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
GDMBR: Heading to the Start
Let the adventure begin!
Thanks to Robin for the 4:15 AM shuttle to the airport. After an easy flight through LAX down to El Paso, I rented an SUV, picked up some last minute items, and reassembled my bike inside my hotel room. No problems except for a very bent rear brake disc. Thankfully a local bike shop was able to help me straighten the disc to a reasonable degree. The Rohloff hub requires a special disc that I’ll ship down the trail. Thanks to Crazy Cat Cyclery for the assist.
I loaded all my packs and gear on to the bike, and as expected, I think I’m going to be starting off a little overloaded expecting I can shed gear along the way.
GDMBR: Packing
One (1) day until the start of this adventure. Last night was an adrenalin filled, fitful night of sleep. I’ve never been much of an anxious person but this trip has me a tad edgy. This morning I channeled some of this nervous energy into a flurry of activity. I had a helluva time getting my bike into the bike box without smashing the important bits. I took great care to protect the bike from careless baggage handlers. I hate the thought of my precious bike getting damaged. I just need to let that go.
I keep a gear checklist from previous rides, but after reading some other riders’ gear lists I decided to add a few items that I’ve never carried before. I feel like I’m starting with the bike loaded on the heavy side.
A couple years ago I started taking some supplements, like vitamin D, vitamin K, and others. For years I’ve always believed supplements were money wasted and that a good diet would provide. Lately, I’m not so sure. Packing supplements is tricky. I packed three weeks worth in little baggies, and Robin will help resupply me down the road. All this to say I almost just said “screw it” and left supplements behind.
I finalized my El Paso to Columbus, NM plans. Dad suggested I get a shuttle to Columbus for the “official” border start (rather than riding 80+ miles against potential high winds and some hills). Fathers know best so I found a driver who’ll pick me up in El Paso. So the plan looks like this:
May 2: Fly to El Paso, rent SUV, pick up isobutane fuel and CO2 cartridges, check into hotel, reassemble bike, bike shop nearby PRN, groceries, water
May 3: Shuttle to the Mexican border just south of Columbus, NM ($85) and start riding north.
May 4: Ask myself: “What the hell am I doing?”
GDMBR: Preparation
-2 days from the start of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride (GDMBR) and all of my gear is strewn out ready to be sorted, finalized, and packed. I still have not finalized my gear list. I will be working on that today.
Everglades National Park
Off the grid in the Everglades for a few days. Y’all behave yourselves!
Grizzlies in Key West
Fifty percent of the men biking and trundling around Key West look like old Ernest Hemingways.
Twenty-five percent look like old Jimmy Buffetts.
Twenty-five percent look like Ben Mendelsohn’s Sam Rayburn character from Bloodlines.
It’s hard to tell the ages of these old bears…anywhere from 40 to 100.
Calms & Linguini
Whenever I’m feeling a little anxious, I go to my favorite restaurant and order calms.
Books Galore
The captain told me our ship was too small to bring my hardback books, but this sailor smuggled them aboard. After I read each one I will pass it along to lighten our cargo. If you see any you want, text or email me and I’ll mail it to you when I’m done. Mom, I know you have first dibs on Springsteen!
