Mexico!

The last stroke has been pedaled, the last SPOT updated, and the last Cliff bar eaten. I don't have to feel the pains of getting back onto the bike seat tomorrow morning and I don't have to eat oatmeal for a good long time. Looking back it's still hard to believe that this journey started some 2,500 miles ago. Of course part of me is sad to see the end of the adventure, but the past week has seen me growing more and more anxious to get back for fall in Virginia. I feel I'm headed home a better person for all the fine places and folks I've seen and met along the way.

There was a portion of the trip when my camera batteries died (and I wasn't prepared with more) so there's some country that escaped my lens, but It picks back up in Grants, NM along historic Route 66.

The glitter of the 60's is still here on Main Street

Heavy rains, and more in the forecast, forced us onto a pavement alternative from Grants to Pie Town, NM. For this portion I don't feel like we missed anything because the scenery was spectacular. The first half of the day I pedaled down a scenic byway skirting the cliffs of the El Mapais National Monument. This included the natural arch formation below. 

The second half of the day was over mostly flat terrain on a dirt road. A massive thunderstorm boiled up behind us and eventually got us, giving us a taste of the famous tire sucking mud of New Mexico. After struggling through the muck, we rolled into Pie Town sometime after dark, headlamps blazing. 

Mike and Amy look for a way around the mud

 

I'm glad we pushed though into the evening because the next day was the annual pie festival in Pie Town! Music to the ears of any touring cyclist! In a word, amazing. There was a baking contest, an eating contest, and an old time dance that night. Did I mention the horny toad race? Anyone who wants to enter finds a horny toad and puts them into the ring. All contestants are put under a bucket in the middle of a large circle. On go, the bucket is removed and first toad out of the circle wins. All's fair until the dog gets into the ring. Mayhem ensues. 

Kids eating contest. He tried his best, but looks worse for the effort.

Even rain didn't slow down the adults

Now I've seen it all

Out of Pie Town, I decided to risk the main route (dirt roads) rather than take the pavement alternative to Silver City even with weather reports of more rain. I found some muddy patches, but nothing that stopped progress on the first day. The second day I wasn't so lucky. I had to turn around after a pair of hunters said the road was totally washed out a few miles down the road. I'm glad I heeded their advice, because the next day, near Glenwood, entire roads were closed due to flooding and there were even some people stranded in flash flood areas. 120 miles of pavement later I rolled into Silver City with Mike and Amy. 

Camp spot out of Pie Town

Pavement descent

Big Dry Creek...

Ain't so dry

Beautiful view of the Gila Wilderness

I stayed in Silver City for 2 days, resting up and planning the final 120 mile push to the border. Everyone, including the route map, warned of sketchy conditions close to the border so we planned our ride accordingly. We left town after lunch and rode along a beautiful stretch of two track through the desert. Storms popped up all around, but we somehow avoided them. We rode as far as we could into an amazing sunset and setup camp for dinner. We got up again at 3am, and with help from a nearly full moon rode into the dawn towards Mexico. Might seem strange, but we wanted daylight for the final stretch closest to the border where there were more likely unsavory characters. It all turned out to be an epic experience and one of the best sunrises I've ever seen. 

We made the border by high noon and sat down for a well deserved rest! The border station at Antelope Wells wasn't a very endearing place and it felt a bit strange to be ending the trip at a government compound after all of the beautiful scenery before. It was made sweeter however by the hospitality of the border patrol officers. They had cold ice cream sandwiches and coke waiting for us! Possibly the best Coke I've ever had (and it wasn't even mexican). It was a perfect bookend for the hospitality and kindness I received the entire route. 

'Resting' with the Germans in Silver City (they were also doing the entire route)

Lots of hike-a-bike through sandy washouts

Desert sky

No caption needed

First wild tarantula, not as scary as I thought

Wake up call

65 miles to go

30 miles to go

 

End of the trip on the horizon

THE END

Always room for more cookies. Thanks Mom!

New Mexico

The Sunday curse has struck again. I have a package waiting for me at the Abiquiu post office, but once again I rolled into town on Saturday afternoon after business hours. No matter the planning to avoid this situation, something always comes up and here I am again with a day's layover. Not that I'm complaining. The packages are definitely worth the wait, and sometimes a forced day of rest is what I need. 

I've finally reached New Mexico, 1800 miles into the ride, but when I look back it seems like I only started last week. I've so fallen into the routine of getting on the bike and riding 50 miles a day that it all begins to blend together. However, if I do stop and think about it, I can visualize almost the entire route (with a few hints here and there from the journal) which is the beauty of travel by bicycle. I think I've mentioned this before, but the pace is just right. You can cover serious ground in a day if you want to, but you can also remember all of it at days end. 

Finally, a proper welcome sign

Going back sometime now, all the way to Breckenridge, I've met lots of amazing people. I met John who was working the gondola at the Breckenridge ski hill, and he immediately offered me a couch for the night. John and his housemates made chicken fajitas for dinner and we ate and drank beer until bed. I've almost stopped trying to make lodging plans when coming into a town or city for the night, because something always seems to present itself by chance. Unexpected generosity has been one of the most memorable parts of the trip. 

Again, coming into Del Norte, CO, I didn't have anywhere to spend the night lined up. Some of the first folks we saw (at this point I was riding with Mike and Amy again), were having a Labor Day barbeque in the park and they waved us over for s'mores (which I would never turn down in any situation). That turned into all the hotdogs we could eat as well as an offer for lodging. 'Lodging' turned out to be Wendell's apartment built inside his aircraft hanger! It really couldn't have gotten any better, but it did. The next day he took us on a tour of a neighboring garage where the owners were in the process of restoring a WWII vintage Hawker Sea Fury fighter plane. OMG! Airplanes and racecars, two machines where no detail is overlooked and everything has a definite purpose. 

18 cylinders baby!

That's something I'll never forget, but Wendell wasn't done yet. His friend Bill took us up in a Cessna the next morning! AND, I was front seat and got to fly for a few minutes. An experience I never thought I would have! We flew up and around Indiana Pass which we would be riding out the next morning. It seemed so easy in a plane... Thank you again Wendell and family for an unforgettable stay.

Our Cessna

Indiana Pass from the air

Indiana Pass from the ground. Highest point on the trail. Me trying to flex my legs.

Just across the New Mexico border, I took a day off the trail and rode the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad. This is a narrow gauge steam train that winds along the canyons between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO. If all of the local history didn't make me feel like I was in the wild west, this certainly did. A day well spent with the coal dust in my hair to prove it.

Planes, trains, and bicycles. What a week!

Trains!

Getting on to the random images and thoughts section with limited library time...

Finally saw a bear! No signs of Mom thankfully.

My constant companion

Exposed iron deposits

In case you had any ideas about fun in this ditch

Night in a tepee

I didn't even mention Salida, CO, but I stayed there for 3 days I liked it so much. They have some great singletrack which I got a sample of. Most notably the Monarch Crest Trail which is supposedly one of the top rides in the US. I don't have much to compare it to, but it was amazing. The terrain varied from alpine rock fields to soft pine forests. My 'day off' turned into a 32 mile workout. 

Portion of the Crest Trail

Who cares? It's a rental

Couldn't resist

Random thing I'll miss once the trip is over: Walking into a room and having the best story. "What are you doing?" "Riding from Canada to Mexico" Ree-spect.

 

Breckenridge

All of my company left me to return to the real world, but I didn't have to join them quite yet. Before I left Steamboat to continue the journey south, I took in the USA Pro Challenge bike race. Steamboat was host to both a stage start and finish. Because of time constraints (ahem, taking Rachel to the airport, heh) I missed the finish, but was able to see the start the next day. The peloton was there and gone in about 10 seconds, but still exciting. American Tejay Van Garderen ended up winning the race.

Sooo much money in those bikes

I didn't get out of town until 1pm, but it ended up not mattering as my legs didn't have anything left by the top of Lynx Pass anyway. A week off the bike will do that to you. Steamboat, Ski Town USA, is also trying out a new name, Bike Town USA, and I believe it. I've never seen so many cyclists out on the road as I did leaving town. It also probably had something to do with the race coming through town and everyone getting amped up about bikes. 

Coming off of Lynx Pass I rode an old stage coach road towards Kremmling. I also faced my first real creek crossing. I ended up wussing out and carrying all of my stuff across but I'm glad I did. The beavers had done some real work here and the water rose past my knees.

Creek ford

About midday I reached the Colorado River Valley. Coming in on the west side, I had an amazing view of the entire valley including the road I would climb out on way in the background on the east side. Sometimes it can be a bit demoralizing being able to see your destination literally tens of miles in the distance. It was a hard climb out, but at the halfway point I got to enjoy Inspiration Point (seems to be a popular name out here) which looks down on Gore Canyon. The walls were sheer rock and dropped 3000 vertical feet. I was lucky enough to catch a train rolling through, which gives the landscape some scale.

See that tiny road in the distance, that's where I'm headed

 

It looks like a toy train

The daily thunderstorm chased me into Kremmling where I stayed for the night. I put up at the Eastin Hotel circa 1901. A very nice couple ran the place and made me feel right at home. The building also had plenty of character which modern accommodations sorely lack. I felt like I was truly a guest in someones own establishment. Though I didn't see them, I could imagine each room being a bit unique in some way and I thoroughly enjoyed the squeaky wood floors.

The next day I climbed Ute Pass and rode into one of the most urbanized areas on the whole route. The towns of Silverthorne, Frisco, and Breckenridge are all within 10 miles of each other and are all classic western ski towns (read expensive and touristy). Not that I minded, I'm always up for good food and ski hills. I ended up pitching the tent in the rain and didn't get a chance to dry out until the next afternoon. Really the first serious rainstorm, so not really much to complain about. 

 

Climbing Ute Pass

That's a Colorado skyline

 

 

Denver

Finally the Denver update that I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seats waiting for. Rachel and Kali anyway.

I got to Steamboat with a day to spare before my Virginia rendezvous, so I tried my hand at some downhill mountain biking on the ski hill. Rolling up to the gondola, all I saw were full suspension downhill bombers and people in full pads and motocross helmets... so I knew I was in for some fun. It was a strange feeling being hauled up the mountain by something other than my own two feet. 

Up she goes!

It also took me a bit to even keep the bike in a straight line without all of the usual gear. Light as a feather. The view from the top was of course spectacular. So was the riding. I'd never ridden down a big mountain on a pure downhill track and it was AWESOME! Huge banked turns and plenty of tabletop features to get off the ground. I found I had to stay on the intermediate runs although I tried one black, but only long enough to get to the first rock drop and turn my ass around. My bike was definitely a limitation having no rear suspension. I ended up getting 5 or 6 runs in before my body couldn't take the vibration anymore.

View from the top

Rachel and Kali got in around 1am and met me at the Steamboat Hotel. The next morning we spent some time perusing downtown and found a great breakfast at the Creekside Cafe (my second there in two days) and plenty of cute tourist shops. 

Kali's Boutique

!

I then got my first car ride in quite some time as we headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. We ended up hiking The Crater trail after local tip. It was only a mile long but did gain close to 1000 ft. of elevation. We were supposed to see Bighorn Sheep, which is one of the only animals I haven't seen out here yet (still no bears), but all we ended up seeing were some elk (yeah, now I'm jaded). 

Nearing the crater

Picturesque

I haven't even gotten past the first day of the auto tour, but my library time is running out and I need to try and beat the rain headed over Boreas Pass (11,000+ ft.). The next update will probably be from Salida, CO in a few days time. 

Despite my best efforts, I've fallen quite a bit behind on the ol' blog. So, I figure I'll concentrate on the biking portion of the trip and cut this side trip business a bit short. Pictures with captions only (sorry R & K).

That's a pile of beets! At the Boulder market.

Mark puts on a light show

Yee Haw at the Rodeo Hall of Fame

Hike to Blue Lake

Aww, siblings

Making sure that Frost Brew Liner is up to snuff at the Coors plant

Kali says easy there now