Day 13 - Lordsburg to Silver City NM

This day was 50.9 miles and 4,426 feet of rise.

We only had one big climb for the day and the rest would be rolling. At this point, we had been riding for a week, had two 80+ mile days in a row, and then a rest day in Silver City, NM. Yesterday, we crossed the state line. Two states down. Yeah, baby! I hit the electrolytes hard, but needed to start the day with them in order to face the effort at hand. Stephen, James, and I started out (with Stephen leaving us behind quickly). Tom was riding behind us but could see us. The first seven miles went fast and I was thinking this was going to be a good day to ride. Then we turned East onto HW 90, straight into a cross wind, that soon became a headwind. The temperature that morning was just above freezing, but the wind was 5-17mph with gusts (and soon to be sustained) winds of up to 30mph. It was like hitting an anvil. James and I gutted ten miles before we stopped, with an average speed of about 6mph. This was complicated by a long, steady climb that continued to get steeper as it became higher. (Average grade 6%.). After resting, we decided to gut out another ten miles, realizing that at this rate, It was going to take us at least 10 hours to complete the ride. I started out riding the right side of the 4 foot shoulder and the wind would push me to the left into the rumble strip over and over again. Overcompensate and the wind would die down for a minute and practically put you into the ground off of the right shoulder of the roadway.

It was worse that the big climb of two days ago and worse than the bonk (insufficient electrolytes) I experienced the day before. We started riding again and deciding we were going to go another ten and rest again. After the windy onslaught, we stopped after another five. The we saw a text where Tom had requested the van pick him up. He was at mile 12, we were at mile 15. We asked to be picked up, too. When the van arrived, Mark, Sharon (who was nursing her right Achilles tendon), Harris, and Tom were already on board. With the Frye’s gone, that did not leave many riders out on the road. (Shirley Frye fell and broke her elbow earlier in the ride.) Then it started to mist and then begin to spit sleet and snow. Horrible day. The other riders finished, however. They are animals. I admire their strength and fortitude. I was beat by the wind, but I gave it everything I had.

There’s a long way to go, and we were to spend 2 nights camping at the Silver City KOA and it was very cold. A couple people checked into a hotel and James reserved a little cabin at the KOA campground. He invited Tom and I to join him and we split the cost. I was happy to be in this little cabin out of the cold. It was heated and the temperature dropped to 28 degrees, the coldest night yet. No indoor plumbing. Tomorrow, we face a choice: a climb 54.9 miles with spectacular views or an 18 mile shortcut. At the map meeting we have every evening, we will discuss the route, the challenges and the options for riding. I’m leaning towards the longer ride, but I want to have an idea of the weather and wind conditions first. I came on this ride to experience the ride, not just be along for the ride. I have had defining moments and every day it is something different and we are only two weeks into our ride.

Here's poor Shirley. Hope she is doing better after surgery. She and her husband Dan, had to abandon the trip after the accident. That had to be hard.

Here' the cabin WITH HEAT! Tom is in the middle, Janes in on the right. James got the big bed since he got the cabin.