GDMBR Day 29
Start: Fairplay, CO
Finish: Peak One NF Campground, Dillon, CO
Miles: 32.5 miles
Odometer: 1,079 miles
Ascent: 1,700 feet
Descent: 2,600 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was a beautiful morning to ride. Despite the climb over Hoosier Pass, I thoroughly enjoyed the cycling. My legs were a little wonky from yesterday’s mud fest adventure. I stopped in a little town called Alma and stepped into the local mercantile. I love these little places in the small towns that have everything you need. The young couple inside were very friendly and I sat and had a coffee and a protein bar.
On the other side of the pass on my way to Breckenridge, I saw a huge bull moose feeding in a field. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a live moose. Breckenridge is not my favorite place. Very crowded, touristy, and glitzy. I rode over to a local national forest campground where old friend and fellow Bendite Steve met me. He interrupted a family visit in Boulder to drive down to visit. He brought his pup, Tahoe. We had a chance to catch up and dined at a local brewpub. We ended the night with a wee bit of bourbon around the campfire.
GDMBR Day 28
Start: Salida, CO
Finish: Hand Hotel & B&B, Fairplay, Co
Miles: 65.9 miles
Odometer: 1,046.5 miles
Ascent: 5,700 feet
Descent: 2,800 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was hard. I felt my spirits experiencing hairline fractures. The climb out of Salida through San Isabel National Forest was beautiful with views of the snowcapped mountains encircling the area. I took loads of photographs. Despite sunshine and virtually no wind, the riding conditions deteriorated quickly as I descended in the valley with the snow melt creating the dreaded peanut butter mud glue on the road. At one point my front wheel slid right and I flew off the bike on the left sliding in the mud in that slip and slide rotating 360° kind of way. I was completely covered with mud from head to tail on all sides. That wasn’t the worst part of it, though. That sticky mud adhered to the side walls of my tires (and everything else) so that the wheels would rotate. What a mess! And there was miles and miles of this stuff. Ultimately I had to ride through the somewhat grassy/ snow patchy cow pastures where the grass itself created some traction. I tried to dodge the sloppy, defrosting cow patties but that was difficult. Finally, as I descended to lower drier elevations, the mud was replaced with some of the worse washboards on the route. After a few hours, I finally made it to pavement and experienced tears of joy.
I came to a very small town called Hartsell, CO and the Highline Café and Saloon. I walked in they are completely covered with mud and they were very sympathetic. I drank a beer and ate the best and largest smothered burrito I’ve ever had in my life made from local beef and buffalo meat. A young fella touring on his adventure motorcycle from New York City walked in and sat down next to me. He was very excited about my trip since he raced this route back in 2013 in the formal Tour Divide Race. We swapped stories. He’s touring around the West for three weeks and then heading back to work in New York. He picked up my lunch tab which was very generous. Despite the huge ball of food in my stomach I rode another 18 miles uphill on pavement to Fairplay, CO where I checked into the old Hand Hotel just as a hailstorm began.
After a hot shower I went next-door to the old western saloon and had another beer and began talking with a gentleman who look like a cross between an old hippie and Wyatt Earp. Turns out he’s the former longtime mayor of the town. He told me how the town has changed over the years with the influx of people looking to escape city life. He likes the way things used to be.
Today I had the good fortune of seeing two large herds of elk each with upwards of 30 elk.
Observations:
As I am riding through this valley out of the mountains I start to see very small cabins and RVs dotting the landscape. They are just sitting out there in the distance in these open fields. The closer I got to civilization the more I saw of these little “outposts”. At the saloon I inquired about them. Apparently some years ago the major landowner subdivided and sold large parcels of land. People planted their trailers and RVs out there and use them for various purposes such as second homes or cabins. There are also a number of shipping containers on some of the properties. I wondered if some of these properties were survivalists big out camps.
GDMBR Day 27
Start: Salida, CO
Finish: Salida, CO
Miles: 0 miles
Odometer: 980.6 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was a rest and repair day. The mountains around Salida finally revealed themselves but only partially behind cloudy skies. It was just a glimpse of what I’m told is a beautiful landscape in the area. Andrea, my bike mechanic at Absolute Bikes, did a terrific job on my Salsa Fargo. She is ready to roll. With rested legs, I am itching to make some miles.
GDMBR Day 26
Start: Sargents, CO
Finish: Simple Hostel, Salida, CO
Miles: 34.6 miles
Odometer: 980.6 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
This morning started out with a text from Dad, “Looks like more snow between you and Salida this morning… what’s your plan?” And he was right. My 9 mile climb up over Monarch Pass (elevation: 11,312 feet) began with sub-freezing temperatures and ended with heavy snow and sleet. I was layered up pretty well and the exertion kept my body temperature cozy. On the climb up, many people honked their horns and gave me the thumbs up for my effort. The backside of the mountain on the way to Salida was a pretty steep downhill and I was primarily concerned with containing speed + possible ice on the road. As soon as I got closer to Salida (elevation: 7000 feet), the snow stopped falling and the clouds broke open to reveal blue sky. I pedaled into Salida straight to the local bike shop, Absolute Bikes. As I have mentioned before, bike shop people are the best. They ordered a new chainring and tomorrow will install the chainring, a new bottom bracket, and new tires.
A well-known and well-respected bikepacking bag company is located in Salida. Oveja Negra ("black sheep”) is owned by a young entrepreneurial couple. Owner, Lane Willson, emits light and energy reflected in her staff of sewers and admins. I walked in the shop with a few questions. She sent me out to the sidewalk to fetch my bike and bring it inside, and that’s where the fun began. We started tricking out my bike. Frankly, I didn’t “need” new bags though two of my bags’ (frame and handlebar) zippers were driving me bonkers and nearly tripled my daily “muthafucka” output. We started playing around with bags and next thing you know they’re sewing custom straps to accommodate a better set up. Caught up in the enthusiasm and excitement and quality bags (and zippers), I walked out with two new bags, good memories, and a shit-eating grin. The new frame bag gives my rig a splash of color too. The women could tell I was a bit boring and said that the color would give me some trail cred.
Salida, CO is an awesome little town. It reminds me so much of Bend, OR in that it’s located next to the mountains near a ski resort, has a very cool vibe, values recreation with tons of mountain bike trails, and has a river running through downtown. I checked into the downtown hostel and walked a “grid” through the downtown area. Originally a mining town, the railroad came through and prompted much of the growth in the late 1800s. Now the town is known for recreation and tourism. The town is surrounded by a beautiful mountain landscape with many peaks over 14,000 feet. So pretty.
After walking around downtown it was a little too early to head back to the hostel, so I stepped into a nearby tavern. I sat at the bar next to a young gentleman and we begin talking. The rapport was immediate. We visited for almost an hour while drinking beers and then he was telling me a family story which revealed that he was born and raised in Lafayette, LA – my hometown! We couldn’t believe it! What a coincidence! No wonder we hit it off. Sometime during middle school his family left Louisiana for Colorado. He is 30 years old and I can tell he has a bright future.
Lowlights:
Unfortunately because of the bad weather I missed the grandeur of riding through the mountains because the visibility was so poor. Fortunately, there are more mountains on the horizon.
GDMBR Day 25
Start: Luders Creek Campground, Rio Grande National Forest
Finish: Tomichi Creek Trading Post, Sargents, CO
Miles: 48.5 miles
Odometer: 946 miles
Ascent: 1,500 ft
Descent: 3,000 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Today was all about the downhill. There’s nothing like a 10 mile descent. These are the rewards of yesterday’s climbing. I arrived at Tomichi Creek Trading Post in Sargents, CO in the early afternoon and checked into one of their bare-bones cabins and then went over to the restaurant and had a huge burger and a beer. Today was a pretty easy day.
Lowlights:
The last 10 or 12 miles into Sergents was on Highway 50. The Memorial Day weekend traffic was horrendous. Most people veer closer to the center line when passing bicyclists but there’s always one ass out of every 10 who brush close by. Don’t be that ass.
GDMBR Day 24
Start: Del Norte, CO
Finish: Luders Creek Campground, Rio Grande National Forest
Miles: 62.7 miles
Odometer: 897.5 miles
Ascent: 5,500 ft
Descent: 3,400 ft
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
This part of Colorado is a big playground. I spent the day gently climbing through various recreational areas and up in the Rio Grande National Forest through canyons, along creeks, and down and up valleys. People were out dispersed camping and enjoying themselves. I even ran into a mountain biker who previously attempted the GDMBR starting from Canada with a group of his buddies. They were traveling light and pushing high mileage days. Somewhere in lower Montana he said that “my Achilles tendon just exploded” and his trip ended. He rode with me for a while and we compared notes on bicycles, gear, and Colorado terrain.
Arriving late to the Luders Creek Campground campground at over 10,100 feet of elevation the temperature began to drop and it started to drizzle. I pulled out my new tent and hoped that the instructions were idiot proof since I didn’t have time to read the manual. In a phone conversation with a member of my support team (Dad), he suggested that I pitch the tent before I head into the mountains to make sure that it was not defective and all the parts were there. At the time I was exhausted from the previous couple of days and I told him that I was too tired. He said, “Well you can do what you want but you’re the one who always tests everything beforehand.” He’s right, but fortunately all the parts were present and accounted for. I even managed to get it right after the third attempt.
After about an hour of light rain the sun came back out so I started my first campfire of this trip. There is a natural spring at the back of the campground where I was told you could fill up water without having to filter. I have a pretty bad phobia of Giardiasis so I’ve been filtering water regardless of the source’s reputation. But I decided to give this one a try. I’m crossing my fingers.
Follow up:
I forgot to mention: I had a near death experience! A couple of days ago when I was stuck in the middle of the snowstorm with high winds, I got off my bike and sat on a log in the middle of an aspen grove to snack and consider my options. The winds were whipping up pretty good. Suddenly I heard a loud crack and one of the aspen trees came crashing down about 10 feet away from me. I felt fortunate that it didn’t hit my bicycle. That would’ve been a real disaster.
GDMBR Day 23
Start: Alamosa, CO
Finish: Del Norte, CO
Miles: 30.3 miles
Odometer: 834.8 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
Robin shipped a general delivery package to the Del Norte post office that contained my new tent, my old tried and true raingear, and a few other needed items. She also included treats! The package was scheduled to arrive at the post office two days ago but because of the bad weather, it was delayed and we weren’t sure it would make it before the long Memorial Day weekend. Heck, I wasn’t sure I would make it here on time. Because I got kicked out of the mountains by the snow, I was able to make fast tracks toward Del Norte arriving this morning at 10:30 AM with the post office closing on the Saturday schedule at 12 noon. To my glee the package arrived here only this morning. Outside the post office I unloaded all of my goodies, and loaded my old stuff to return to Bend. Yippee!
Coincidentally, I found a local couple who not only have been bicycle touring for many years, they have toured the exact route that I am on, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride. I am staying the night in their small cottage. They are great hosts who have provided some technical expertise and information about the trail ahead. It is fun to swap stories and talk about gear. They appeared to always be looking for their next adventure. We spent the afternoon chatting in their backyard while they worked on a landscaping project and I cleaned and organized my bike and gear. I keep running into fantastic people.
GDMBR Day 22
Start: Snow camp, Carson National Forest
Finish: Alamosa, Colorado
Miles: 72.7 miles
Odometer: 804.5 miles
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I got up early and of course everything was frozen. There was frost on my tent and my shoes and water bottles were frozen. I wanted to take advantage of the freezing temperatures thinking that the sloppy muddy roads would be frozen and easy to ride over. In fact, as it turned out even the snow was frozen so I was able to ride right on out and back to lower elevations to a road that would take me to glorius highway pavement. I backtracked 17 miles before heading north on a dirt road towards civilization. On the way I saw a herd of about 20 elk, five antelope, two hawks, and a coyote. As I headed north I was surrounded by stunning snow capped mountain landscape. The sun was shining. All of last night’s misery was forgotten.
I reached a town called Antonita, NM where I sat down for a large breakfast burrito covered with green chili sauce and a stack of pancakes.. The waitress was doubtful whether I could finish it. But I did. I crossed the border into Colorado. Instead of taking the highway towards my next destination, Del Norte, CO, I let Google route me through the countryside. At first I traveled on beautiful, easy gravel roads but later the route took me through doubletrack cow pasture roads – very scenic but littered with rusty barbed. I had one I watching the ground and the other I watching the beautiful landscape. After several miles of this bumpy, rocky terrain the bolts holding my seat to my seat post decided to give up. The bolts broke off and the only thing holding my seat on the seat post was the pressure of my rear end. I realized then that the seat takes a beating on these trails and country roads. While I am no engineer, I know the value of a good rubber strap, so I used a bungee cord (actually a Voille strap) to keep the nose of the seat down while I hobbled 25 miles to the nearest town with a bike shop.
I love bike shops. More specifically, I love bike mechanics. Bike mechanics love long-distance cycle tourists and bikepackers. If you push your bicycle inside a bike shop fully loaded with gear you will get the royal treatment. And I did. Kristy’s Mountain Sports in Alamosa, CO not only fixed my bike seat but addressed a bunch of other small issues, including replacing my worn out brake pads, replacing my chain, and finally diagnosing the creak in my bottom bracket. I will need to replace my bottom bracket at some point, but because Memorial Day weekend, it would take a while for them to get the parts and I would be stuck in town for 4-5 days. So I will do that down the road. Thanks to everyone at the bike shop, and especially to bike mechanic Jupee (nickname) for the quality work and inspiring conversation.
GDMBR Day 21
Start: Hopewell Lake Campground, Carson National Forest
Finish: Somewhere near Lagunita’s Campground, Carson National Forest
Miles: 34.4 miles
Odometer: 731.8 miles
Ascent: 3,600 feet
Descent: 3,100 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
The day started out as a very beautiful, pleasant ride with a moderate tailwind. The day ended in a sloppy muddy, hike-a-bike snowfest. There were rumors of possible snow on the ground up this way, but I had to see for myself. At around 2 PM it began to sleet, and an hour later heavy snowfall was being blown sideways due to heavy winds. Should I turn around? I started thinking about shelter, warmth, water, and food and mentally began checking those boxes. I tried to (literally) push the last couple miles through the snow to the Lagunitas Campground in hopes that there might be some shelter, but the snow was too deep reaching up to 4 feet in places. I ended up pitching a tent and waiting out the snow, wind, and as the sun set, sub freezing temperatures. I melted snow in my cook pot for water and to make dinner. And then curled up in my sleeping bag with every stitch of clothing I had available. I sent satellite text messages to Robin and Dad to let them know I was OK since they closely track my progress and seem to know the weather forecast before I do. I slept cold but confident that I was safe and prepared.
GDMBR Day 20
Start: Abiquiu, NM
Finish: Hopewell Lake Campground, Carson National Forest
Miles: 57.9 miles
Odometer: 697.4 miles
Ascent: 6,800 feet
Descent: 3,000 feet
Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice
Highlights:
I spent two lovely days at an Airbnb hosted by fellow long-distance cyclists Erin and Mehedi who rode their bicycles from Peru to Patagonia. Check out their visually stunning trip at their site: http://letsgocarino.com. Their Airbnb was the perfect place to wait out the weather and avoid slopping through the mud yet again. Leaving Abiquiu, I climbed 6,800 feet into the Carson National Forest up to Hopewell Lake Campground. The weather was perfect and the roads were dried out from yesterday’s mud. I would later find out that the Canadian and the European cyclists all bailed on to pavement after riding through yesterday’s mud.
I saw a beautiful white fox running fast fast. It was so surreal I almost didn’t believe that I was seeing.
Observations:
Consider this: I spent nearly 9 hours on the bike pedaling, and most of it was climbing into the mountains. Not bad for someone who was born in raised near a swamp.
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.