Day 23 Whipped by the Wind

Marfa to Marathon 56.6 miles 1,223 ft of climb with gusty winds.

One of the great things about Adventure Cycling is the organization. One of the tihings the leaders do is use GPS to make sure that each route is still viable. Last week, we ran into an unexpected road block but that had only happened that morning. Each evening we have a map meeting and go over the next day's route and what we might expect along the way. Gusty winds were expected for today.

My day started with spilling coffee all over myself so I waited a bit to let it dry. Not a good start but I eventually "took off into the wind." In the end, the coffee did not help - I lasted to mile 9.

To say the least it was not a good day. I was riding with Mark, James and Sharon in a temperature of 38 degrees and a crosswind gusting up to 30 mph. I was wishing I had my insulated Smith winter helmet and my ski goggles. The inconsistency did me in. I stopped when a sudden pause in the wind zagged me off the shoulder and into the road. Not safe. I still had gears left. A headwind would have been sucky but doable at a slow grind. Not so with a gusty crosswind.

Both Rick and Steve were literally blown into the ditch but were not hurt and managed to complete the ride. Several of us were picked up by the van. After lunch, some elected to ride again from the half way mark. I elected not to because the wind was about the same and I did not want to set myself up.

Now, for the good part of the day, James and I elected to have dinner at the The Gage Hotel in Marathon TX. Stephen was with us but did not stay to eat. We both had quail. We just felt like we needed something different. It seems the hotel is one of the few reasons this town exists. It is way out of synch with the reality of life here. Our waitress was from Minnesota. There were very monied people going to visit Big Bend National Park. There is literally nothing else around here. In a way, it kind of reminds me of when we spent the night in Jackson Hole, WY, on our way to Yellowstone. According the the desk clerk, it is a destination hotel and a gateway to Big Bend National Park. People come some distance to stay here. It would be like putting Mason City IA's Park Inn hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Otho, a town of 600ish. (Denise's hometown)

The Gage Hotel

We both had quail.

Gage Hotel interior

In the Men's bathroom