GDMBR Day 19
Start: Abiquiu, NM
Finish: Abiquiu, NM
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 639.5 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today is another rest day while I wait out the snowstorm. I will need about four days worth of food for the next leg of my trip. I did some shopping at the mercantile, handwashed all of my clothes and hung them to dry, and caught up on the last couple of weeks of Saturday Night Live. Overall, a restful and relaxing day.
GDMBR Day 18
Start: Abiquiu, NM
Finish: Abiquiu, NM
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 639.5 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
This town has what I would describe as a mercantile. It is a gas station, grocery, diner, gift shop, tackle shop, and hardware store all wrapped into one. It is a pretty busy place and seems to be the local hang out. While I was grabbing lunch, I ran into two familiar cyclists and two new cyclists. The Europeans, Simon and Max, arrived with a few trail stories. Max told me that he is traveling with a digital SLR camera and three lenses. He is a professional photographer. The new-to-me Canadians appeared to be well prepared and well outfitted. Unfortunately one of them broke a rear rack descending the mountain on that rocky road I described yesterday. We all pulled out our maps and tried to do some route planning given the snowstorm passing on our route just north of us.
We have identified a couple of bail out points going around the high mountain passes but that means riding paved state highways and missing some of the beautiful sections of the trail. I am not too excited about that. My plan is to take a couple of days off in Abiquiu and wait for the bad weather to pass and then ride up the trail and reassess along the way in hopes that perhaps the trail is passable. I am not optimistic, however. Although snow is the main problem, I’m told that there is some of that yummy, sticky “peanut butter” mud in my future.
The Georgia O’Keeffe Welcome Center is a fantastic stop for an introduction to her life and art. Robin introduced me to her work when we got married. He flower paintings feed the soul.
GDMBR Day 17
Start: Informal roadside campsite
Finish: Abiquiu, NM
Miles: 53.9 miles
Odometer: 639.5 miles
Ascent: 4,200 ft
Descent: 6,800 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I love running into other bikepackers. Although bicycle touring on roads has been going on for a very long time, doing the same thing up in the mountains is relatively new. Certainly the bikes and packs that are geared for this specific purpose are new. I ran into Dan and Sarah from Albuquerque who were up in the mountains on their bikes packing for the weekend. We shared a few stories and talked gear, and then they gave me some insight into what the trail is like ahead of me. They think it’s going to be a challenge with snow as I get closer to Colorado.
On my way down the mountain towards a Abiquiu, NM (home of artist Georgia O'Keeffe), I expected to find plenty of water for camping and dinner. To my surprise, unlike the other side of the mountain, there was very little water until I got 14 miles from town. So rather than stopping I pushed on to Abiquiu as the sun was going down. I worried about getting a motel because many of the small town motels are unstaffed at night. Since I had no cell service, I sent a satellite message to Robin and she wang-jangled up an Airbnb and that’s were I landed: sleeping on the couch in an artist’s studio. On my way over to the AirBnB I picked up the last two remaining cheeseburgers under the heat lamp at the local gas station. I was starving and they went down fast.
Lowlights:
The descent from the mountain was horrendous. The road was just a long path of boulders and sand. The whole experience took a greater toll on my body then climbing up the mountain. My bike handled it well but I think I knocked a couple of fillings loose.
I am currently listening to the book entitled “The Greatest Story Ever Sold” by former New York Times op-ed writer Frank Rich. This book is about how the Bush administration sold the Iraq war to the American public despite the absence of any hard evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The spin doctorin’ and manipulation was first class. What is particularly distressing is the parallels to our current political environment. Listening to the book made me a depressed.
Observations:
I cycled well above 10,000 feet for a good portion of the day. There is snow on the ground but it is melting fast.
GDMBR Day 16
Start: Cuba, NM
Finish: Informal roadside campsite
Miles: 27.3 miles
Odometer: 585.6 miles
Ascent: 4,500 feet
Descent: 2,700 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was a pretty big climb out of Cuba into the Santa Fe National Forest. In the past few years I have spent a fair amount of time in many different national forests, and the Santa Fe National Forest is one of the most beautiful and healthy. Riding through firs, Pondarosa pines, and aspen groves taught me to slow down and relax, breathe deeply, and take it all in. No need to rush through all this beauty. Since the start of this trip there’s always been a fear of water scarcity; however, the creeks and streams were overflowing and running fast. I found a beautiful wind-protected campsite and was getting ready to prepare my dinner when a couple of bikepackers, Janie and Jimmy, came riding by and stopped. It turns out that they will be competing in the Great Divide Race starting next month up in Banff, Canada. This endurance race is for hard-core, tough-as-nails athletes. It is completely self-supported and many of the cyclists ride through the night. The race ends at the Mexican border. In fact, they race the same trail that I’m leisurely riding except in the opposite direction. I am looking forward to crossing the racers paths in the second or third week of June. In the case of Janie and Jimmy, they were on a training ride testing out their gear, their bikes, and their legs. They gave me some addaboys too which made me feel pretty darn good.
GDMBR Day 15
Start: Cuba, NM
Finish: Cuba, NM
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 558.3 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today is a day of rest, repair, and resupply. My bike continues to creak and it’s driving me a little crazy. It does not affect forward propulsion but plays on my psyche after many miles of pedaling. I spent the day tightening down nuts and bolts, cleaning my chainring and chain and drivetrain, and making further inspections. I even called my home bike shop for some advice. Three teeth on my chainring are broken off and that might be the cause. I’ll need to replace that at some point.
The mosquito mesh on my tent is ripped, frayed, and repaired with tape. While mosquitoes haven’t been a problem thus far, I need a new one.
My water filter is running very slowly despite recent backflushing. I need to replace this as well.
A few months ago I purchased a cycling specific rain jacket and as it turns out it’s probably more water resistant then waterproof. I wore it in the shower for some testing and there’s definitely moisture coming through. I purchased a back up plastic poncho from Dollar General but I wouldn’t mind having my REI rain jacket from home right now.
So today I spent some time figuring out how to ship this gear up the trail to Del Norte, CO 260 miles up the trail. Thanks to Robin for the assist on this.
This morning I ate breakfast at the Cuban Cafe with the jukebox playing Stevie Ray Vaughan. That’s cool.
Lowlights:
Today I resupplied food for the next stint in the backcountry. Back home I drink a kale, spinach, and blueberry smoothie almost every morning. Other ingredients include flaxseed, matcha green tea, walnuts, hemp seed, ginger powder, magnesium, and collagen. I eat pretty healthy. I tell you this to set the stage for my fall from health food grace that is the small town grocery shopping resupply experience. There are very limited healthy light weight options that are easily packed on the bicycle. So the foundation of my calories will be obtained from rehydrated mashed potatoes and refried beans. Breakfast is a little better: oatmeal, pecans, coconut milk powder, dried cranberries, and dried blueberries. The rest of the day I will be eating protein bars and trail mix. The good news is that this diet will certainly limit my bathroom breaks.
By the way, if you’ve been following along you’ve read about fellow cyclists Max and Simon from Europe. I ran into Simon this afternoon and he was looking for a replacement front tire. His side wall was shredded and being held together by duct tape. It looks like he may have to hitchhike to Albuquerque to get a replacement. Dang!
GDMBR Day 14
Start: Informal Campground #25
Finish: Frontier Motel, Cuba, NM
Miles: 46 miles
Odometer: 558.3 miles
Ascent: 2,200 ft
Descent: 1,700 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
It’s easy see how under the wrong conditions this could be a difficult route. Fortunately for me, last week’s rain and then the sun seems to have baked the roads and given me a hard surface to ride on. There were some sandy spots that I could see being trouble in drier conditions. I could also see that the roads could be very difficult after a hard rain. The truck ruts were still evident from the previous week’s rain. Overall, this is a very nice route under ideal conditions.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the tableside guacamole, beef fajitas, and margaritas from El Bruno’s in Cuba.
During the first 30 miles of this ride I saw a grand total of three trucks pass me. And then up ahead I saw a small Subaru stopped on the side of the dirt road and the driver was waving me down. Inside the car was an elderly man and woman. The woman was driving. She asked me if I knew directions to the Hopi Reservation. I told her that I did not but that I would search it on Google maps. As I am in putting the information into my iPhone, she comments that she doesn’t believe in smart phones and GPS. Meanwhile, the gentleman in the passenger seat has two maps on his lap and he’s fumbling with them. I looked down at my search results and said, “Google says the Hopi Reservation is in Arizona.” She acknowledges, “I know.” I replied, “We are a long ways from Arizona, but first you’ll have to turn your car around…” (And then I gave her some directions back to civilization). Before she left she explained that the two of them had just met and were heading to Arizona for a raft trip down the Grand Canyon. You can’t make this stuff up. I hope they make it.
Observations:
I was riding along imagining the past three days under hot and drought conditions with a strong headwind and a mechanical breakdown without the protection of shade. Things could get bad fast.
GDMBR Day 13
Start: San Mateo Springs, Cibolla NF
Finish: Informal Campsite #25
Miles: 57.1 miles
Odometer: 512.3 miles
Ascent: 2,300 ft
Descent: 4,800 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I had ideal conditions riding through the desert because the road had dried out from all the rain, the temperatures were fairly mild, there was no strong headwind, and there was still some water available to filter in ditches if I needed it. However, I can see how this would be an extremely difficult ride even later in the month and certainly in the summer. The views of mesas, mountains, and rock formations were outstanding so I stopped and took a lot of pictures. I even came across desert flowers and a couple of snakes. I left San Mateo Springs with 6 ½ L of water. My plan was to filter local water sources near my campsite destination. And if water was unavailable, I planned to rest for a couple hours in the shade and push on to Cuba, NM under the cover and coolness of dark. However, a CDT trail angel supplied me with tons of fresh water and two iced orange sodas near my campsite destination, so I camped for the night. The trail provides.
Lowlights:
I am using a GPS route for my primary navigation and a paper map as a back up. Using the excellent application GaiaGPS, I can run my iPhone in airplane mode to conserve energy and still track my progress. To conserve still more energy, I turn the display off while I’m riding and turn it on at intersections so that I don’t miss a turn. It is not full proof. For instance, today I rode past my turn and had to turn around costing me about 5 miles. Not happy.
Observations:
Local ranchers cannot fathom why anyone would want to ride their bicycle on rough dirt roads through the desert. I came across a rancher in his pick up truck and we stopped to visit for a second. When I told him I was riding 70 miles across the desert to Cuba, NM, he thought I was nuts. He just kept shaking his head. For a second I wondered whether he was right.
GDMBR Day 12
Start: Grants, NM
Finish: San Mateo Springs, Cibolla National Forest
Miles: 23.7 miles
Odometer: 455.1 miles
Ascent: 3,300 ft
Descent: 800 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was all climb all the time up to San Mateo Springs in the Cibola National Forest (24 miles of mostly climbing). I stopped at the ranger station on the way out of Grants to find out more information about water sources. Most GDMBR riders take the alternate paved route to Cuba, NM rather than heading up and over the mountains and down through the desert because of the typical absence of water during the summer. I had decided that if I found water at San Mateo Springs, that I would camp, load up with water, and push across the desert to Cuba. However, if there was no water at San Mateo Springs I would turn around and ride back down the mountain to Grants and take the alternate route. Fortunately I found water and an ideal camping spot. The spring and the creek are a little tricky to find requiring a hike up the hill. If you’ve never had ice cold mountain spring water, you are missing out.
I camped in a grove of aspen trees and fell asleep listening to the rustling of the leaves in the wind.
Lowlights:
My previously soft, supple baby hands were born and nurtured in the humidity of south Louisiana. They have never quite gotten used to the dry weather out West. These adventures take a toll on my hands. The skin on my hands cracks all over the place. I am not a fan of lotion and moisturizing, however the severity has forced my hand (pun intended) on the issue. Wish me luck.
Observations:
While I am no scientist I do believe there is a correlation between roadside trash and bullet holes in traffic signs. I don’t blame guns for the trash. Guns don’t trash roads, people do. I fucking hate litterers.
GDMBR Day 11
Start: High Country Alpaca Ranch, Techada, NM
Finish: Sands Motel, Grants, NM
Miles: 67.9 miles
Odometer: 431.3 miles
Ascent: 1,880 ft
Descent: 2,900 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was all about the scenery, easy riding, and rolling terrain with an overall descending profile into Grants, NM. My spirits love an occasional easy day of riding. I passed loads of deer and chipmunks and a beautiful natural arch called La Ventana Arch.
In Grants I found a Chinese massage parlor and a steakhouse across the street from each other. The non-English-speaking massage therapist climbed up on the table to drive her elbow into my aching neck and shoulders, and I left with so much more neck mobility and less pain. My first few weeks of long-distance cycling always results in a breaking in period for my neck and shoulders. The steak dinner was better than Ruth’s Chris for half the price. Hard to beat.
Grants is on Route 66. I checked into one of those old motor lodge motels called The Sands, partly for an historical perspective but mostly because it was cheap. A young couple owns the place now and values customer experience. I like the idea of young entrepreneurs taking something old and freshening it up.
GDMBR Day 10
Start: Toaster House, Pie Town, NM
Finish: High Country Alpaca Ranch, Techado, NM
Miles: 44.3 miles
Odometer: 363.4 miles
Ascent: 2,400
Descent: 2,600
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
About 20 miles into this morning’s ride I came into the town of Quemado, NM in search of a little diner for breakfast. Just as I was riding up I saw three hikers headed to the same diner and recognized them from the Toaster House hostel the day prior. Because of their positive and jokester attitudes, they are somewhat legendary on the trail. I heard they were very funny and breakfast conversation was a riot. The grew up together in Nova Scotia, joined the Canadian military and are now out, and launched their CDT thru-hike. We talked about my L'Acadie roots. One was hiking in sandals when they fell apart some miles back. Another’s trail shoes were torn and had rips on the sides. They were hanging out in this little town waiting for replacement footwear to arrive at the post office. All three left jobs to begin this hike, and it was interesting to hear about their future dreams and plans.
Because of the “peanut butter” mud north of Pie Town, I took an alternate route on pavement that took me to the High Country Alpaca Ranch in Techado, NM. Rain was expected this afternoon so I was hoping to get there dry. Arriving at the ranch I was greeted by the terrific owners, Caroline and John. After paying for a spot in the bunkhouse, they gave me some of their farm fresh eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast. Very cool. I laundered my clothes for the first time in several days. Ahhh…clean clothes!
George Harrison, the ranch dog host, kept me company during my stay.
Lowlights:
Don’t you know I left my bike lock back at the hostel. For those who are counting, that’s my second lock.
For most of the ride up to the alpaca ranch, my bike was grinding and creaking from my drivetrain. These little noises drive me crazy and the question in my head while riding is: should I pull over and try to do some roadside maintenance or ride to the destinations and take care of things under “controlled” conditions. I decided to take care of it when I got to the ranch. It turned out to be a chain tension issue.
Observations:
Zippers can make or break a man. Bike packers zip and unzip all day long. If your hands are cold and numb, or in my case I get a little numbness in my fingers from road vibration, the hardship of zippering is magnified 100 fold. The bags, jackets, and tents with bad zippers drive me nuts.
GDMBR Day 09
Start: Toaster Hostel, Pie Town, NM
Finish: Toaster Hostel, Pie Town, NM
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 319.1 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today I took a “zero” day at the hostel to rest, relax, and get my bike back in order. The hostel crowd completely cleared out because of the good weather, and seven other hikers and cyclists trickled in during the day to replace them, including Simon and Max who I’ve met two days before. The convivial atmosphere and trail stories made for some happy times.
I went back to the Gathering Place for lunch and sat at a family style table with two other couples, one to my left and one to my right. The gentleman to my left was born and raised in Morgan City, LA and the woman to my right was wearing a brewery hat from Arnaudville, LA. What a coincidence! I ordered the New Mexico state pie made with apples, green chilies, and pinenuts. It was delicious, sweet and spicy. I took a pie back to the hostel.
Back at the hostel, the gang sat around the kitchen table all afternoon as we all put our respective leftover pies on the table and shared with each other. I was able to taste a number of different pies from different local pie makers.
Lowlights:
The crusted dried mud packed into all of the little bits of my bike and was extremely difficult to remove. Simple hosing did not work. I had to take apart my brakes and clean the them by hand. The task took me over two hours. Fortunately the hostel has a very nice bike stand that was donated by the family of a young Great Divide racer that came through town in 2013. He later developed cancer and died and the family donated the bike stand and tools in his honor. Not only did the bike stand make my job a lot easier, the story of the young man reminded me of why I go through a few hardships in life in order to feel like I’m living it fully.
GDMBR Day 08
Start: Informal trail side campsite
Finish: Toaster House Hostel, Pie Town, NM
Miles: 65.7 miles
Odometer: 319.1 miles
Ascent: 3,600 ft
Descent: 3,200 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today I was a little concerned that I might be short on water because of the long exposed ride and I was trying to push mileage to get to Pie Town. To my surprise and joy I noticed a sign in front of a ranch house welcoming GDMBR cyclists to partake in a roadside cache that contained water and snacks. This came at the perfect time because I was just about to run out drinking water. The trail provides.
Lowlights:
Today was one of the hardest physical challenges of my life. It was harder than my Kiawah Island marathon where I crashed at mile 21 and my legs cramped up so bad I couldn’t hardly walk to the finish. It was harder than my Mardi Gras marathon in New Orleans where both of my feet blistered so bad that the blood soaked my socks. It was harder than the time I pushed my bike and my gear three hours up Bunchgrass Ridge in the mountains of Oregon. In case I have not made my point: Today was hard! It rained all day and was very cold. About 15 miles before I reached Pie Town, New Mexico I hit what the locals call “peanut butter” mud which is very sticky and extremely difficult to ride in because it sticks to your wheels and gums up everything to the point where your wheels won’t turn. Going up the hill is nearly impossible and you have to dismount and push the bike. My flat pedal shoes would not gain purchase and I just kept slipsliding while pushing. It began to sleet and I got a flat tire. I would push the bike a few feet and then take a minute break and then push a few more feet. All the while I was getting colder and started to shiver. There was really no place to stop. Exhausted and dazed, I finally arrived in Pie Town around 6:30 PM and road to a local diner, called The Gathering Place. The door was locked but there was someone inside cleaning up. Pam, the manager, came to the door and asked if there was anything I needed. I told her that I was looking to warm up before finding a camp spot. She invited me in and set me up next to the heater to warm up, made me a bowl of chili and cornbread, brought me a cup of coffee, and told me about the local hostel for hikers and cyclist called the Toaster House. Thank goodness for Pam. As I was leaving, my hands were so cold and numb I couldn’t zip up my jacket; Pam even helped me with that saying “I have kids. I can do that.”
I rode on down to the Toaster House and knocked on the door. One of the CDT hikers welcomed me in, showed me around, and fixed me a huge bowl of hot spaghetti. Twenty hikers and four cyclists slept in the hostel that evening. People were in their sleeping bags all over the floor and in every nook and cranny. I slept partway under a desk, and was glad to be out of the bad weather, fed, and among kindred spirits.
GDMBR Day 07
This is my first internet access in days and it won’t let me post photos. I’ll post those when I make it to civilization.
Start: Lower Black Canyon Campground
Finish: Informal trail side campground
Miles: 62.3 miles
Odometer: 253.4 miles
Ascent: 4,800 ft
Descent: 4,400 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Riding through the Gila National Forest has been a real treat. I stopped at the Beaverhead Ranger Station for water and lunch. I was setting up at the picnic table just outside the ranger station when a wildland firefighter came out for a visit. He gave me a brief tour, an insider’s look into wildland firefighting, and the local lore on the Apache warrior, Geronimo. Right now they’re gearing up for wildfire season. I was about to head out when he walked up with a frozen bottle of Gatorade. He said just wait a little while and this will turn to slush. I sure did enjoy that slushy Gatorade. What a nice fella!
I ran into my first two fellow GDMBR cyclists. Max (from Belgium) and Simon (France) rode up with music blaring out of a rather large music player attached to the back rack of Max’s bike. They had loads of gear and said they were just taking it easy and riding slowly. Even though I like riding alone, it’s nice knowing other riders are on the trail with the same goal in mind.
I was riding down a dirt road through a beautiful little valley with canyon walls on both sides. The green pasture was cut by a creek lined with lovely trees. I am riding in the zone sucking in the fresh air when I see a four wheeler heading my way followed by a pack of hound dogs. I stopped to talk to the couple in the four wheeler when the gentleman says, “Where are you headed?” I said, “I’m going to Canada.” He said, “This road goes to our house. You missed the turn back there.” I said, “Well, if I have to be lost, this is a beautiful place to be lost.” We talked a little while about my travels and I asked them about those hound dogs running around everywhere.“ He said, "Oh, they keep the bears and lions away. There are bears and mountain lions all over this area.” They topped off my water, I turned around and found the missed turn. About 30 minutes later, I saw a black bear and he saw me. He ran straight up a steep hill. I gave him the side eye as I passed. As an aside, I saw a mountain lion from afar last September when I was riding the Oregon Timber Trail and I sure don’t want to run into one again.
Lowlights:
None
Observations:
There sure are a lot of fences around. Some of the fences keep things out and some of the fences keep things in. I’m not so sure we need all those fences. And attached to the fence is a sign that says “Posted. No Trespassing”. And what the heck does the word “posted” have to do with anything? It’s easier just to say “No Trespassing”. Why do they even need to tell me not to trespass, especially when the fence is barbed? Any old fool knows not to go over a barbed wire fence.
GDMBR Day 06
This is my first internet access in days and it won’t let me post photos. I’ll post those when I make it to civilization.
Start: Silver City, NM
Finish: Lower Black Canyon Campground
Miles: 61.7 miles
Odometer: 191.1 miles
Ascent: 7,700 ft
Descent: 6,700 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I had spectacular cool, sunny weather cycling out of Silver City. I wasn’t sure how my legs would perform with over 7,000 ft of climbing ahead, a fully loaded bicycle, and four days worth of food. I set a goal to ride 30 miles to Lake Roberts and if I felt really spry I would try to make the next campground at the 45 mile mark. I ended up cycling over 60 miles and felt pretty strong. That’s a confidence builder.
Just as I was pulling into the rustic campground I could feel the air temperature start to drop and the rain sprinkles fall from the sky. I found a great private campsite next to a creek at the end of a short dirt road and quickly set up my tent, and just as I was throwing all of my gear into the tent, the skies opened and the rain came pouring down. Perfect timing! I love when things work out. After cooking dinner inside the vestibule, I curled up in my sleeping bag listening to the pitter patter and quickly fell asleep after a long day.
Lowlights:
Back in 2015 I was cycling down the Pacific Coast Highway from Vancouver to Mexico and I left behind my really nice padded cycling gloves on a lunch break. Ever since then I have been paying the “stupid tax” and buying cheap Ace Hardware work gloves. Interestingly, they are touch sensitive with my iPhone and I like telling other bikers that I’m sponsored by Ace. And here’s the lowlight: When I was planning for the GDMBR trip I went ahead and purchased some really nice padded cycling gloves, and don’t you know it I left them at my lunch spot today. I noticed their absence only about 2 miles down the road but it was after a long steep descent. Ugh! I turned around, climbed back up the hill, and retrieved my gloves. Some of the words that were coming out of my mouth are not fit for publishing.
Observations:
Why am I leaving things behind on my breaks (tarp and gloves)? What’s next?
GDMBR Day 05
Start: Silver City, NM
Finish: Silver City, NM
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 129.4 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Today I focused on bike repairs and food planning. How many days to cover 180 miles of hard riding? How much food? Should I travel light and fast/far but risk running short on energy. Or saddle up heavy with plenty of food, go slow, and burn more calories/need more calories. Very tricksy.
Highlights:
Chris at the Gila Hike and Bike Shop replaced my rear disc rotor and gave my bike a tuneup. More importantly, he was a tremendous resource for what I can expect going over the mountains and down into the next valley. He warned me that heavy rains are coming and that if I’m not careful I can get caught up in muddy sections where the mud sticks to the tires like glue and makes it almost impossible to ride. I’m planning to leave around 4 AM tomorrow and try to push the miles and get as far as I can before the rain comes.
I sat in the Jumping Cactus Café for several hours while waiting for my bicycle repair and watched the locals come through. The owner/barista knew everybody by name and their drink order. The pace was relaxed. His “drip coffee” was made with special care using the pour over method. The steady stream of customers willing to wait for his carefully crafted concoctions appeared unrushed. My favorite patrons, two older transgender women, sat next to me and discussed a very interesting range of topics from religious tribalism to Native American genocide to political tolerance. I listened with one ear while calculating and planning food calories and meals for the next 3-4 days in the mountains.
Follow up: I found a small lightweight bike lock to replace the one that I cut off yesterday. See the photo above.
Lowlights:
I read a Guardian article about the cancer rates in Louisiana with the epicenter being Reserve, Louisiana along the Mississippi River “chemical corridor”. Even though these have been known concerns for a long time, this article still curdled my stomach. If you enjoy curdling, here’s a link: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2019/may/06/cancertown-louisana-reserve-special-report
And as I lather on the sunscreen during my many hours cycling under the sun, I’ll be thinking about this positive news: https://www.wired.com/story/sunscreen-chemicals-soak-all-the-way-into-your-bloodstream
Observations:
Cell phone coverage will be sketchy for the next few days, so I may not be posting.
GDMBR Day 04
Start: Ridge RV near White Signal, NM
Finish: Silver City RV Campground
Miles: 15.3 miles
Odometer: 129.4 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Recall that my rear disc brake rotor was bent pretty badly during my flight down to El Paso. Because it’s a specialized item because of my internally geared Rohloff hub, I had to special order a new one and had it shipped ahead to Silver City. So today was a short ride day and I am waiting for the rotor to arrive at the local bike shop tomorrow. This gives me some time to prepare for my upcoming three day trip through the Gila National Forest mountains. I am looking to manage gear weight to make the climbing easier (less brutal) while still carrying enough food to get me to Pie Town, NM on day four.
Highlights:
Since I’m staying for two nights, I checked into a local campground cabin, and because they like me, they upgraded me to a larger cabin at no extra charge. How nice!
Lowlights:
I view bike locks as a small deterrent at best. If somebody wants your bike, they are going to take it. On previous bicycle tours I carried a very cheap cable lock with a small padlock meant to slow thieves down while I resupplied at the grocery store. Just before leaving for this trip, I decided to “upgrade” to the Ottolock combination lock that I saw at a local bike shop in Bend. I had read about it and was impressed with its weight and portability. Well don’t you know that piece of crap would not unlock when I stopped at the local grocery store. I called the campground and they sent a staff person over with a cable cutter to free my bike. I’ll probably buy a cheap cable and padlock when I get to the next town, no use carrying extra weight up the mountains.
Observations:
I heard that Silver City, NM was a pretty cool little town. And as it turns out, it is! It’s one of those artists and therapists on every corner kind of towns. Lots of character without all the pesky money.
GDMBR Day 03
Start: Hachita Biker Ranch
Finish: Ridge RV near White Signal, NM
Miles: 64.9 miles
Odometer: 114 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
All three of my readers have asked me about Cheddar, the Biker Ranch cat. Cheddar, in fact, visited in the middle of the night and scared the crap out of me. I turned my flashlight on and she bolted out the door. This morning, she came back for a more socially appropriate visit and wanted a lot of attention. After I chastised her for making my wee my drawers, we played string and she got a quite a few scratches around her proud ears.
The desert landscape is lovely. Some desert flowers are blooming and I even saw a group of 10 deer grazing nearby.
I stopped for breakfast at the Continental Divide Historic Trading Post, a tourist attraction right off of Interstate 10. The extra friendly staff started asking questions about whether I was touring from east to west, west to east, north to south, or south to north. They get all directions stopping by. They walked me over to help me refill my water bottles, showed me the bathrooms, and wanted to know about my trip. I love meeting people like this when I travel.
Lowlights:
Despite drinking 9 L of water on my ride, I got very dehydrated as evidenced by a reduced, concentrated urinary output. This was unrelated to my night with Cheddar. I felt weak, a little dizzy, and experienced some mild nausea. I did not sweat. The dry heat, wind, and elevation created a salty grime on my body. I ran out of water (again). After 65 miles of desert riding, I limped into the campground.
My cousin Rosie died yesterday at the age of 70. She was a wonderful person. My two fondest memories of Rosie: I had a little motorcycle in college and she bought me a leather motorcycle jacket with all the back and elbow safety padding. I cherished that jacket even though I looked a little stupid in it riding little more than a scooter to school. The jacket was so padded and stiff it would hold me upright when I’d take a snooze in physics class. And Rosie helped arrange and sing the music at my wedding. She will be missed.
In my dehydrated state I sought some rest on a stump under one of the few trees in the desert, about 5 miles from my campground destination. When I got up to continue my cycling, I left my favorite tarp on the stump and rode away. I love that tarp. It has been with me on many adventures and it’s the size of a yoga mat, very light weight, and very durable. I lay the tarp down to stretch out in the mornings, to sit on and rest on the side of the road, and at the campsite where I sit and cook my food on my stove. I was really disappointed about leaving it. But there was no way I could ride back 5 miles to get it. Meet Bill, the owner of the RV park who drove me back in his pick up truck to look for it. He and his wife also made an extra burrito for dinner and brought that to my campsite. I was so happy to get that tarp back, you just don’t know. Linus has his blanket.
Observations:
I completed listening to Gawande’s “Being Mortal” about how to live well until the time of death. If you might die, or know someone who might die, consider this required reading. If you’re over 50, living with a terminal illness, or love someone in the aforementioned two categories, buy it today. You’ll be wanting to make notes in the margins.
GDMBR Day 02
Start: Columbus,NM
Finish: Hachita Bike Ranch
Miles: 45.8 miles
Odometer: 49.1 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I love that people welcome long-distance cyclists into their home. These “trail angels” (a term taken from the folks that help thruhikers on the long trails like the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail) assist adventurers with lodging, food and beverages, or shuttle rides. My trail angel Jeff welcomed me into his home which he affectionately calls “Biker Ranch”. He hosts and shuttles casual cyclists like me riding the GDMBR and competitive cyclists racing the Great Divide Ride. He gave me a room, use of his kitchen, a cold beer, and a string in case his cat Cheddar comes around. It’s experiences like these that inspire confidence in humanity.
I ran out of my two bottles of water on the road to Biker Ranch. When I arrived at the small convenience store in Hachita, NM my mouth was parched. The taste of ice cold Electrolit (Mexican Gatorade) hitting the back of my throat…well, I call that a highlight. Hashtag: TheLittleThings
I’ve always loved the rascally long-eared jackrabbits with the way they take off like a…what’s the word I’m looking for…hare! I saw quite a few hares bouncing away from the road as I passed on my bike.
Lowlights:
I forgot how much I adore a strong desert headwind. I got in the handlebar drop aerodynamic position, put my head down, and just focused on pedaling. And that’s when one of those dust devils nearly knocked me off the road.
I listened to 5 hours of “Being Mortal” by surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande about aging, dying, families, and the healthcare system. I particularly enjoyed his exhaustive list of the effects of aging on the body. I’m wondering why I didn’t pack my big honking super blender on my bike so that I could make green smoothies every morning to try and slow down the decline. I could use a hit of sulforaphane right about now.
Observations:
A team of buzzards carving up a rattlesnake in the middle of the road. It reminded me of one of my favorite The Far Side cartoons, “Just think…here we are, the afternoon sun beating down on us, a dead, bloated rhino underfoot, and good friends flying in from all over. I tell you, this is the best…”
A small blimp flying overhead. From Wikipedia: “The blimp, known as The Tethered Aerostat Radar System, or TARS, is one of six devices operated by Customs and Border Protection to monitor low-flying aircraft activity suspect of smuggling narcotics, along the Southwest Border, three are located in Texas, two are in Arizona, and one is in New Mexico.”
Border Patrol Agents racing to and fro with lights and sirens. I’d love a ride along to experience a day in the life. Can’t be easy seeing so much human suffering and desperation while doing a job that enforces our laws.
GDMBR Day 01
Start: Mexican border
Finish: Columbus, NM
Miles: 3 miles
Odometer: 3 miles
I decided to crush the first day by starting at the Mexican border and riding all of 3 miles up to the Los Milagros Hotel in Columbus, New Mexico. Roughly translated into English, Los Milagros means “The Milagros”.
Columbus has an interesting history. In 1916, Pancho Villa and his band raided Columbus, burning down buildings and killing some of its citizens and some of the military personnel stationed here. The US sent 10,000 Army troops into Mexico to track Poncho Villa and his band down. Pretty stupid though because everyone around here knows they perform every Tuesday and Thursday in the back room at La Casita Restaurant. In any case, after a year of searching the US Army was unsuccessful and returned home. Today, if you want a little Pancho in your life you can walk over to the Pancho Villa State Park located on the very site of the old Army base. Insert snarky ironic emoticon here.
Today’s other supposed fact: In the early 20th century, Columbus was the largest city in the state of New Mexico. Currently, it’s a small town of about 1600 people. And well, Albuquerque has a Costco. And the winner is…
Highlights:
- My shuttle driver, Michael, arrived at the El Paso hotel in a 1999 BMW sedan. I questioned whether we would be able to fit my bike into his tiny car. Although his car was very small, his optimism and enthusiasm were quite large. He said, “No problem, I do this all the time” and he helped me take my bike apart and load all the pieces in his backseat. During the hour long ride, Michael gave me a history of the border area and shared his positions on current events (political science, economics, and healthcare). He has been driving for 30 years, mostly airport shuttles, and listens to Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, and other conservative news radio personalities which qualifies him in all of the aforementioned subjects. He is confident that a border wall will indeed make America great again. I sat quietly gazing out on the desert landscape. Like I said, I liked his optimism and enthusiasm.
- The Los Milagros Hotel is a gem. The proprietor, Phillip, has been running the place for the past four years and takes great pride in customer service and quality. He spent his career as a furniture maker and now he and his wife run this hotel, and enjoy hosting cyclists touring through on their way to somewhere else. We sat in the lobby drinking tea discussing one of my favorite subjects: time restricted feeding. He’s a 16:8 guy.
- In postal news, it is never too early to ship items home: one of my 3 external batteries, one of my two filters, a dry bag, and some reflective straps. I’m getting lighter every day.
- The weather today was delicious.
Lowlights:
- None