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.