Marfa, TX, to Del Rio, TX

Day: 30
3/29/2013
29 Palms, CA
29 Palms, CA
Miles: 00.0
Miles to Date: 1127.8

9:30 AM: Shortly after I left the motel yesterday at about 11:30 and started up a 1/2 mile hill into a chilly headwind on a heavily traveled street I felt I had made a good decision. I got to the airport about noon, got the car, got the bike and gear squeezed in and got away about 12:40.

For the first 120 miles back to Sanderson, TX, I retraced my route. It seemed very strange to be going over the same territory so quickly and I had trouble recognizing a many of the places where I had stopped on the way out. At Sanderson I turned north and got on the I-10 freeway at Fort Stockton after picking up some fast food for lunch.

From Fort Stockton it was just a matter of grinding it out. I got out of Texas and through New Mexico and into Arizona by dark. At about 12:30 this morning I stopped at the first rest stop west of Phoenix and slept about 2 hours then drove the last 200 miles, arriving here at 5:30 local time. I slept a few hours and will take the car down to the Palm Springs airport this afternoon and ride the 5:00 bus home. That will be the official end of the bike ride. I am glad I did as much as I did and I am glad to not be doing more for now.

Day: 29
3/28/2013
Del Rio, TX
Del Rio, TX
Miles: 00.0
Miles to Date: 1127.8

I got up at 8:00 this morning and the course of action seemed obvious, rent the car and go home so that is what I am doing. I will get the car at noon and drive home, rest a few days then most probably drive to Florida.

I am ready to do something different for a time. I may bring a bike back here on Amtrak later and do the rest, or not.

Day: 28
3/27/2013
Del Rio, TX
Del Rio, TX
Miles: 00.0
Miles to Date: 1127.8

9:00 AM: I slept until 8:00. It is not so bad as the sun did not come up until 7:40 and it is good and chilly out, around 50 with a SE wind blowing. This will be a headwind day and perhaps the 30 miles to Bracketville will be a good day's work.

Last night I copied down the Google Maps "bicycle" route (from my tablet) around San Antonio, Hondo to Seguin. I wrote out the turn by turn because I do not have a device with enough battery capacity to last the route. The route actually goes through the south edge of the center of town but all on secondary roads. Interestingly Google Maps on my phone shows the bicycle route around town to be to the north. From what I know based on visiting a friend who lived on the north side of town that will be the more hilly route so if I go via San Antonio I will use the southerly route.

Tomorrow I will have to decide whether to follow the "official" (ACA) route or strike out on my own for about 260 miles. The official route appears to be almost 100 miles longer. I am undecided at this point. I can see advantages to both. The turn onto the ACA route is about 15 miles beyond Bracketville. I do not have to decide until I get there.

I will observe that I feel much better today than I did yesterday. The day off was a good thing. It is tempting to lay over another day although the wind picture is forecast to stay about the same for several days so there would be no real advantage from that perspective.

10:30 AM: I realized I still feel weary so I elected to take another day off so I am at IHOP having breakfast again. I will spend the day goofing off and lounging around. The biscuits and gravy did not go down as easy today which tells me I am about caught up on my eating for now.

6:45 PM: I wandered around the mall across the street, had a big nap and messed around the room. About 5:00 I walked to Walmart to get a couple of items then gave in and went to Rudy's and got dinner to go. Rudy's is a Texas chain which offers very good BBQ combined with a gas station. The atmosphere is down home with picnic tables and food served on a slab of butcher paper. I was introduced to the place by my daughter who used to live in Austin. I got 1/4 lb of moist brisket, gooey white bread, BBQ sauce, a tub of very good potato salad and a brownie. I am stuffed. If I moved to Texas I would probably gain 100 pounds in short order.

No I have to see if I can get myself moving again tomorrow. The weather will not be to my liking. I am definitely a fair weather biker. I am holding the option of packing it in and going home open.

Day: 27
3/26/2013
Del Rio, TX
Del Rio, TX
Miles: 00.0
Miles to Date: 1127.8

1:20 PM: So far a good rest day. I woke up for a few minutes when John left at 8:00 and again for good when he came back at 8:30 to get his sunglasses. I decided to nuke my tablet and reload it from scratch so I have been working on that for a few hours, including during my brunch break at I-Hop next door: 2 eggs, hash browns, 4 sausage links, biscuits and gravy plus a side if biscuits and gravy.

I am in the launtry room now waiting for a 1.4 GB map file to download for use by the offline GPS navigation app I have on all my Android devices. I also have my laundry going.

I plan to walk down to the local bike shop after the wash if the urge to nap does not overtake me first. I hope to find a pair of knee warmers there for use on the very cold morning which have been the norm lately.

The tablet is functioning much better. During the winter of 2011-12 something went wrong with the software on it. I started using a laptop and have used the tablet very little since. Using it every day on thie trip has convinced me it is worth the trouble to get it to perform decently again. I am in the laundry room for the download because the WIFI is very marginal in the room.

9:30 PM: This was a restful day. I walked down to the local bike shop, took a nap, walked over to Walmart to get a few things and finally got a pedicure. Not a lot of action but restful. Tomorrow it is back to work.

Day: 26
3/25/2013
Comstock, TX
Del Rio, TX
Miles: 30.8
Miles to Date: 1127.8

3:00 AM: I woke up at 2:00. No good reason. John seems to be sleeping through my rudeness which is a good thing.

After a cursory glance at the road system of San Antonio I am not so sure about trying to ride through the place. I have asked a friend who lives or has lived there to suggest a possible route. I will search the web for information too. I followed the "official" route to Navrosota, TX, on Google Maps. It is very complex using a conglomeration of back roads to twist and turn through the Texas "Hill Country" via a number of small towns that are not always easy to find on G-Maps. The decision point is at Bracketville only 60 miles from here. I have not given myself much time to figure this one out.

In other big news , the word processor I have been using to write this stuff before posting it into the Blogger has been giving me fits. If I let the current document get too large the thing has big trouble accepting input. It will get many words behind even with my sorry slow typing and eventually get so overwhelmed it starts to skip letters and even entire words. In combination with the strange new spell checker that has shown up on the tablet from where I cannot tell preparing the daily reports has become a nightmare . I have given up on it and installed a small simple app called "Writer". I have had it on my phone for some time and never used it much but it has to be better than what I have been using. So far on this doc it is working very well. I cannot out type it but it may go south if I allow the doc to get large. Time will tell.

Since I have automatic app updating turned on I cannot tell if the spell checker is associated with Andriod, Chrome, the word processor, the aftermarket keyboard I am using or some other unknown source. I can find no way to turn it off although I did turn off the automatic correction aspect of it in the settings app under Language and Input. It was extremely crazy with correction on. Now it is just bizarre, partially because I have no idea what the rules are and have not taken the time to patiently play with it to see what it is doing. If the cursor is placed on a misspelled word sometimes it jumps to the end of the word. Other times it stays put. Sometimes if an attempt is made to move the cursor within the word via the arrow keys instead of and arrow press causing the cursor to move a different letter will show up with each press. A bar is permanently resident at the bottom of the screen which shows at least three predicted words or spellings. Sometimes if one spelling is selected the bad word will be replaced but the last 2 or 3 letters will be left on the screen separated from the correct word by a space. As I said I have not bothered to figure out the rules this thing is using and I really do not want to. It is too complicated and strange for prime time as far as I am concerned. I will admit that when doing one finger typing in the tent using the on screen keyboard it is uncanny in its ability to predict what I am going to say. In short the predictive part is neat but the spell checker aspect is not good. Writing this makes me realize that it must almost certainly be associated with the keyboard app. That is the only one that really makes sense if for no other reason than the fact that it the one app which is always here. Gripe, gripe, gripe!

After I got John completely awake I went back to bed at 5:00 and slept until about 8:00. John left about 9:00 and I got out at 10:00. I went across the street to the mini-mart and bought a Honey Roll and a small bag of Fritos. Fritos are on my favorites list lately, salt, fat and corn protein.

I rode out into a cold head wind. At about 10 miles, just inside the Lake Amistead National Recreational Area, I stopped and ate the roll and about 1/2 the Fritos and put on the full gloves I purchased at Safford and my wind pants. I barely got going again before I saw a biker coming from the opposite direction. He came across the road and we had a nice chat. His name is Mike Rose and he started in West Virginia and rode to Key West and is now headed for California and Seattle. He is doing this on a lightweight road bike with almost no luggage. The catch is that his wife is following him in their RV. It sounds like a good way to travel but John and I both agree that we prefer being self contained and sufficient. Mike told me John was not too far ahead.

At about mile 20 I came to and area called the Amistead Visitors Center, and area with a number of boat storage facilities, RV parks and a few stores. After I had passed most of the businesses I saw a "Cafe" sign and thought to myself that John was probably there. Sure enough as I approached he started to pull out. We talked a bit then rode on into Del Rio together. We decided to share a room again and found a decent deal at the Motel 6. I showered and went next door and got a delicious Whataburger and fries and brought it back to the room. John is napping and I may walk down to the nearby Walmart after I post this chatter.

I realized that I took no pictures today so I will slip in a blurb about feet and pedals.

Feet and Pedals: Sometime last summer or fall I convinced myself that I wanted to use sandals and double sided pedals for touring. The pedals have flat platforms on one side and mountain in bike type clips on the other. I had seen a pair on my Big Sur ride last year and thought they looked like a good idea. The sandals look like regular street sandals and can be walked in like regular shoes but have a recess in the ball area where cleats are fastened which clip to the pedals. The beauty of the system is that if and when I develop hot spots on the bottoms of my feet from the cleats I can unclip and ride on the platforms awhile . The are also very efficacious when riding in slow traffic in town when one may want to dismount often and quickly. The sandals have also proven to be very comfortable, mush more than any shoes I own, and so far have been warm enough although I do have a pair of neoprene shoe covers and some heavy socks along in case of real cold or wet conditions.

Day: 25
3/24/2013
Langtry, TX
Comstock, TX
Miles: 28.6
Miles to Date: 1097.0
1097.0

Miles remaining:
Map 3 to Del Rio: 32
Map 4 to Navasota, TX: 431
Map 5 to New Roads, LA: 385
Map 6 to Bagdad, FL: @335
Total: 1183 (per Adventure Cycling maps)

I looked at the ACA map for Del Rio to Navasota, TX, for the first time and realized the route goes out and around to the north through Kerrville and almost to Austin. I will check the route against Google Maps later but I will probably go off route and take a more direct line through San Antonio and rejoin the "official" route somewhere west of Houston.

So last night was "interesting" to say the least. We set up at the community center on the lee side of the building. It was a beautiful warm and calm evening. We ate some canned food and took turns going 2 blocks up the street to use the WIFI at the Judge Roy Bean Museum. I got in my tent around 9:00, played a rousing game of Freecell on my tablet then promptly went to sleep on top of my bag with the door zipped shut and the fly door unzipped.

I slept like a baby until just about midnight when a big wind came up very suddenly. It got so violent I found myself wondering if it could be a tornado. At some point I looked up and saw that my tent fly was gone. A bit later I realized it was still hooked on to the tent but had been peeled over the top and was flapping in the wind on the downwind side. I got a bit worried when the foot of thee sent slid with my legs and about 30 pounds of gear weighting it down. Eventually the things calmed down and I got my feet into the bag and went to sleep with the rest of the bag on top of me like a blanket. Sometime before daybreak I had to re-orient the bag and zip it up as it got quite cold.

When I woke up about 9:00 John was mostly packed up and wearing his warm clothing. It was obvious that winter is back! I got up and started packing. My tent was reduced to a one man hovel with all the gear pushed in towards the center. No wonder I was so cozy all night.

John went to the store/restaurant for breakfast. Originally I intended to go for Coke but in the end just rode out of town via the east leg of the horseshoe road which extends south from the highway into town. I decided I could make the 30 miles to Comstock with no Coke.

As I started up the first big hill on the highway I saw John in my mirror. This was a granny gear hill almost a mile long which took me 17 minutes to climb . After I got to the top and started down I did not see John again until he pulled into the picnic area at mile 12. I put on my zip-neck turtle and fleece beanie and we rode on together. In a few miles we crossed the gorge of the Pecos River which was pretty imposing. At mile 20 came across a couple from Seattle trying to change a flat tire on their tent trailer. We stopped and went to work helping them. After that we rolled on to Comstock where we got some snacks and decided it made sense to try to cut a deal with the local motel for the night rather than push on the remaining 32 miles to Del Rio. It was already 3:30 PM.

We have a nice 2 bed room with space for both bikes and our truck. Life is good even if there is not restaurant in town. We will see if the store has some microwave food.

Day: 24
3/23/2013
Sanderson, TX
Langtry, TX
Miles: 62.0
Miles to Date: 1068.4

I am including next 2 paragraphs in the 3/23 post because I do not want to have to go out in the yard to update the 3/22 post.

I almost forgot to mention that yesterday evening when I walked across the street to get some chow John was sitting at a bench out in front eating something. He had finished and walked over to his bike by the time I got there . We exchanged some info and then the three young guys showed up on their way to buy beer. They were staying in a small house or apartment someone one of them knew had set them up with. While we were standing there John noticed his back tire was flat. He said he had parked in a mess of goat head thorns at the RV park in Marathon. I asked him why he had not come to the hostel and he said he does not like hostels. Later when I was sitting on the lawn by the office updating yesterday's blog entry he came over. He had checked out the RV park and found it lacking in terms of the tent site right next to the highway and a shower that looked like it required Vise Grips to turn on so he had rented a room at the motel next door to mine. We visited more then he went to his room and I to mine. Later I went to the office to have a better place to sit while I added pictures to the post. I had an interesting conversation with one of the motel employees who drives a large displacement Honda cruiser style motorcycle. He did not want to trade for my bicycle either. I also visited the mini mart again to get some supplies to take tomorrow.

John had ridden 70 miles the day I went 35 from Sierra Blanca to Van Horn. He ended up camping in a culvert under the road, not my cup of tea. He said I would not have liked the route because of the climbs but did not elaborate much other than to say he spent a day or two climbing 100 meters only to drop 90 then climb 100 or more again.

8:15 AM: I woke up at 6:00 not feeling ambitious. I laid in bed and listened to the TV news and tried to sleep more. It did not happen so I will pack it up and hit the road. The route today is 60 miles generally downhill to the thriving metropolis of Langtry, TX. There will be several nasty little climbs out of waterways headed south into the Rio Grande. Apparently there is free camping at the town community center but with no water or restrooms. We were warned by the hostel host that the store there is not good so I am planning to have food for a day or two with me.

So I decided to cheap out today and take motel water. I have 5 bottles worth plus my 20 oz reserve bottle. My drill has become to drink 2 24 oz bottles of Fizz water and 80-120 oz of Diet Coke per day. I was looking at a Coke label the other day. A 20 oz bottle contains 700 mg of sodium and also a potassium compound as a preservative so I guess it is an electrolyte replacement drink after all. All I can say about my diet and fluid intake is that it seems to be working.

7:34 PM: I am standing in front of the BBQ/incinerator /crematorium contraption at the Langtry, TX, community center using the top of the BBQ as a computer table. John and I arrived here about 1 1/2 hours ago. I left Sanderson about 10:00 after a stop at the local market for a few supplies. I had a relatively pleasant ride. My seat problems seem to be null and void so I was able to go 15-20 miles between breaks with no significant butt issues.

At about mile 49 I was overtaken by the young guy trio who had a late start due to some excessive beer consumption the night before. As they passed I looked up the road and saw what I first took to be John's bike. I decided it was not because it did not move. After a few hundred yards the trio stopped and as I came up I saw that sure enough it was John with his bike upside down fixing a flat. John had left town at 8:00 and it took me 50 miles to catch him, not that I had any idea where he or the trio were until I saw them. We all chatted a bit and as the trio started to leave John noticed his back tire was flat again. The boys left and John and I started walking towards the picnic area about 3/4 mile ahead. I sat and rested while John repaired his flat then we rode the last 10 or so miles into the Langtry store together. We arrived just as they were closing down but they sold us some Coke and beer and cookies. We drank our drinks then came into town and found the community center are setting up shop. Oh, John had another flat as we came into town. He has fixed it. He is a very patient man.

It is warm and breezy here and I am looking forward to a pleasant sleep. I am weary. The sun is just now setting at 7:45. It will not come up until almost 8:00 AM.

Day: 23
3/22/2013
Marathon, TX
Sanderson, TX
Miles: 55.7
Miles to Date: 1006.4

Adios to Goat Mountain Hostel

3:06 AM: So, this has turned out to not be the best sleeping environment but not so bad. The bed is very hard and my hip woke me up. I will put my Thermarest pad under my bag and it will be fine. The air is crisp and cool here, about 49 outside at present. The elevation is about 4K feet. I could see living in a place like this.

This town (Marathon), Alpine and Marfa all remind me to some extent of the town of Joshua Tree near my home in 29 Palms, CA. All of these towns are gateways to a National or large State Park (Marfa). They have all been "Yuppified" to some extent by urban refugees who want to live an idyllic rural life and are financing the endeavor by establishing and running a business intended to thrive on the tourist trade. Most of these people and their businesses do not seem to last long. Most small businesses fail anyway but it has to be especially difficult to be successful in a sparsely populated area with a seasonal customer base. Also life in the "country" may turn out to be not the pretty picture it appears to be from afar when one is faced with the day to day realities of it. There are many good reasons the bulk of the population has bailed out of the farm and moved to the urban environment in the last 100 years or so.

This journal is a paltry representation of this trip. I see so much interesting stuff every day it is overwhelming. I would have to write a book each day to describe all of it fairly so I just skim the surface noting a few facts about the route and give a few details about my experience but leave the vast bulk of it on the floor. Part of what happens is that each day the box that holds my memories fills up anew and in the process most of yesterday's stuff is pushed out. It gives one great respect for authors such as William Least Heat Moon and Paul Theroux who can go on a big trip and write a coherent story based on what they saw. It seems like the effort to record enough material to make a book would spoil the trip to a large degree, turn it into just another job. Bla bla bla.

Yesterday morning coming out of Marfa and most of Wednesday the terrain looked like you could expect to see Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson ride by on a horse, high plains grasslands. After I topped the pass between Marfa and Alpine I came down through an area of trees, oaks, pines, junipers and some beautiful green deciduous trees I could not identify. I am sure that by skipping the mountain areas I have missed some very beautiful scenery but I am thinking I can come back and look at the steep stuff by car one day.

There are three other bikers here tonight, young guys. One of them told me he passed John and that he was planning to stay at the RV park in town. I am surprised . He must have really hustled to get here in the same time I did given that he had to climb through some gnarly mountains. He did say he is ready to finish his ride. He is going to Victoria, TX which is about 100 miles SE of San Antonio so he is within a few hundred miles of his goal now. It is easy to imagine that when near the end of an endeavor like this getting there becomes the main or only goal.

If all goes well I will pass the 1000 mile mark tomorrow which will be more or less 1/2 of the total distance to Pensacola. I probably have at least 600 miles of Texas left.

9:40: I slept well until 9:00. I checked bike tires and lubed chain, packed up and will take a quick shower then hit the road. It got plenty cold before morning . I had to completely zip up my bag and get in the hood none of which I remember doing .

6:00 PM: The young guys left 20-30 minutes ahead of me. When I finally got going and got back to the highway they were sitting in front of a cafe having coffee. We exchanged greetings as I rode by to the mini-mart to get the day's supplies: 3 20 oz Cokes, a 4 oz bag of Fritos, a pack of mini-doughnuts, 2 bags of "Flamin' Hot" peanuts and a Milky Way. Nothing but the finest and most nutritious for me!

I finally got on the road at 10:30 after talking briefly with a couple from Boston. The lady had asked the mart proprietor if he had an brandy. At my first break 11 miles out the 3 guys steamed past me. I finished my break and started on. About 1/2 mile before the 15 mile mark I saw them taking a break at the top of a sort but steep hill. When I got within a few hundred yards of them they mounted up and left. Bikers tend to be competitive people and I had to be very careful to not try to chase them down. I might have caught them eventually but it would have ruined me for 2-3 days and I am not doing this to race or hurry or prove anything. Fortunately I was able to contain myself and let them run off.

At mile 25'ish I came to a picnic area and had a nice peaceful break and a brief conversation with a man from Oregon who is headed to Key West on a motorcycle trike pulling a tent trailer. I offered to trade him straight across for my bike and kit.

As I rode on I thought of a thing the bike shop guy in Alpine had said when I asked him about Brooks leather seats. He said he had seen ones that looked like sway backed horses which were purported to be very comfortable. It occurred to me that increasing the tension on my Brooks would tend to remove the sway back aspect and in fact make the center of the back section higher and more apt to contact my tail bone which is exactly what has been happening. At about 40 miles I stopped and got the Brooks out of the bag and removed all the tension I had put in and changed it with the new seat I had been riding so far today. After a few minutes of minor pain it started to feel pretty good. Sadly I got 1/2 mile away downhill and downwind before realizing I had left the new seat sitting on the back of the bike. I grunted the 1/2 mile back up the hill into the wind and it was sitting there smiling at me like I was a real dumb ass (how did he know?). Ha! It must have fallen off when I got on the bike and nearly hit my foot and I did not notice. This demonstrates how into my head I can get at times.

First Texas Erl Well

The last 15 miles into Sanderson were uneventful, mostly downhill and with a minimum of butt pain. We will see how the seat does tomorrow on a 61 mile jaunt to Langtry with more up and down. Hopefully the problem is behind me (so to speak).

When I got to town I stopped at the first cheesy looking motel and got a nice room at an acceptable price . I forgot to ask and the WIFI is bad in the room so I will have to go down by the office to add this prattle to the blog. I showered and washed out my dirty stuff in the sink and walked across the street to the local chain mini-mart with food and got a lunch plate of shrimp and country fries. Very good! I am a happy camper.

Oh yes. A few miles out of town I got to the 1000 mile mark.

Day: 22
3/21/2013
Marfa, TX
Marathon,TX
Miles: 58.7
Miles to Date: 950.7

One of my readers has indicated that he is being overworked and stressed to the poinrt of a nervous breakdown by having to scroll all the way to the bottom of this blog to read the current day's entry. His point is well taken and I will reverse this section and put the new day on top. Anthing to help him get off his meds.

So, yesterday was very interesting. When I came around corner at about mile 25 I could see the large Davis mountains to the SE where the University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located. Many of us are familiar with McDonald from the Star Date program on NPR. The narrator is Sandy Wood and I always had to wonder if Sandy Wood (groan, sorry). Anyway, the "official" route goes up and over Davis Mountain and when I saw it rising out of the plain apparently straight up for several thousand feet I felt very fortunate to have opted for my current route. As annoying as it was yesterday I can only imagine the fun John is having climbing through and over those mountains. It is a good thing he is a tough Canadian farm boy from Northern Alberta. Sadly even though I tried I did not get a decent picture of Mount Davis.

Another interesting thing I saw was what at first appeared to be a blimp moored on the West side of the road ahead. Initially I thought it might be another piece of Texas road art like the Marfa Prada store. I also had to wonder if it was a decorated water tank. I knew it was large because it took me over an hour to get to it after I first spotted it. It turned out to be an Air Force radar balloon used I assume to watch for aircraft coming from Mexico with loads of the drugs that we fat stupid (especially stupid) and relatively rich American consumers insist on having while denigrating and demonize those who supply the stuff. I though I took pictures of the thing but do not see them on my phone. Correction, I see the pictures on the phone. If they are in the stuff synced by Google today I will put one in.

Highway 90 from Van Horn had a very nice wide shoulder all the way. I was surprised by the amount of traffic. By traffic I mean a car or two every few minutes. During the night portion of the ride it was more like a car or truck every 5-10 minutes. The whole day was safe and the night segment was peaceful with a beautiful ethereal looking sky. I even got off and walked the bike for 15 or 20 minutes just to enjoy the peace and quiet (and to rest my tired backside).

It is almost 10:00 AM. I better pack up and hit the road. My plan is to cruise to Alpine, TX, 25 miles east. I am sure there will be some ups and downs on the road but it cannot be too bad as it follows the railroad most of the way. I was surprised to see a mainline RR coming this way. It must serve the ports on the South Texas coast. I saw no trains during the day but just before dark 2 WB and one EB came by loaded with shipping containers labeled with names not seen on the West Coast. Note: It tuns out this line it the mainline through Texas to the gulf Coast. Amtrak used this route as well.

I left the motel at 11:00 and rode 3/4 mile back into town to get some Coke before starting out. 10 miles from town in an annoying head/side wind I came to the Marfa Mystery Lights viewing area. The town fathers probably pay some locals to go out in the desert and play with some flashlights so the yokle tourists will have something to look at besides the relatively barren landscape. Nicely while I was checking out the building the wind changed and has remained a pretty healthy West wind all afternoon.

I rolled into Alpine about 2:30 even with some rather nasty little climbs to a pass or two. I pulled into the RV park where I had intended to stay and tried to get a weather report on my phone . No data available. I decided given the wind it was a better idea to ride it to Marathon 30 miles away than to put the tent up in it and sit in it all afternoon and evening. I started off.

A few blocks down the street I came to the local bike shop. I went in and checked out his seat selection. Nothing too great but one looked better than my $19 Walmart seat so I bought it. I asked the guy about the ride to Marathon and he said it would be the easiest 30 miles of my trip. I put the new seat on and took off. After 2 blocks I said to myself that this seat was not going to work but by the time I got to the edge of town it felt good, much better on my various pelvic bones than my fancy leather model has of late.

I hit the last mini-mart out of town for more Coke, a bag of Fritos , a large Milky Way and a very gooey cherry danish of some sort. 8 miles from town I came to a Texas picnic area and stopped and ate the roll and some Fritos before proceeding. The next 27-8 miles into Marathon were indeed pleasant in spite of a couple of short uphill sections.

I stopped in town to check out the motel/RV park. The motel was much too expensive and the tent sites were out in the open exposed to the wind so I came to the biker hostel the proprietor at the Alpine bike shop told me about. I have set up shop in a small travel trailer in the midst of a very eclectic collection of buildings and not quite buildings. I am next to the rest room building and not far from the outdoor kitchen and main hostel building. The price is right....free. See pictures below. I hope I can sleep in here as it is a bit on the dusty side. As Peter Sellars once said, "It is all part of life's rich pageant."

Tomorrow offers an aledged easy mostly downhill 50 mile run to Sanderson.

Lordsburg, NM, to Marfa, TX

Day: 14
3/13/2013
Lordsburg, NM
Deming, NM
Miles: 60.2
Miles to Date: 574.2

A somewhat brutal day. We got away from the KOA about 10:30 and stopped at a mini-mart for Coke and peanuts. We got on the I-10 Freeway at the ramp about 1/4 mile from the mart with 60 miles before us to reach Deming and not knowing what to expect. It turned out to be perhaps the safest and best road surface I have experienced on this ride. The shoulder is very smooth and hard asphalt, about 12' wide almost all the way to Deming. We were protected from traffic by a wide and deep rumble strip. Most traffic seemed to move to the left to give us plenty of room if they could and if not we had enough separation to feel safe.

That is the good news for the day. The bad news was a steady climb to the Continental Divide 30 miles in and the nasty gusty headwind that in combination often slowed us to 5-6 MPH. We did however discover the joy of drafting. After our first break at about 6 miles I got behind john for a bit but did not think it helped much so I pulled around him and he got on my wheel and liked it. He said it made riding about 30% easier. The rest of the afternoon we took turns at the front and consequently made much better time than usual.

We pulled into Deming at about 7:15, just before sunset. As I led us down what I thought was Pine Street looking for an RV park I had spotted on my GPS app John pulled up to me and offered to spring for a motel room for the night. He did not have to offer twice. I immediately turned left onto a side street and headed for the 2 motels I could see a block away. We picked the most promising one and were able to secure a large room with 2 beds which has room for our bikes and all our stuff. We walked down the street a few blocks and had a tasty if junky Big Mac meal then came back to the room. I have a load of clothes going in the al fresco laundry room by the managers office and we are both working on our journals. It will be bedtime as soon as the clothes are dry.

Day: 15
3/14/2013
Deming, NM
Las Cruces, NM
Miles: 56.3
Miles to Date: 630.5

A Relatively Recent Volcanic Cone

We went a couple of blocks up the street about 8:00 and had Huevos Rancheros (again). We rode up the street to Walmart and I0 purchased a few items including a cheap bike seat. We got on the road about 10:30 climbing into a headwind as seems to be the norm now. At our first break which happened to be exactly 10 miles from the motel John shook my hand and told me it had been nice riding with me but that he was going to go it alone. We talked awhile then both started riding. I soon pulled ahead.

At the 22 mile mark I stopped beyond an underpass for a 10 and noticed a decent looking frontage road a few hundred yards from the freeway. I decided to try it so pushed the bike through the inside of the cloverleaf and got on it. The first thing I encountered was a sign stating that the next interchange was 14 miles distant. This was a good sign because it meant the road was not a dead end.

I was soon out in the boonies away from the freeway. It was quiet and peaceful. I did not see more than perhaps a dozen cars in the 14 miles. One of them was driven by what I assumed was a drunk as he/she was one half over the line in my lane while still quite far away. When he passed I saw it was a border patrol agent who apparently was trying to see if he could spook me into making a run for the bushes. He was probably disappointed when he got close enough to see I was just an old white man who was probably not up to any mischief involving illegal immigration or drugs. I took a couple of breaks in this stretch and a few photos which probably do not do the terrain justice.

The Long Lonesome Road

When I got back to the freeway I stopped to have a drink before pushing on. As I was preparing to leave I looked up and saw john going by on the freeway shoulder. I called "AAAAA!" to him (what else would you say to a Canadian?) And he stopped. We talked a bit and he allowed that he would probably show up at the KOA in Las Cruces where I planned to stay. I went on ahead and arrived at about 5:00. I checked in and set up my tent and was messing around installing my lost bike computer which I finally found in my tool kit when John pulled in. He had had a flat about 1/2 mile from the park. Frustrating? John was amused that I would run two computers but what can I say, I just like numbers. We ate some canned food, showered and are now doing computer stuff in the dark. I will go to bed soon and I am feeling the results of doing 115 miles in two days including hills and wind. I guess we will try to finalize our divorce tomorrow. John has to take his bike to the shop again and I will probably move on ahead although I am about ready for a layover day.

A word about butt pain: I was hoping to make this ride with no painkiller intake. I did fine the first week and 1/2 but the last few days I have been having enough pain in my "sit bones" to require some Ibuprofen. I had considered bringing the seat from my new Dahon folding bike as a backup but decided not to because I did not want to drag around the extra weight. Too bad for me. This morning I bought a seat that looks similar to the Dahon seat. I rode on it for about 30 miles before putting the original back on. The best I can say for it is that it make me hurt in different places. I moved the old seat back when I but it back on and the last few miles this evening the pain subsided. Maybe I am on to something. One can hope. It is amazing how much a nagging butt pain can distract from the pleasure of the day. Tomorrow Texas!

Changing Seats in the Middle of Nowhere

Day: 16
3/15/2013
Las Cruces, NM
Mesilla, NM
Miles: 7.0
Miles to Date: 637.5

Tent Site in Mesilla - Nicer Than it Appears

9:00 AM I am sitting here in the sun at the KOA enjoying a lazy morning. I added day numbers to the blog and checked for date coherency. It is a beautiful morning here and it is obvious it will get warm later, mid-80's I think. I was cold last night until I woke up enough to put my fleece pullover on. I think it was mostly because I am still somewhat sunburned. I slept in until 8:00, probably because my tent is shaded from the sun by a bush.

I am considering doing a rest day here and if the site had a sunshade of some sort I might but since it does not and $34.00 is quite a bit for or a tent site in this part of the world I think I will move on. I may go 20-30 miles down the road and try to find a cheaper camp site or a cheap motel and rest tomorrow. Although I feel fine a day off does not sound bad either. Incidentally, the park has the best WIFI I have encountered so far on this trip. It seems like many places, motels and RV parks, put in some half assed system so they can put "Free WIFI" on the sign. This one actually works which allowed me to go through the entire blog and do updates in a few minutes.

2:45 PM: I am at the McDonald's in Las Cruces. After studying the map I realized that if I went 30 miles I would have to stay in a relatively expensive chain motel 3 miles off route. In the town of Mesilla are an RV Park and a motel. I decided to check them out. The RV park is reasonable in price so I am set up there. I had to walk a mile down the street to get here but I suppose it is worth it. I am showered and fed and enjoying the afternoon off. If I like it enough I may stay here tomorrow as well. The park is down home but the facilities are fine including an electrical outlet near the tent. I am off to walk "home" for some R&R.

3:45 PM: Made it back from lunch. I found a nice gazebo behind the store in the shade where I can actually see my tablet screen. I am sitting here in a fast food and candy bar induced stupor thinking about crawling into the tent for a nap heat be darned. It was a strange sensation walking to McDonald's on the sidewalk. Every time I heard a car come from behind I tried to look into the mirror to see if he was about to nail me. I may have that reflex for some time after 1400 more miles of dodging motor vehicles.

Bike Locked to a Very Thorny Tree

7:40 PM: I just finished a can of chili beans and a can of Bush's Baked Beans. I am through with McDonald's for awhile. I had a large chocolate shake with my lunch and it knocked me out for most of the afternoon. I took a nap on the couch under the gazebo and I finally feel human again. I had a nice phone chat with my bud Dale whose home in Florida is the destination of this trip. He is tracking my progress so he will know when to install the locks on the fridge and pantry.

John 191 from Duncan emailed this afternoon and said he is toying with the idea of riding along for a few days. I told him to join the party if he wishes. He said his wife could carry our stuff and scout for motels, etc. It sounds good to me if he wants to take the leap. I have no problem with riding an unladen bike for a time. Some might consider that cheating in some way but I will go by what the old EST guy, Werner Erhart, used to tell his customers during the 70's (I never was one but worked with several who could not keep their yaps shut about it), "The first rule of life is that there are no rules."

A rest day/afternoon is a good thing!

Day: 17
3/16/2013
Mesilla, NM
N. Edge El Paso, TX
Miles: 37.1
Miles to Date: 674.6

3:20 PM: I am sitting in a Motel 6 room in NW El Paso, TX. I crossed into Texas at some time today but did not see a sign. I did notice after the town of Anthony the cars all had Texas plates. Call me a wimp but it is nice to have 4 walls a roof, floor, indoor plumbing, TV, etc.

I had in mind the possibility of canceling this reservation and going another 15 miles to the Motel 6 on the East side of town but when I got here it sounded very good to stop so I will attempt to sneak through town tomorrow morning and get away from this strange metro area. I say strange because I have just never felt comfortable with this place. The first time I drove through a number of years ago a car full of men tried to force me onto a "Y" in the freeway that would have taken me downtown somewhere. I have no idea what they had in mind but I had no interest. The whole place seems to be a strange combination of the US and Mexico although that is just an impression as I have never been off the freeway before other than to get gas. I will learn a lot more tomorrow morning.

Today's ride was a relatively easy cruise through nicely maintained farmland. I was surprised because based on driving through on the I-10 I expected miles of urban sprawl. I guess that shows how observant I am when I drive. The drivers, especially in New Mexico were extremely courteous as well. When one approached from the rear and cars were approaching from the front they actually waited for the opposing traffic to pass rather than the usual squeezing by with inches to spare. So far the Texas drivers have been decent as well. Arizona holds first place so far in the bad, rude and dangerous driver competition.

There were several nice stretches where I was able to cruise along at 15-20 MPH with less effort than I was expending to manage 6-7 coming out of Lordsburg a few days ago. Such are the vagaries of bicycle riding in the windy West. At one point I made a 90 degree turn into a brisk crosswind. I started hearing ugly noises from the drive train. My first thought was, "Oh fudge (or similar), something broke!" The noise persisted and the shifting went south. When I gained a bit of of composure and looked down and back at the rear wheel I noticed that the tail end of my beautiful and expensive and very functional microfiber towel had slipped from under the bungees and was in the rear derailleur. I pulled off at the next farm driveway and fortunately it pulled right out of the gears with no apparent damage except to the towel which was coated with gobs of oil and crud. I have it soaking in the sink with one of my laundry detergent "pods" and the gunk seems to be coming out. One can hope.

I crossed the mighty Rio Grande twice today. The second time I stopped to take a photo. It either runs underground here or there is no water until the snow melt starts farther north. The farm land appears to be irrigated by ground water pumped by gas or diesel or natural gas powered engines unlike California where most pumping is done using electricity.

I am in the middle of a significant shopping area so I am going to go our and get some lunch or early dinner and get some food to take south of El Paso where I do not expect to find much selection.

Life is good.

5:45 PM: The shopping trip turned out to be a bust but I did get some Coke and snacks and I brought fast food back to the room. I am weary.

11:30 PM: I just got my laundry finished and walked to McMcDonald's for a late dinner/snack. I laid down around 6:00 but did not sleep. A lady trucker monopolized the one washer and drier for about 4 hours. It is my problem for not doing mine when I first got here this afternoon and the place was deserted. I got an email from John. He is across the street at another motel . We may run into each other tomorrow. It is bedtime.

Day: 18
3/17/2013
N. Edge El Paso, TX
Hideaway Lakes, Tornillo, TX
Miles: 50.5
Miles to Date: 725.1

Looking Into Mexico

As is so often the case, preconceived notions and biases turned out to be crap.... again. Downtown El Paso is a clean and very nice looking city, built on some hills it is reminiscent of parts of downtown San Francisco. Of course it helps that I went through on a Sunday morning when the place was literally deserted.

I left the motel at 10:20 and was immediately confronted with a 4 mile climb I did not want. My legs are like old nags, they do not want to leave the barn in the morning and when they do they want to take it easy for awhile until they are warmed up and resigned to the prospect of a day's work. Anyway I slowly ground up 4 miles then stopped for a "natural break" which is how they daintily refer to peeing by the side of the road on Tour de France telecasts. Since I did not want to be a piker I bought a Jalapeño cheese sausage on bun. While I was standing outside eating it I got dizzy enough to almost fall over. This has happened before after a strenuous ride in the morning so I did not worry too much about it. I think it is a result of perhaps taking a bit too much BP med. The doc said I might be able to cut it to every other day when he gave me some new man stuff to take at night which also drops BP. So I anticipated this problem and brought my pill cutter along. I think I will start cutting them tomorrow.

The scary part is that I have never had a problem on the bike but after I ate the dog and was coasting down into town I got very woozy. Fortunately the laws of physics kept the bike upright long enough for me to recover but this is not a good thing. The dog probably exacerbated the situation by robbing blood from my old gourd for digestion. I do try to arrange things so I do not have to do an ugly climb right out of bed. I did not realize how much this one was to be. This whole situation is to be watched.

So, I missed a turn in downtown El Paso and ended up on a 4 lane semi-freeway right on the border. The traffic was light but I had to climb over a couple of overpasses and finally up onto a freeway heading north. I got off at the first cross street by walking the bike back on an on ramp. I ended up on Paisano Street instead of N. Loop Drive but Paisano turned into Highway 20 which I follow for 50 or more miles anyway. As I said I was very happy to make this transit on Sunday when the drivers that at were out were having fun and not late top work or school or whatever and driving like the possessed. About 25 miles out I finally broke out of the urban sprawl and into farmland and much lighter and generally very polite traffic. It was nice after 20 miles of car lots and auto parts stores.

I ate my way here today. Besides the Jalapeño dog I stopped at a 7-11 somewhere in S. El Paso and had a dog wrapped in some sort of dough with jelly, perhaps grape, in it (must be a Mexican/Latino/Hispanic/brown skinned people/etc. (pick the one most PC to you) treat) and a rolled taco with a very spicy meat paste in it. I stopped again in Clint and got a 12" Subway sandwich and ate 1/2 of it. I have the rest in the tent for dinner or an appetizer. The green stuff in the sandwich tastes especially good.

My map indicated an RV park in Tornillo. When I got there I saw no sign. I asked to guys walking to the store. No English . I went to the store and asked. Almost no English. I took the map out of the case and saw that the park is 3 miles south of town then 1 1/2 miles off the road and here I am. It is not a pretty place but it works. It is a series of fishing lakes and not really a campground. No doubt most of the current occupants will go home this evening and I will have the place to myself. I do have to be out by 9:00 which is early for me. I will set my alarm.

The wind is howling from the West (my friend today). I have my test up against some bushes along the fence on the Southwest side of the place which is the only sheltered spot I can see. I am sitting at a picnic table 100 yards away getting well aired out and dusted. There is enough glare that I can barely see the screen to compose this scribble.

I noticed on a sign near Tornillo that it is only about 50 miles to Sierra Blanca which is a good goal for tomorrow. If the wind is very favorable I might make Van Horn which would make the next leg into Marfa much easier. In fact I may stop at Van Horn in any event so I can get to Marfa in one day. The road to Marfa is pretty lonely and deserted.

II just ate the rest of the sandwich. is nice to be sitting still.

Day: 19
3/18/2013
Hideaway Lakes, Tornillo, TX
Sierra Blanca, TX
Miles: 58.2
Miles to Date: 783.3

Decorated Houses in Fort Hancock, TX

An interesting night and day. My assumption that everyone would go home from the lakes in the evening was way off. The long and the short of it is that the place was a total zoo until 3:00 AM. People driving by within feet of my tent and honking the horn, people playing with their car alarms, yelling , singing, macho contests with people across the lake, etc. I slept from about 10:00 until 2:00 when I heard a guy banging on a pot and and yelling at the party crew in Spanish then got a few hours in from about 3:00 until 7:00 when I got up packed and got the heck out of there.

It was a nice morning to ride, not too hot nor too cold. I was 25 miles out by the time I usually get started. I left camp with about 50 oz. of water and 20 oz. of Diet Coke. I hoped to hit a store in Fort Hancock , 15 miles away, and if not at the mini-mart I thought is where the route rejoins the freeway at about 40 miles. At the Fort Hancock I inquired and found the market is 2 miles up the hill near the freeway and decided to pass. I stopped and ate my last 4 cookies from Deming and a few of my mixed nuts from El Paso and set out again. I had a bag of Cheddar Chex Mix in reserve along with a can of kidney beans and one of corn.

Looking Into Mexico from Farm to Market Road 192

At 38 miles I came to the junction of Texas 20 and Road 34. EDIT: Highway 20 merges with I-10 just east of McNary, TX. The route turns south on Road 192 and loops around to the east to the junction with Road 34. This junction is where the day's work really started. The route climbs north here about 2 miles to the freeway. The mini-mart was long dead. The route follows the poorly surfaced shoulder for about 2 more miles to an informal off ramp across to a well paved frontage road. I stopped and put on my backup seat to give my pelvic bones a change of pace and ate some Chex Mix. The frontage road climbs steeply for 8 miles where it rejoins I-10 for a detour through a Border Patrol check station and a nice 6 miles downhill run into Sierra Blanca. Part way up the hill I got off and walked the bike 3/4 miles which gave me and my sore rump a nice break and really made me appreciate going 3 MPH when I started pedaling again. The Climb was not as long as I thought I remembered from previous passages by car and motorcycle. That was fine with me.

I had intended to camp in the Sierra Blanca town park then cruise into Van Horn tomorrow for a long afternoon in a motel room. When I got into town I realized I was tired and a motel sounded good. I decided to at least check the price before heading for the park. I passed a couple of defunct motels on the town's main drag. I asked a man peeling potatoes in front of the last one and he told me the only surviving motel was through the underpass on the far side of the freeway. I ground up through the underpass and as I turned the corner towards the motel I saw John's bike in front of the office. He had already rented a single room. I put down $10 more and we are in a large room with 2 beds and plenty of room for our bikes and gear. We both showered and walked back to the other side of the freeway and had Subway sandwiches before coming back to the room to rest and journal.

Downtown Fort Hancock, TX

Day: 20
3/19/2013
Sierra Blanca, TX
Van Horn, TX
Miles: 31.8
Miles to Date: 815.1

Gravel Piles by the Road

6:50 AM: We stayed up talking and doing computer stuff until about midnight. We both got up about 5:15. John wanted an early start because he plans to to to Van Horn, 34 miles away, and stock up then follow the official route to Fort Davis which will give him 40 miles on the I-10 followed by about 50 miles of two lane road through the mountains with climbs up to around 6,000 feet all with no services. I do not care to go that way and deal with the climbs so I will go to Van Horn and take the afternoon off then tomorrow see if I can make the 78 miles south and slightly east to Marfa on US 90. This road is long and straight and deserted but climbs only about 1000 feet over the entire distance which is more to my liking.

From Marfa I will have a 26 mile relatively flat ride to Alpine where I will re-join the official route.

John left about 30 minutes ago. He left his sunglasses in the room so I took them to him at he mini-mart where he was drinking his morning coffee. While I was there I got my morning supply of Coke and a sticky bun. After ingesting the bun I may need another bit of sleep. I am in no hurry because if I get to Van Horn too early I may have to hang around somewhere waiting to check into a room.

This room is very nice, our second good experience with a motel run by Indian people. It is an old motel but has been refurbished nicely with tile floors in the bath/sink/closet area and Berber carpet for the rest. The beds are very good quality and there is a microwave and refrigerator and all is clean and with no obnoxious odor. When Indians and other Middle Easterners first started buying motels in this country I do not think they realized what a bunch of anal retentive clean freaks we Americans are but they are smart people and have figured it out. Now if they can only figure out how to stop doubling the population of their country every 2 weeks.

4:15 PM: Really seems like 3:15 but the time zone line is about 3 miles west of town. I am in Central Time now. This is the last change unless I decide to go east or NE of Pensacola.

I arrived here about 2:30 local time after an easy wind assisted ride from Sierra Blanca. All but the last 9 miles were on a nicely paved frontage road on the north side of the I-10. It only took me 2:15 to get here in spite of a couple of pretty good hills which tells you how easy the ride was.

I have always stayed in the Motel 6 in this town but this time I decided to try an independent. I have a very nice room a block away from M6 for $2 more but it includes WIFI, laundry and a breakfast. WIFI is $3 at M6 and the other items are not available. I have a big room with a king size bed and plenty of room for the bike. It is about a block and one half to the town market which I have already patronized to get food for today and tomorrow.

Nice Room in Van Horn, TX

The sad news is that there are some new big chain motels and a McDonald's on the opposite side of the I-10 now and this side (north) of town is slowly dying. The Dairy Queen across the street from the M6 is gone which is a shame . I was looking forward to a nice greasy burger and fries. It is too much trouble to walk or ride to McDonald's so I bought a frozen dinner and some corn dogs to subsist on for today along with some items to take with me tomorrow in case I get caught out and camp in the desert.

The forecasted winds look much better Thursday than tomorrow for going south to Marfa so it is possible I may take a rest day here tomorrow. We will see in the morning.

The View Down Main Street, Van Horn, TX

Day: 21
3/20/2013
Van Horn, TX
Marfa,TX
Miles: 76.9
Miles to Date: 892.0

Texas Roadside Art? A Strange Thing to Come Upon in the Desert

I did not set a clock and it is dark in the room and I slept until 8:55 which means I missed the "free" breakfast. It is probably just as well. I probably need some sleep more than more fattening food and I have two microwave corn dogs left from the shopping spree of yesterday. The corn dogs are a bit rubbery but not too bad. I do not think they are short of calories.

I did go out for a short stroll last evening and found that there is an off ramp and underpass about 2 blocks up the street. It is either new or I have not noticed it before. I went that way and got a small snack at McDonald's.

I considered taking a day off here but I guess I will pack up and mosey down the road. The forecast keeps changing. Last night it was to be 62 with NE wind today. Now it is up to 75 with W or ESE wind neither of which are very helpful. I will just go until I run out of time then camp if I am not in town.

Oh what a day! The first 20 miles out of Van Horn went well then the wind came up and the climb started. I spent many hours plugging along at 5-8 MPH. Sundown at 8:00 found me 20-25 miles from Marfa with no prospects for camping. I set up my lights and put on my zip neck turtle and wind pants and ground it out until sometime after 10:00 when I finally reached Marfa. It is a town that closes up sometime before 10:00. No food, no nothing except a few gas station/mini-marts. The ones I checked had already closed up their prepared food operations. I did not find a motel and get checked in until 11:00. I may say more about the afternoon later but now I just want to go to bed and zone out.

Apache Junction, AZ to Lordsburg,NM

Day: 8
3/07/2013
Apache Junction KOA, Apache Junction, AZ
Superior, AZ
Miles: 31.6
Miles to Date: 352.9

A short but tough enough day. I got up about 7:30 and got on the road at 9:30. John left a few minutes before me. I rode about 3 miles out to Highway 60 and headed east. In a few miles I came to a rather large shopping area. I pulled in and went to the supermarket and loaded up on canned fruit, veggies, beans, Coke and of course a bag of cookies. I had a Coke and some cookies then started in earnest for Florence Junction, about 10 miles away. When I got there I took a brief break and some pictures of the desert scenery before starting the climb to Gonzales Pass at 2600 feet.

A mile or so along I had to go around a travel trailer parked on the shoulder. On the far end was John visiting with the proprietor who was waiting for his truck to cool down so he could continue up the grade. I stopped and gave John my bag of coffee which I had earlier realized I had with me. I had thought I had left it at home. John's coffee had gotten wet and solidified into a block and he had been whittling shards off the lump every time he wanted a cup. We and the trailer man all started off up the hill at the same time. John is a much more relaxed rider than I and I soon left him behind on the rather steep grade even though I did not intend to. I guess I like to get to the top of a hill to get it over with. I was very glad to see the top of this one. On the far side was a nice 25-30 MPH coast for a mile or two before entering a series of ups and downs into Superior.

I stopped at the rest area at the west end of the highway business strip. I ate a can of peaches and sat around awhile to see if John would come along. After a reasonable pause I decided to move on. My general idea was to try to make it through the famous Queen Creek Tunnel and on to a campground beyond. The tunnel is uphill, 2 lane and with no shoulder or sidewalk and Highway 60 is well traveled in the area. The only option seems to be to take a deep breath and go in a block traffic for the amount of time it takes to crawl through and hope no one gets annoyed and impatient enough to run you over.

As I started through town I saw the dive motel I had stayed in on a motorcycle trip several years ago and decided that discretion is the better part of valor and pulled in a rented a room. The place has apparently changed hands and it is being refurbished. I have a small but nice room and am enjoying a pleasant afternoon and evening working on this journal. I will walk down the street to get some dinner in awhile and have a good night's sleep and take on the tunnel fresh in the morning. Sadly I have to climb over a 4800' pass to get to Globe.

Today was a beautiful clear and sunny day with a mild breeze. The forecast for tomorrow is cloudy with a 50% chance of rain. I can see the storm coming from my window as I write this. If it is too bad in the morning I may hole up here another night if the room is available.

Day: 9
3/08/2013
Superior, AZ
Superior, AZ
Miles: 00.0
Miles to Date: 352.9

8:20 AM: It rained during the night and was still doing so when I got up at 7:30. To the west the sky looks very nasty but to the east not so bad. The 64 dollar question is whether or not to start out or wait until tomorrow. The radar maps look like more big patches of rain will come through this area.

8:50 It is raining again here and obviously raining to the east. It is 50 here at 2700' and no doubt quite a bit cooler at the pass at 4800'. I will be chicken and stay here today and tonight. The storm is supposed to slide on through for the most part by tomorrow. I hope so.

Day: 10
3/09/2013
Superior, AZ
Queen Creek Tunnel, Az
Miles: 1.5
Globe, AZ
Near San Thomas, AZ
Miles: 51.9
Miles to Date: 406.3

My cousin Hank Davis who lives in Scotsdale emailed me Thursday after he had received my blog link and said he would come to Superior Friday morning and we could go to breakfast. I replied that I probably would not get going until about 11:00 but I woke up early (for me) and decided to hit it. I sent Hank an email to that effect about 9:00.

I packed up and left the motel about 9:30 and started grinding up a very steep grade in a cold drizzle. About 1.25 miles in I spied the mouth of the dreaded tunnel. I noticed a man standing beside a Jeep at a pullout just before the entrance. It flashed through my mind that some kind soul had stopped and was going to offer me a ride, a pipe dream of course. I looked again and realized the man was Hank. He did offer me a ride and it did not take much deliberation on my part to say yes. It was an IQ test of sorts.

It only took a few minutes to strip the bike, remove the front wheel and put it in the back of the Jeep and we were away. How nice! The first thing I noticed is that the tunnel has 2 lanes going uphill (east) and was well lighted so it is really not the object of dread it is made out to be. The second thing was that beyond the tunnel there were some inches of snow on the ground which persisted for several miles. All in all I was very glad to be riding in a warm vehicle.

Hank bought me a great "Southern" breakfast at a coffee shop in Globe then drove us to the junction of Highways 60 and 70 where we put the bike back together and loaded it up and I started off towards Safford about 75 miles away. It was quite cold at the top but I lost elevation fast and it was soon much more comfortable although the day was never what could be described as warm. I stopped at Peridot for a break then pushed on. 5-10 miles before Bylas I thought I saw a bike ahead but soon lost sight of it. Eventually I came to a spot where I could definitely see it and lo and behold it turned out to be John. We rode on together and gradually I was able to get his story of the last 2 days in the lulls between truck and car passing's.

John stayed Thursday night at the RV park in Superior in the rain. He said he saw me going up the road as he approached the RV park although I never was able to spot him after I got away from him on the initial climb out of Florence Junction even though I waited at several spots. He got up yesterday and rode about 20 miles in the storm to Miami, just short of Globe. Of course being Canadian it was a balmy spring day to him. He broke his no motel rule and stopped at the first one he came to because he was soaked and his teeth were chattering, Canadian or not. This morning he rode on through Globe and down Highway 70 having a pleasant time until I overtook him.

We rode through Bylas and Geronimo and beyond until we spotted our current abode, the back yard of an abandoned farmhouse next to the highway. It is not a great camp site but it is dry and warm enough. Hopefully tomorrow will be more pleasant weather wise as forecast.

Day: 11
3/10/2013
Near San Thomas, AZ
Safford, AZ
Miles: 26.3
Miles to Date: 432.6

A short day and life is good.

We are ensconced in the Sunrise Village Mobile Home and RV Resort rec room in Safford, AZ. It is better than most motels because we have a 60' x 30' main room with several tables and chairs, a large bathroom, a laundry room, cable TV, a good heater and it only cost us $10.00 each for the day and night. The outside door is locked at 9:00 PM (we have a key) so we have no worries about our stuff or our persons. We will sleep on the floor and be warm and cozy.

I got up at 7:30 this morning after a cool night. It got down to about 34 before sunrise. John was already up and had put a new rear tire on his bike and moved the old one to the front. While we were packing up he noticed his rear tire was going flat. I gave him one of my 4 spare tubes and he put it in. Our tent flies were good and wet so we let them dry while we packed. We got on the road about 9:00 and had a pleasant downwind ride to Safford.

Our first goal was Fort Thomas, about 2 miles away, where coffee and Coke were hopefully to be had. Sadly the whole town was closed and the entire populace appeared to be in the Mormon Temple. We rode on another 13 miles to Pima which appeared to be closed up tight as well but to our great pleasure and relief we came upon a gas station/mini-mart around the bend at the far end of town. John got a sandwich and coffee and I Coke and a sandwich and a pack of mini-doughnuts (thanks Hank!). We rolled on about 5 miles to Thacher, passed through and almost immediately came into the Greater Safford Metro Area. In short order we came to a supermarket, the same chain I had shopped in near Apache Junction. I suggested we do our shopping there which worked out well because we did not see another market before we got to the RV park.

We took turns going in while the other watched the bikes and gear. I went first and came out with way too much food and drink. It took most of the time John was shopping to pack it all away. When John came out he put his swag away and we hit the road as the wind was quite cool when standing around. On the road with it at our backs it felt comfortable. We worked our way through town until we saw the RV park sign. We turned down a side road and eventually came to a mobile home park that looked pretty sad. We pulled in and saw no sign of an office so we stopped in front of an empty lot and called the number on our maps. The nice lady manager asked where we were and came to us and escorted us around to the office area and our current digs. This setup is a good example of the old maxim to not judge a book by its cover.

We are both working on our journals and enjoying an afternoon off the bike seat. John just cooked a pot of noodles and ate it. I am showered and we have our laundry going. As I said, life is good!

Day: 12
3/11/2013
Safford, AZ
Duncan, AZ
Miles: 44.1
Miles to Date: 476.7

This has been an interesting day. We left the comfort of the RV park rec room a bit before 9:00 with the intent of going to the local bike shop before leaving town. On the way we encountered Jess, a young lady from Australia who is doing the same route I am and whom John has been communicating with on the Internet. After visiting with her a few minutes we headed on to the bike shop. We got there at 9:08 and found that they do not open until 9:30. We looped around a few blocks and found a cafe which served us a good breakfast then went back to the shop. John wanted a new tire and they had no touring type tires which seemed strange for a shop on a major bike touring route. He ended up with a heavy duty thorn resistant tube. I wanted Nuun which they did not have. They did have Hammer Fizz which is essentially the same stuff so I got 4 tubes, hopefully enough to make it to Florida. I also purchased a set of long fingered winter bike gloves in hopes that doing so would insure 100 degree temps the rest of the trip.

We worked our way back to the highway and stopped at the last mini-mart out of town so I could get a gallon of water. We then started in earnest. Within a few miles John had a flat front tire. We stopped and he put in his new heavy duty tube and we were off again.

We had been debating which route to take, Highway 191 over two steep passes to Silver City or 70 on to Duncan and Lordsburg. The RV park manager and the bike shop lady had both warned us against going on 191 because of the narrow roads and steep passes. When we got to 191 I turned east on it with the intention of stopping at a convenient place so we could discuss it further and make a decision. I was leaning towards the adventure of 191. As I turned onto 191 I saw a biker down the road a few hundred yards who looked like he might be in trouble. We went down to him and hailed him and he said he was fine. We stopped to chat with him and sure enough he advised us to avoid 191 and go to Duncan and then across to Silver City. Three out of three was enough. We decided to follow 70 to Duncan where John could turn off for Silver City and the Gila Cliff Dwellings while I continued on to either Lordsburg or Silver City and hence to Demming and then Las Cruces where I would rejoin the official route. I do not want to go to Gila because I have been and because it is a nasty steep road to get there from Silver City.

We set off down 70 and soon enough came to a pretty significant climb which took some time to surmount. From the top we had a nice downhill run of 9 miles into Duncan. The biker at 191, also John (hereafter 191 John, had suggested that we could probably camp in the park in Duncan. After poking around a bit looking for a park we found a "Visitors Center" and went in to ask. The proprietor, Doug, was very helpful and said we could camp in the park which was right next door and that is where we are now. We have set up camp and eaten and visited with 191 John and his wife who stopped buy to see how we were doing. It is a bit of journaling then off to bed.

Oh, John went back to the Visitor Center to get a map and found that while the road is open to the Gila Cliff Dwellings the nights are sub-freezing and he does not have much in the way of winter gear so he has decided to go with me to Lordsburg and down the Interstate 10 shoulder to Las Cruces. A good time is to be had by all!

Day: 13
3/12/2013
Duncan, AZ
Lordsburg, NM
Miles: 37.3
Miles to Date: 514.0

Not so many miles but a good day's work. I left the park a few minutes behind John at about 10:15. I backtracked a block to the mini-mart for a 1L Coke then rode up to the local restaurant where we had agreed to have breakfast. At the restaurant was Bill, the biker John 191's wife helped yesterday. He had camped in the bushes just short of the park and we conversed with him a bit as he tried to pass the park. He was raised in North Carolina but now lives in Maryland and just retired at 66. As I sat down the waitress brought John a delicious looking plate of Huevos Rancheros. I asked for the same. Easy decision.

After breakfast we started on the road towards Lordsburg. After a few miles we started up the hill out of the valley. Little did we know that most of the day would be uphill. On thing we have learned doing this ride is that when a car driver tells you it is flat all the way to Bumville or Lowbrow or Buttscratch you better be ready for some serious climbing. We stopped at the New Mexico Border sign so John could photograph it. Bill who had gone back to the mart for water and had gotten ensnared in a conversation at the bakery caught us here. He rode along with us awhile then put on the afterburners and we never saw him again. He was riding a light bike with a light load and there is no way we could match him with our semi-truck bikes and loads (my bike and luggage weigh about 100 lb and John's is more).

At the top of the steep section we entered a 15 mile construction zone. While we were stopped for a break we thought we saw a bike on the far side of the road ahead. Eventually we saw the bike cross the road and realized it was coming towards us. It turned out to be a very robust German lady biker who was covering big miles on a very snazzy bike. We talked with her a few minutes then all started on our respective ways. A few miles farther on we came to a flagman and a line of stopped cars and trucks. We had to wait about 10 minutes before starting through the single lane section behind the other vehicles. This section was 3-4 miles long and part of it was fairly steep. We just kept grinding as trucks taking old chewed up pavement and others bringing new asphalt passed us in both directions. Also the pilot car leading a string came back towards us. Most moved over on the shoulder to pass us but 1 or 2 got a bit too close. I am getting so used to these moronic drivers that I barely flinch anymore.

After we escaped the construction zone we had a long steady uphill with a wind that varied from straight on to a side wind. We took several breaks. At one I noticed my rear brake was rubbing and unhooked it then readjusted it at the next stop. We also fooled with John's fenders which were rubbing badly enough to impede his progress.

When we were about 8 miles from Lordsburg we finally topped the last hill and could see the town in the distance. What looked to be a level or even slightly downhill run into town was a chore because the wind picked up quite a bit and blew directly at us. We finally made it to the outskirts of town. I tried to call the KOA and got no answer so we pushed on. About a mile from the KOA we stopped again and I finally got through. The terms were favorable so we ground up the hill and under the I-10 freeway to the park and here we are, showered and fed (we walked to McDonald's and pigged out while using their wireless).

We had failed to remember to set our watches ahead at the New Mexico Border so it is now after nine and way past our bedtime.

I almost forgot to mention that John expressed a desire to split up our little team because he feels pressured to try to keep up with me. Even through I have not minded going ahead and goofing off while waiting for him to catch up I know how he feels from trying to hike with my 30 mile per day oldest son so we have agreed that I will go ahead tomorrow. If we happen to cross paths again that will be great but if we do not it will be fine too. Even though I really enjoy John's company it will be better for me in a way in that I can probably make more miles which will help my budget problems and of course it will relieve John of the pressure of trying to match someone else's slightly faster pace.