Category: California to Texas 2013

Kingston, NM to Las Cruces, NM
Date: 01/18/2013
Distance traveled: 88.34 miles (925.44 miles total)
GPS tracks: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/263868705

Heading out of Kingston on the big downhill.

After a wonderful dinner, a soak in the hot tub, and a great night of sleep I was actually quite ready to get on the road. The Black Range Lodge was a good pick. Tom made a great breakfast and I enjoyed my time I spent with the owners and other guests. The room was also pretty nice – it evenncame complete with a very handy drying rack.

I normally have to jury rig a drying rack. This tree made it really nice.

I got a pretty early start since the weather is starting to warm up, which is a good thing since I had a lot of miles to cover. The most memorable thing about this ride was that it was moderately difficult. It wasn’t hard, wasn’t easy… just right. I had expected it to be super easy given the elevation that I was going to drop. It turns out that gravity is not that magical. It’s still work to bike 88 miles, no matter how much downhill there is. And there is always an uphill… even on the downhill.

Hatch “chile” sales.

The ride was pleasant and mostly uneventful. Got chased by two scary dogs. I had lunch on the banks of the Rio Grande, which isn’t much of a river right now. I also went through Hatch, NM which is where the famous “Hatch Chili Peppers” are from. This area is covered with cotton, chili, and pecan farms. There are a lot of chili processing businesses along this route.

Not exactly grand.

I also ran out of water somewhat unexpectedly, so I was really ready for some H2O when I got to the next town. That town happened to be Radium Springs which I hear is where some of the radioactive elements for the atom bomb were mined. Also, apparently folks used to soak in radioactive springs out here… that all may just be hearsay, though. The well water I got at the bar didn’t taste so good… with any luck, however, I’ll gain some super powers from drinking it.

This is a bus-stop bench in the middle of nowhere. The sign reads “Bus Stop. San Fe Trailways”.

My day ended in Las Cruces, NM at the lovely home of Mary Beth. We had a nice dinner out and then I came back and quickly crashed – I was exhausted! MB was a great host. I was so thankful for having yet another wonderful place to stay.

One of many pecan farms.

Pretty cute road runner painted on a bridge.

A lot of these towns have tiny, tiny post offices. However, none of them are the smallest in America.

I had no idea my tortillas needed instruction! ;-)

Silver City, NM to Kingston, NM
Date: 01/17/2013
Distance traveled: 48.82 miles (837.1 miles total)
GPS tracks: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/263198071

The view from 8,200 feet at Emory Pass.

I had to give today’s ride everything I’ve got. There was no gas left in the tank once I got to the top of the climb. Zilch. I don’t remember the last time I was so exhausted or had to push myself so hard.

I can’t really tell you why, either – by spec, it was an easier day in terms of elevation gain than the previous ‘hardest’ day, which was Day 2. And it was easier in distance than the longest day, Day 4. So what made this so hard today!?

It could be a number of factors:

• I skipped my normal lunch of peanut butter, honey & tortilla. Instead, I had a lot of sugar in the form of various gu’s, blocks, gummy bears. I did have an apple, some beef jerky, and a ThinkThin bar in there as well… but it wasn’t really that substantial.
• This ride came on the heels of two hard rides – one 74 mi ride with moderate elevation gain, and then another 45 mi ride with some considerable elevation gain.
• I started at and went through much higher elevation today than on any other day – this is the highest point on the ride.
• It was much colder on today’s ride than on any of the other ‘hard’ rides.
• Despite the elevation gain, I rode pretty fast today on average.
• There was a 15-20 mph headwind for the first 10-15 miles that really pissed me off. I’ve never been that mad at mother nature. That headwind did eventually die down as the ride progressed.

I’ll probably never know… but today is now the king of the hard bike rides of my life… or at least this trip.

For the curious, here are the top 4 hard rides on this trip thus far as judged by how I felt about them while doing them and after I was done. Very scientific, I know.

 

Today may have been one of the nicest and prettiest rides, too. I was in the Gila National Forest for the majority of the ride which was really beautiful, even this time of year. Lots of green trees. I miss those!

And the view from the Emory Pass vista was spectacular at sunset… I don’t think the camera quite did today justice.

I’m spending the evening at the Black Range Lodge which is this cool, old lodge that was built in the late 1800’s and been operating as a lodge since the depression. A group of geology students from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have taken over the main lodge. I’m out in the studio which is nice and private. The bonus is that I got free dinner provided by the UofW. J Lucky me – free (and excellent) spaghetti!

The ‘kneeling nun’ – it’s the tiny rock formation near the center of the pic.

Open pit copper mine. There are a lot of open it pit mines out here that are just ugly scars on the land.

Trees! The kneeling nun is there far in the distance.

The roads were a bit icy in spots. This was more trouble on the downhill bomber run than the slow slog uphill.

Nice empty roads. A little cold in the shade, though.

Getting close to the top! Looking back on where I’ve come from today.

Top of the world! I actually changed into dry clothes up here so I wouldn’t freeze on the 10 mile decent! It was cold up there.

Kingston, NM – my destination – is hidden behind that peak.

Me.

Lordsburg, NM to Silver City, NM
Date: 01/16/2013
Distance traveled: 45.38 miles (788.28 miles total)
GPS tracks: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/262923479

Today I crossed the continental divide. I also spend the day feeling torn – divided, as it were – between my plan as it stands and all of the things I could have done on this trip.

I feel a bit like I’m missing out. Not just on things at home, but on things along the path of this trip that I’m blowing right by. For example, I’m spending the night in Silver City which is a very awesome little town. If I had an extra day here I could explore the childhood home of Billy the Kid. Or the Gila Cliff Dwellings are only 50 miles from here – an extra couple days would have allowed me to rent a car and drive (or bike) north, and spend time hiking in a pretty awesome place.

In short, Silver City is a great little town that I would have loved to stay a few days in.

But instead, as usual, I get into town late… find my lodging, get food, and retreat to my room to get some much needed rest, and bolt out the door in the morning. Not to say that it’s bad… it’s what I planned to do… but part of me feels like I’m missing out on a lot of awesomeness that is here in these towns that I’m sleeping in. And I’m not sure I have enough time in my schedule to alter those plans if I’m still going to make Austin in time.

I think that’s why I jumped at the chance to go to a reasonably fancy dinner. Maybe because it’s the sort of thing M and I would have done together. Maybe it just sounded good. I’m glad I went to dine at the Curious Kumquat.

I’m not a foodie, so the descriptions below of my tasting menu are probably butchered… but here we go anyway:

• Soup: Fermented walnut leaf broth, chopped mushrooms
  
• “Forrest Floor”: Mushroom dust, watercress puree, dark bread, pine surup
  
• Mango boba, sweet pea puree, roasted brussels sprout with house cured ham, topped with a quail egg
  
• Lamb chop, mashed potatoes, green salad
  
• Goat-cheese cheesecake for dessert
  

 

All together it was quite good. Requisite food porn is below.

 

Oh… and I biked today. It was long, slow, and uphill. 3,800 ft was a lot to cover in 45 miles. Cold, too… but I’m getting used to that. The wind was at my back and the roads were nice. People are friendly. I’m liking biking in New Mexico.

 

The view looking back over the hills I’ve climbed.

 

The lovely Palace Hotel. Nice, clean & cheap… right in the historic downtown.

 

The menu at the Curious Kumquat.

 

Second course.

 

Third course.

 

Main. Yummy lamb chop.

 

Dessert.

 

Painting in the lobby of the Palace Hotel.

 

Oh… speaking of people being nice. In the morning before I left the Palace Hotel, the nice couple who suggested I eat at the Curious Kumquat gave me some very lovely bon bons from the Curious Kumquat (they make their own chocolate, too). It was really sweet. They wished me luck on the ride. :)