafe called Kumquats
where I had a delicious sandwich (he wouldn't let me pay). We talked about a little of everything from the area, to work (he's also a former police officer in Peoria, IL), to school, and cycling (he rode the Trans am about 5 years ago), and I really had a nice afternoon.
Once we were back, I began shedding as much weight as possible from my trailer. I went from "comfort" to "minimal", and I sent most of what I got rid of to Eric in case I want him to bring it to me in Austin (he bought a ticket!!!).
Day 15
Day 15 (Monday, Oct 4)
This was our biggest climb yet (the mountain off in the distance).
The biggest climb of the day (and I believe of the entire trip) was over 2,700 feet. We reached the mountain, and I remember looking at it and seeing what I thought was a road way up at the top. Then I thought to myself that there was no way that was the road we would be on. I was wrong.
The grade was between 4 and 9 percent for about 20 miles. Even without carrying a trailer, I think that would have been pretty rough. The entire was was this chipseal, and like I said before, Bob does not like the chipseal. I went pretty slow, and I was worried at times about what this was doing to my knees.
Soon enough, I got to the top, and there were some of the most spectacular views.
It was finally cold on top!
We stopped to take out our jackets and eat our sandwhiches before we started to decent. It was on the decent that I began feeling some pain in my right knee. At first, I mentioned it to Melina, and she offered to take my group gear. I didn't think it would make that much of a difference, so I kept it all. After a few miles of decent, we had 2 more 500+ foot climbs. As we started up the first one, the pain in my knee was worsening, and Frosty caught up to us. It kep getting worse (although I was mostly peddleing with my right leg), and I had to stop a couple of times. There was nothing for 20 more miles, so I knew I just had to try to do whatever I could to get into camp. Frosty and Melina kept trying to take my gear, but I wasn't sure it would really help. Finally, I remember the pain being so bad that I had to stop in the middle of a climb, and as Frosty came up by me there were some tears of pain running down my face. Now the brothers caught up as well, and all of them took the majority of my things to try to lessen the burdon on my knee.
We were almost in town when (gorgeous) younger guy flew by us on what looked like a pretty nice road bike. Given the road was chipsealed, I thought it was a strange place for someone to be training. Later, we saw 5 more guys on nice road bikes, and it turns out they are Navy Seals doing a supported fundraising ride for family of Seals who passed away. Here is a link if you want to donate: http://sealsbikeamerica.com/ or you can text Seal to 90999 to donate $10.
Anyway, THANK YOU FROSTY, MELINA, MARK, AND JOHN for helping me with my gear. They all rode easy into camp with me, and I did a lot of single leg drills... We stopped at the (only) store in town, and Frosty finally found his cowgirl
I knew that I couldn't ride tomorrow. I asked to clerk if she knew of anyone that would drive me into Silver City the next day. She made some calls, and it turned out her son-in-law, Sean, had to make a trip in the same day. I called the campground, and they told me it would be fine if I set up a day early.
Sean picked me up at 5 with his 10-year old son, Riley, and they drove me to camp. We chatted into town, and he told me that they owned to store, and he supplemented his business with his own e-bay business. The county fair was last weekend, and Riley told me that his chicken got 2nd place in the best in show of chickens. Congrats! Sean wouldn't take any money for the ride, so I gave it to Riley and told him to have fun.
I got into camp, and the owner told me I could pitch my tent by by some Navy Seals that were traveling across the US. I rode over with my little Bob trailer and just laughed when I saw their luxury motor home that was pulling their 12-foot trailer.
At this point I was asking myself why I thought doing a self-supported tour was such a good idea. I soon learned that the guy who passed us earlier is part of the crew for the Navy Seal fundraiser, and the support was privided by Marty Jemison and Marty Jemison Cycling Tours. As I began setting up my little backpacking tent, Marty began setting up one of their 8-person tents (where only 2 people would be sleeping). He looked over at my little tent, chuckled, and said "oh, how cute."
They graciously invited me into their camper for a pasta dinner. They kept telling me that this was a "boring dinner" for the gang, but it was definitely a step (or two) up from what we've been cooking for the past couple of weeks! They 'put the Seals to bed' because they had a 100+ mile ride the next day, including Emory Pass, and we enjoyed some beverages and shared stories until 1am. I was pretty disappointed about not being able to ride tomorrow, but this certainly helped ease the pain a bit.
This was our biggest climb yet (the mountain off in the distance).
The grade was between 4 and 9 percent for about 20 miles. Even without carrying a trailer, I think that would have been pretty rough. The entire was was this chipseal, and like I said before, Bob does not like the chipseal. I went pretty slow, and I was worried at times about what this was doing to my knees.
Soon enough, I got to the top, and there were some of the most spectacular views.
It was finally cold on top!
We stopped to take out our jackets and eat our sandwhiches before we started to decent. It was on the decent that I began feeling some pain in my right knee. At first, I mentioned it to Melina, and she offered to take my group gear. I didn't think it would make that much of a difference, so I kept it all. After a few miles of decent, we had 2 more 500+ foot climbs. As we started up the first one, the pain in my knee was worsening, and Frosty caught up to us. It kep getting worse (although I was mostly peddleing with my right leg), and I had to stop a couple of times. There was nothing for 20 more miles, so I knew I just had to try to do whatever I could to get into camp. Frosty and Melina kept trying to take my gear, but I wasn't sure it would really help. Finally, I remember the pain being so bad that I had to stop in the middle of a climb, and as Frosty came up by me there were some tears of pain running down my face. Now the brothers caught up as well, and all of them took the majority of my things to try to lessen the burdon on my knee.
We were almost in town when (gorgeous) younger guy flew by us on what looked like a pretty nice road bike. Given the road was chipsealed, I thought it was a strange place for someone to be training. Later, we saw 5 more guys on nice road bikes, and it turns out they are Navy Seals doing a supported fundraising ride for family of Seals who passed away. Here is a link if you want to donate: http://sealsbikeamerica.com/ or you can text Seal to 90999 to donate $10.
Anyway, THANK YOU FROSTY, MELINA, MARK, AND JOHN for helping me with my gear. They all rode easy into camp with me, and I did a lot of single leg drills... We stopped at the (only) store in town, and Frosty finally found his cowgirl
I knew that I couldn't ride tomorrow. I asked to clerk if she knew of anyone that would drive me into Silver City the next day. She made some calls, and it turned out her son-in-law, Sean, had to make a trip in the same day. I called the campground, and they told me it would be fine if I set up a day early.
Sean picked me up at 5 with his 10-year old son, Riley, and they drove me to camp. We chatted into town, and he told me that they owned to store, and he supplemented his business with his own e-bay business. The county fair was last weekend, and Riley told me that his chicken got 2nd place in the best in show of chickens. Congrats! Sean wouldn't take any money for the ride, so I gave it to Riley and told him to have fun.
I got into camp, and the owner told me I could pitch my tent by by some Navy Seals that were traveling across the US. I rode over with my little Bob trailer and just laughed when I saw their luxury motor home that was pulling their 12-foot trailer.
At this point I was asking myself why I thought doing a self-supported tour was such a good idea. I soon learned that the guy who passed us earlier is part of the crew for the Navy Seal fundraiser, and the support was privided by Marty Jemison and Marty Jemison Cycling Tours. As I began setting up my little backpacking tent, Marty began setting up one of their 8-person tents (where only 2 people would be sleeping). He looked over at my little tent, chuckled, and said "oh, how cute."
They graciously invited me into their camper for a pasta dinner. They kept telling me that this was a "boring dinner" for the gang, but it was definitely a step (or two) up from what we've been cooking for the past couple of weeks! They 'put the Seals to bed' because they had a 100+ mile ride the next day, including Emory Pass, and we enjoyed some beverages and shared stories until 1am. I was pretty disappointed about not being able to ride tomorrow, but this certainly helped ease the pain a bit.
Day 14
Today we rode about 40 miles and started on a big climb. From what I remember, it was gradual, but it was really tough. About 15 miles into it, I got my first flat. There are these little things called goatheads that have thorns strong enough to puncture kevlar tires, and I think one of those got me. We stopped and fixed it, had a bite to eat and then started out climb.
There were no stops along the entire ride today. The scenery was beautiful, but I was constantly trying to ration my 4 water bottles. Much of the road was chipseal again, and Bob (my trailer) does not like chipseal very much. About half way up the climb, I was losing strength, and I rememberd I had a box of shortbread cookies that I started eating. They saved the day! I got a lot of my strength back and made it comfortably up the rest of the climb.
We finally reached the town of Three-Way, and we stopped at the little market. I was feeling okay, but I was really dehydrated. I ran in, bought a big bottle of gatorade, went outside and chugged the entire thing. I felt much better, and went in to grab some food which I finished in a matter on minutes.
We rode to camp, which was 2 miles off the route. I never like staying off the route because I know it just adds to the total miles. We got to camp, and it was the pretty run-down rv-park. It didn't turn out to be too bad, and the location was beautiful. We were in a valley between mountain ranges, and there was hardly roads or people. At night, it was completely silent (minus all the insects), and you could see every star in the sky.
As we were setting up camp, this older man came over and started chatting with us. I'm still not sure what his affiliation with the rv park was, but I don't think he was the owner. Anyhow, he started to talk about the land and told us he has just killed a bear! If you know me, you know that 1 of my irrational fears is of bears. I (naively) didn't think there were any bears in the south! He showed us the hide (which I was afraid to touch)
and then offered us some bear meat. Of course I wasn't going to turn that down, so he brought us some *fresh bear steaks. I cooked them up for dinner, and we all sampled bear meat. Now I'm afraid that Yogi's mom is going to hunt me down...
There were no stops along the entire ride today. The scenery was beautiful, but I was constantly trying to ration my 4 water bottles. Much of the road was chipseal again, and Bob (my trailer) does not like chipseal very much. About half way up the climb, I was losing strength, and I rememberd I had a box of shortbread cookies that I started eating. They saved the day! I got a lot of my strength back and made it comfortably up the rest of the climb.
We finally reached the town of Three-Way, and we stopped at the little market. I was feeling okay, but I was really dehydrated. I ran in, bought a big bottle of gatorade, went outside and chugged the entire thing. I felt much better, and went in to grab some food which I finished in a matter on minutes.
We rode to camp, which was 2 miles off the route. I never like staying off the route because I know it just adds to the total miles. We got to camp, and it was the pretty run-down rv-park. It didn't turn out to be too bad, and the location was beautiful. We were in a valley between mountain ranges, and there was hardly roads or people. At night, it was completely silent (minus all the insects), and you could see every star in the sky.
As we were setting up camp, this older man came over and started chatting with us. I'm still not sure what his affiliation with the rv park was, but I don't think he was the owner. Anyhow, he started to talk about the land and told us he has just killed a bear! If you know me, you know that 1 of my irrational fears is of bears. I (naively) didn't think there were any bears in the south! He showed us the hide (which I was afraid to touch)
and then offered us some bear meat. Of course I wasn't going to turn that down, so he brought us some *fresh bear steaks. I cooked them up for dinner, and we all sampled bear meat. Now I'm afraid that Yogi's mom is going to hunt me down...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
IMG00167-20101003-1856.jpg
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
Day 13
Today is a little more of what I would imagine or hope for days on this trip to be, and I BEAT YOUNG MARK TO CAMP. I got a taste of many things today from the revenge of Geranimo on our group to meeting my very own (in my dreams) cowboy at the local ice cream shop.
We started out early, and took quite the detour through town as our warmup. I was slightly frusterated, mostly at myself for not going the route I was going to go (which would have saved a few miles). After we finally got on the route I was feeling good for once. I pushed the pace a little, and I felt great. There are more trees now, and I remember coming to a big valley of trees! I've never been so happy to see the green in place of the brown desert.
We soon rode through the Apache Indian Reservation, and it seemed kind of run-down. There was significantly more liter on the highway there than anywhere else. I was wondering why. Does the government not clean these areas of the highway? Do the people in the reservation litter more? Do people passing by litter more in reservations?
We stopped at the conveneince store on the reservation, and everyone we talked to there was very friendly. A couple of the guys seemed like they may have already been drinking, and it was only about 10am. We also met a girl biking the same route as us, and we chatted with her for awhile. One thing that really caught my attention was that she was smoking cigarettes! Biking coast to coast and smoking? It seemed like an oxymoron to me.
Feeling good, we soon came to the town of Geronimo, where we took pictures by the sign mocking him.
About 100 feet after we had stopped, one of the guys got a flat. After fixing it, a different guy found a scorpion in his pannier. We decided that Geronimo's spirit lives on, and about 2 miles later, another guy got a flat.
With about 5 miles to camp, we found a local ice cream joint that has been there since 1968. I ate a chocolate shake and some onion rings (I can't remember the last time I ate those was, but they looked so good!). This is where I met my cowboy (Eric - don't read the next part).
I had just ordered, and in walks this tall, lean gorgeous young man in his cowboy hat and boots with one of the biggest belt buckles I've seen. On the buckle it said "Black Bills Champion", and I thought to myself 'I like successful men'. He inquired about what we were doing, and I tried to make some small talk with him. He lived on a cattle ranch near by and owned a bunch of horses to keep his cattle in line. I was still to awestruck to ask him to take me horseback riding (one of my goals for the trip). He ordered his slushie, and we parted ways. . . . Frosty continues to make fun of me for this, but I think he was just jealous he didn't meet a cowgirl for himself.
We started out early, and took quite the detour through town as our warmup. I was slightly frusterated, mostly at myself for not going the route I was going to go (which would have saved a few miles). After we finally got on the route I was feeling good for once. I pushed the pace a little, and I felt great. There are more trees now, and I remember coming to a big valley of trees! I've never been so happy to see the green in place of the brown desert.
We soon rode through the Apache Indian Reservation, and it seemed kind of run-down. There was significantly more liter on the highway there than anywhere else. I was wondering why. Does the government not clean these areas of the highway? Do the people in the reservation litter more? Do people passing by litter more in reservations?
We stopped at the conveneince store on the reservation, and everyone we talked to there was very friendly. A couple of the guys seemed like they may have already been drinking, and it was only about 10am. We also met a girl biking the same route as us, and we chatted with her for awhile. One thing that really caught my attention was that she was smoking cigarettes! Biking coast to coast and smoking? It seemed like an oxymoron to me.
Feeling good, we soon came to the town of Geronimo, where we took pictures by the sign mocking him.
About 100 feet after we had stopped, one of the guys got a flat. After fixing it, a different guy found a scorpion in his pannier. We decided that Geronimo's spirit lives on, and about 2 miles later, another guy got a flat.
I had just ordered, and in walks this tall, lean gorgeous young man in his cowboy hat and boots with one of the biggest belt buckles I've seen. On the buckle it said "Black Bills Champion", and I thought to myself 'I like successful men'. He inquired about what we were doing, and I tried to make some small talk with him. He lived on a cattle ranch near by and owned a bunch of horses to keep his cattle in line. I was still to awestruck to ask him to take me horseback riding (one of my goals for the trip). He ordered his slushie, and we parted ways. . . . Frosty continues to make fun of me for this, but I think he was just jealous he didn't meet a cowgirl for himself.
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