Ft. Davis to Marathon, TX

60 miles, make that 60 blissful miles

Ah, what a difference a day or two can make — today was actually fun and enjoyable.  After all the difficult and challenging days it was such a relief to have a day without having to dig deep and gut it out.

After two days at the Indian Lodge we continued on 90 East toward Marathon, TX – 60 miles due east.   Mostly downhill or rolling flats – and even the chip seal pavement did not slow us down.  The winds were at our backs and at times it felt as though I was flying.   At one point I was pedaling (with a generous push from the wind) at 34 miles per hour.  I stopped pedaling for a mile and was still clocking 30!  That shows how powerful the wind can be – and oh, so much more enjoyable when at your back.

As we left the Davis Mountains, the terrain became more expansive as the mountains receded further into the background.   Cattle grazed, and looked at us curiously, cars were sparse, ranches were large and the sunshine was strong.

The only thing that slowed us down today was a flat tire for my peddaling buddy, but with our powers combined, and our new tire  changing prowess, we fixed it and were off and flying again in no time. There are these very tiny thorns that penetrate the tire and puncture the tube – they are so small they are often difficult to find in the tire – sharp, small and effective at creating a quick flat!

The group was split between the historic Gage Hotel and the very eclectic Eve’s Garden B & B.  Two very different properties.  I am staying at the B & B which is pretty funky.   Clearly a labor of love for a few creative minds – brightly colored, and furnished it is quite stimulating to the eye!  At first it was quite overwhelming – but it grew on me, and several of us enjoyed a very relaxing couple of hours hanging out, chatting, drinking a pint from the tapped keg in the “convenience room”.

To top it all off – I have both cell service and internet ! Yahoo.  Well, at least for now…

Rest day in Ft. Davis Enjoyed a day away from the bike. Just what I needed both physically and mentally We are staying at the Indian Lodge located within the Davis Mountains State Park.  The property was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933. It is a 39 room property with a restaurant. Rooms are comfortable furnished in a rustic motif – clean, sparse and bright. The bed is a dream after a couple of previous stays. Took an an excursion over to the McDonald Observatory and enjoyed learning about the work they do. And fun fact, the observatory was built here because it is the darkest place in the US, which makes the viewing of the night sky optimal.  I walked around a bit tonight and just looked up at the clear and bright sky. Without competing with the lights from a city or pollution, you feel as though you could reach up and grab a handful.   Another reminder to look up and enjoy the view.   Tomorrow starts a series of 7 days of riding. I am off to bed and ready to roll out in the morning.

oh and we are already over 1000 miles!

Van Horn to Ft. Davis, TX

88 miles
A long ride today with many of the challenges of the previous couple of days – all combined into one. The first 40 miles were on the interstate again which is far from a scenic and enjoyable trip. I mentioned previously that the speed limit is 80 and the trucks are at least 2 to 1. And some of those bad boys are big, and loud and fast. You shudder as they go past you.

I was anxious to get off of there – but as always you have to be careful what you wish for. While on the interstate the winds were favorable, and we were able to make good time. Arriving at mile 40 we took a right off the I-10, and lunch was set up at mile 48. Sounded simple enough. Until the right hand turn proved to be full of crosswinds and headwinds…oh and our first introduction to Texas chip seal road surface. Chip seal is two handfuls of gravel to one handful of tar. Bumpy, jostling and slows you down more (if that is even possible). The chip seal offers resistance, or drag on your tires. I am rolling with Continental Gatorskins which are heavier than the typical road bike tires, so I already had a bit of drag. For the first few miles you frequently stopped to see if you had a flat tire.

Back to lunch – 8 miles – should be there in no time– took me well over an hour to get there – as my legs felt like lead. We were on day 6 of a tough string of days-I did not have much left in the tank. Hmm, if blood doping was an option, I may have considered it… At lunch I seriously considered bagging it for the day as we still had 40+ miles to go. But… my trusty cycling buddy Tanya, was eager to go and off we went. The ride was very scenic, on a very quiet road. So quiet that for nearly 40 miles I believe a total of 5 cars went by us – and four were in the opposite direction. It was nice not to have traffic, but at times the remoteness, the absolute nothingness closed in on you and you felt somewhat deserted. The winds did not quit for many miles. And neither did we. When I calculated the time it would take to get to our destination based on our current speed – I was happy that we had moved into central time zone and that it was daylight until 8! Ultimately we did not need that much time – but lets just say that we arrived for the second night in a row right as dinner was being served.

I am dedicating today’s blog to my cycling buddy, Tanya – without her today, I would not have made it. At mile 62 we had 15 miles of “hard climbing” to do, and I had been out of gas at mile 48. But we did it, she believed in me, she challenged me, and we did it together. One mile at a time. Thank you Tanya.

It also reminded me of how valuable it is to have people that believe in you, that help you to be better than you thought you can, to help you dig deep when you have nothing, and to make you laugh when you are on the verge of tears. I am so very fortunate to have friends like these in my life. And I thank all of you! It really is better when you do not have to go it alone!

We are staying at the Indian Lodge located in the Davis Mountains. I am looking forward to my rest day, and am going to head over to the McDonald Observatory.

Note- internet and cell connections are often weak ( how I do miss my hi-speed internet…) I will get pics up when I can.

-K

Ft. Hancock to Van Horn, TX

74 miles — no, make that 74 brutal miles

After a restless night at the less then impressive Ft. Hancock Motel, we headed out to churn out the miles to get us across Texas.      No internet last night- I will catch up on inserting photos on my rest day on thursday – so check back if interested.

If yesterday was ideal, today was bad.

The winds were the enemy today, as they battered us at every turn and mile- up to 30 mph for more than 10 hours.   I have heard winds described as “buffeting winds”, but today, they were more like waves battering the shore.  The waves of wind would come in and wash over you and and your bike. Sometimes  a crosswind, sometimes a headwind.   You are pedaling hard, but making little progress. Exhausting.

I think there were sights to see – but after the first 20 miles, I barely looked up.  Early on we did see wonderful pastures filled with horses, and cattle.  The farms/ranches are quite expansive, and I wonder what it would be like to be responsible for all that land!

Traveled a bit on the I-10 again.  Um, the speed limit was 80.  Nothing like a gajillion  huge trucks whizzing by you at 80.  It makes you feel so small at times.

The women on this trip are all experienced riders, many of them very strong.  You know it is a tough day when several decide to jump in the van to get off the road.  A decision which they do not make lightly. I made it today, we shall see about tomorrow!

Short blog tonight, as tomorrow looks to be another challenging day.  I had hoped Emory Pass would be my last stretch day – but it looks like tomorrow will have a little bit of everything -90 miles, 15+ miles of climbing, Interstate/Highway riding– let’s hope that the winds were blown out of town with the rain storm that arrived at dinner.

Oh- how I wanna go back to yesterday!!

On to Ft. Davis!

Good night everyone!

El Paso to Ft. Hancock 52 miles

Yesterday we enjoyed a Sunday ride through the quiet, sleepy countryside as we headed to El Paso. Traffic was light for the first 40 miles, and then we had to pay attention as we got into urban riding mode. El Paso is not quite as bike friendly as some of the other areas that we have travelled through. Lots of beeping at us, and not in a “just to let you know I am here” mode.

Notable about our arrival into Texas, was that it was a non event. There was not a Welcome to Texas sign anywhere! My official welcome occurred at mile 40 at McDonald’s. We enjoyed another Margarita party to celebrate crossing into Texas. It will be several weeks before we get another celebration.

Today, we headed out a bit later than usual to avoid as much of the Monday morning traffic as possible. Our ride today was just over 50 miles. Typically, I grow concerned when we have a lower mileage day on the cue sheet. These shorter days have translated into many challenging “terrain features”‘ aka hills, climbs etc. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that their was not any surprises in store. The ride was quite pleasant-perfect weather, manageable winds, even favorable at times, and a few sights to see. We even came across a flock of goats being herded across the road! That was quite a sight.

The highlight was heading out on the Mission Trail where we visited two historic mission churches. The first was closed when we arrived, beautiful and pristine from the outside, we were curious as to what it looked like inside. A couple of our riders went over to the mission office and were able to convince them to open up for us. I have faith, but I would not classify myself as “overly, or overtly” religious, but I am always moved when I enter into such places of religion and reverence. The women from the office opened the church for us, and in doing so, they stopped at each alter and gave thanksgiving as if it was the first time they entered. I have been fortunate to have travelled to the Vatican to St. Peter’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey in London, and to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Each of these so grand, and rich in art and religious artifacts. But here in the small mission church, I found myself taken by the simplicity of the architecture, and of the church itself. In the second Mission church, the alter had simple clay pots around it. A reminder to enjoy the simple things, not just the popular, more grand ones.

Today was the first day that I felt as though I was riding to enjoy the day, not to just get through another challenge, or tick off many miles to move us through the next state.

The other reason that we had a relaxing riding day, is that our destination for the night is the small village of Ft. Hancock and the Ft. Hancock Motel. Not much here, a place to stop on the way to somewhere else. We are very close to the Mexican border and have seen an increase in the number of Border Patrol vehicles. Many of these SUV’s are pulling ATV’s which they use to patrol off-road. Two more days before our rest day in Ft. Davis. Each day getting a bit longer, and a bit more challenging.

But I will not think about them until tomorrow, as today was just what I needed.

Special dedication of today’s blog to my friend, Canaan.

As I mentioned the other day, that I wanted to share a bit about Canaan on this special, and difficult day, as well as share my reasons for selecting Make-A-Wish as my charity partner.

My selection of Make-A-Wish as my charity was based on two factors:

First, I wanted a charity that would be able to use the funds raised in a meaningful, impactful and immediate manner. Second, I was personally familiar with the wonderful experience of the Bernier Family with Make-A-Wish when they shared in Canaan’s Wish

Canaan’s Wish.

Canaan loved and aspired to live the Cowboy Way. His wish was to go to a working ranch and work alongside the ranch hands and cowboys. He was clear, that it had to be a “working” ranch and not a dude ranch and if it had a creek- all the better. Make-A-Wish created an experience for Canaan and the family that included a stay at a working ranch in Roswell, New Mexico which included cowboys, horses, manure and campfires. A trip to the town of Moriarty, New Mexico found the family as honored (and only) guests of a rodeo put on by kids from the local high school. Lots of wonderful events, thoughtfully put together and generously given to the family.

The Wish experience was so much more than the actual wish trip. The family was able to share together in a positive experience during a difficult time which created new memories and moments that have extended long beyond the Wish.

The Bernier Family was not the only ones that benefited from this special trip.  The impact of Canaan’s wish was felt throughout a community.   Six months after Canaan passed, the Mayor and townspeople of Moriarty, NM took the time to honor and remember the Little Cowboy at a special memorial dedication at the local rodeo ring.   A moving and generous experience for all

Thank you to Make-A-Wish, and to all of the Wish Granters, individuals and businesses that donate in-kind services, money and time.

The last several days in New Mexico have reminded me of the beauty and vastness of this wonderful state and the hard working cowboys that learn to rope and ride.

Today was a 60 mile day from Las Cruces to El Paso, TX. As we rolled out of NM, we traveled through many more pecan orchards, tilled fields, and new today we saw several vineyards.  Too early for blooms – but I can imagine how beautiful it must be.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and to travel with me as I cross the Southern Tier.  I appreciate the incredible support and generosity of friends, family, colleagues and strangers.   I ask that if you have thought about  donating to Make-A-Wish , I ask that you do so in honor of Canaan, and help fulfill a wish for a deserving wish child and their family.   No donation is too small. You can find the link at the top of the page.

Thank you,

Karen

Kingston to Las Cruces, NM

88 miles – but I missed the turn for the hotel and overshot it. So total for today was 90!

Last night we stayed at the very funky Black Range Lodge in Kingston NM.  This is a very eclectic B & B.  as we were in a pretty remote area there were not a lot of lodging choices.  It was fun to stay in such a different place. Check out the website if you are curious http://www.blackrangelodge.com.

upon arrival at the lodge, we were greeted by the smell of a turkey dinner in oven. We had a wonderful dinner and breakfast before we headed out.

A shout out to Allison B, who provided me with a wee nip of Fireball Whiskey to be used as required- medicinal purposes, emergency or as a celebration. When I got to my room (which had a lovely balcony). I decided that I needed the shot for all three reasons.  

.

Perfect!

Todays ride was a mix of terrain – an early 8 mile descent from hotel, a 3 mile climb , miles of rollers, a brief tailwind, a crosswind, a headwind, and miles of flats.   A little bit of everything.  New Mexico is a beautiful, and we headed closer to Las Cruces, the terrain turning into agricultural and cattle areas.  We had two large steers just standing on opposite sides of the road watching us with disinterest as we whizzed past them.

We passed many pecan orchards – miles and miles and miles of them.  Interesting that they flood the section of trees to water them.

Cannot believe that we will be in Texas tomorrow!  It will take us 20 days to traverse Texas!

Thank you for your support and encouragement over the last few weeks – I appreciate all of the emails, comments and texts!

-K

“Stood Alone on a mountain top,

Starin’ out at the great divide

I could go east, I could go west,

It was all up to me to decide

Just then I saw a young hawk flyin’

And my soul began to rise

And pretty soon

My Heart was singin’

Roll, roll me away

I’m gonna roll me away tonight

Gotta keep rollin, gotta keep ridin’,

Keep searchin’ till I find what’s right

And as the sunset faded

I spoke to the faintest first starlight

And I said next time

Next time

We’ll get it right…

Silver City, NM to Kingston, NM

47 miles

Emory Pass climb, highest point on our Southern Tier journey.  8228 ft

Did it! Wow what a day. Beyond exhausted.

So thankful for our rest day yesterday as refreshed my legs, and gave me the strength that I needed to make it through today.

The ride today was beautiful, so although it was a hard climb – the road to and up Emory Pass was terrific.

Along the way we passed a rock structure called the Kneeling Nun, and another copper mine.

The first 22 miles had a few small climbs and rollers, then we had a 18 mile climb up through the Gila Forest and Emory Pass .  All that hard work was rewarded with an 8 miles descent.

During the early part of the day, I hit a downhill at 40 mph.  This was a long but straight  downhill.  It is exhilarating, until you come to a stop and and have to start climbing up again. 5 miles from the top, my legs were jello and I was working hard to move the pedals.  I was stopping frequently only for a minute or so to try and find life in my legs.  I walked for about a half mile in total- this helped to use different muscles for a bit and to make sure my brain and legs were still communicating.  Breathing was getting a bit harder as we were nearly at 8000 feet.  I have not had any problems before, but I was exerting myself a bit – and my lungs were in need of more air.  A mile and a half before the top the SAG swung down to see how we were doing.  I have gave them the thumbs up that I was going to get to the top.  Somehow.  Nancy the SAG driver turned around, and shouted that i only had a mile to go and she would be there when I got to the top.

By this point I was calling on my angels and all heavenly bodies as well as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny to help me get to the top.   For hours I was churning at 3-4 mph – but this last mile, somehow a slight tailwind rose up and I was moving at 5.  The final climb was torturous for me, and I was alternating between breathing and weeping.  By the time I made the final few feet to where Nancy was parked (and she and two other riders where cheering me on and waving me up) I was at full blown sobbing.  Relief, exhaustion, and a flood of other emotions washed over me.

We took a few pics, walked up to the scenic vista and I took a deep breathe as I looked across the vast and  beautiful New Mexico landscape.    I took a few minutes, and then started my descent down.  The road was twisty and had lots of turns, no guardrail and a deep canyon to the side.  The good news was there was little or no traffic- Once the SAG vehicle passed me – I was the only person on the road.

Challenging, but fulfilling day.

Time to log off and get to bed. 88 miles tomorrow

Lordsburg to Silver City, NM

48 miles

BRRRRRRRR! It was 38 degrees when we left Lordsburg, we bundled up and headed out.  48 miles today, most climbing.  Whenever you have lots of climbs there are a few miles of descents thrown in, just to give you a moment to thank God, and refresh for a moment.  And I have to tell you they typically arrive at the moments that you need it the most.

I would describe the climbs as going up stairs  — have you climbed several flights of stairs that twist and turn, and at one point think that you are at the top, but when you arrive there is another flight?  Each time we climbed and made it to the “crest”, we were often greeted with another climb.

So many challenges so far on this trip – and another “first” occurred 5 miles out!  My first flat!   So if you picked New Mexico for my first flat – you are correct!  Having my first flat on day 13 was actually pretty lucky for me — there are a few that have had multiple flats already, and one person that has had 5!!!   I pulled over and we started to work the flat,  I was so stressed out!  I know how to fix it, but I had not ever actually done it  (note to self: next time practice, practice, practice) . Another rider stopped and the three of us started to make progress.

Adding to my stress is the fact that I am typically at the tail end of the group – so there is not a lot of help that is going to come upon me, plus I get stressed about the  fact that I am going to be further behind.

The cavalry arrives — first to stop was a Lordsburg police officer to see if we were okay.  Very nice to touch base with the local law enforcement 🙂 . And then out of the distance, the WomanTours van and trailer is approaching – they were heading into Silver City and pulled over. Carol once again saved the day, or at least saved us time as she was able to get me up and running very quickly.

The tires that I am running are GatorSkins – and they are a bit thicker than the typical road tire, so they are a bit more difficult to wrestle with.  Tomorrow on my rest day, I am going to practice changing my tire in the parking lot a few times so that I will be able to do it all by myself!!!

The next 10 miles were grueling.  The road ahead looked flat, but it is what is called a false flat.  Because you are working to get up the incline in a lower gear, and when you think your legs are going to fall off you stop and look back and realize that you have been climbing for miles.  Plus after 8 days of riding, I was gassed.

One of the highlights of the day was arriving at the Continental Divide!  I was whooping it up at the top!

I had to work to get out of my head – I kept thinking this is the hardest thing that I have ever done, and I think that contributed to making each pedal rotation even more difficult.    After the first SAG stop, I worked to accept that it was going to be a long, hard slow day.   Between 15 and 30 miles I was able to find a better place emotionally, as I realized that this in fact has been the hardest thing I have every done physically, but it is truly not the hardest thing I have ever done.

In a few days, it will be my friend, Canaan’s anniversary of when he left us and earned his angel wings.  A true warrior during his battle with Nueroblastoma.  On March 23 when I arrive into El Paso, I will honor his cowboy spirit with a dedicated blog post.

For today, I will share that the most difficult thing that I have ever had to do was honor his life by delivering his eulogy.  When your dearest friend asks you to do this – how can you refuse.  I have been blessed with the ability to speak publicly, and was that obnoxious kid in third grade that always wanted to read out loud.  I did not  have that fear that many have, but that does not mean it was easy.  It took everything that I had to not lose it during the reading.

I am heading into a rest day tomorrow and it is well needed.  Laundry, trip to bike shop and catch up on emails and thank you notes.  And speaking of thank you notes – I have more to write, but I need more people to send them to — If you have been thinking about making a donation to Make A Wish on behalf of my ride – please take the time to go to the top of this page and select the Donate to Make a wish tab.  Your donation can help make a wish come true for a deserving wish family

Safford, AZ to Lordsburg, NM

75 miles

Arrived in New Mexico safe and sound (mostly). Hard to believe that we have entered our third state already. I will hold onto that as we head toward Texas, which will take us 20 days to cross.  One of the perks of crossing a state line is that our guide, Carol whips up a batch of Margaritas and we celebrate.  I had read about this on the blogs of past riders, and I was pleased to see that the tradition continues!

I was very sluggish starting out today. The first 20 miles felt endless to me. My legs felt like lead, my angry ass was aching, my wrists hurt….blah blah blah.  I did more fidgeting than pedaling.  But I was able to  shake it off and finally find my rhythm.  We stopped at mile 40 at the 3 Sisters Bakery in the small town of Duncan.  An infusion of sugar was surely what I needed to get me to mile 75.   So many of the towns and cities that we have rolled through have clearly suffered over the last several years.  Several businesses large and small are shuttered, and many of these small towns have few services, or stores.   Duncan, was one of the few communities that still shined.  Small, but active, several shops, and a wonderful tourist office that we stopped in to use the restroom.   We chatted with the ladies at the visitor info/shop who told us about the town, and an upcoming cycling race they were running in the spring.   The people that we have met have all been very warm and welcoming.  The small hotels/motels have all been happy to receive us, some with small gift bags of snacks.   A reminder that if you open yourself up, you can make a wonderful connection with another person!

We had a second “unicorn” sighting today, as the back half of the ride found us with an incredible tailwind to blow us into Lordsburg.  I cannot tell you how fabulous a tailwind is– from sluggish, leaden legs in the morning, to a warm helping push up to 25 miles an hour !    I may have shouted wheeeee once or twice.

The terrain has changed as we exited Arizona and into New Mexico. The flowering blooms of the dessert have faded away with the sand.  There were low grasses (more like strands of hay, vs lush green grass), small trees, and beautiful mountains on all sides.

Tomorrow we head to Silver City, NM – and then on Thursday we have a rest day after 8 days.  Tomorrow is a tough day, tis all up!  Climb, Climb, Swear, Climb….