Cycling Ellen

109.6 miles today
1256 total

The name of the game today was persistence.  It was the longest, most challenging day I’ve ever had on a bike.  The first 55 miles were fine, lots of rolling hills under overcast (think wet and grey) skies.  I think we were all feeling pretty strong.

At mile 55, just before lunch at mile 60, the headwinds began.  They were intense for the rest of the long day.  The road surface was chip seal – gravel with asphalt poured over which creates a bumpy, vibrating surface that makes everything shake and makes the body wear out faster from just hanging onto the bike.  There was one mile about mile 80 where some new road construction created a smooth surface.  That was an amazing treat and made us all realize how hard it is to ride on chip seal.  Again, at mile 90 there were about 3 miles of smooth road.  Ahhhh.

The other factor today was the terrain.  We had heard there were rollers.  What we didn’t know was that they were serious hills.  Going downhill we had to pedal hard because of the wind.   On the way up, we had to work hard because of the wind.  Both ways we had to work hard because of the chip seal.  I rode with Ann and Jane all day.  Ann’s computer said we climbed over 3200 feet today.

At mile 78, we crossed the Pecos River.  There was a long bridge across a wide river.  There were rock bluffs on one side – just gorgeous.  At mile 89 we were looking forward to the only convenience store on our 110 mile day all on US 90.  It was closed.  Darn.

The good news was that we made it – a personal longest mileage day and the most hours spent on a bike -10 and a half.  It was a pleasure to ride with Ann and Jane as we supported each other with encouragement and commiseration throughout the day.  I only took a couple of pictures but those will have to wait until tomorrow.  I’m on my way to bed.  I have a feeling I’ll sleep well tonight!

55.9 miles today
1146 total

Sometime this winter, we all received an e mail from WomanTours  that oil had been discovered in Sanderson, Texas and that we might need to mail sleeping bags into town and sleep in a firehouse or a school for the night.  The oil people had taken over all the rooms in the area.  Fortunately, somehow, they found a way for us to sleep in beds tonight but we are in two different places at either end of town.  Neither is anything to write home about (let’s just say it’s not like the Gage last night) but they are clean and have beds and I’m glad not to have to deal with mailing home a sleeping bag tomorrow.

Today was one of the more straightforward cue sheets.  Turn left onto US 90.  Ride 55 miles.  Turn left into one of the two motels.  For “landmarks”, there were the entrance signs to Pecos County and Terrell County.  The landscape was beautiful desert with mountains and bluffs.  The terrain was mostly flat or rolling, an easy cycling day.  Since it was a short day, several of the stronger riders left Marathon at 10 and caught up with the rest of the group at the first sag stop at mile 20.  I had fun riding with different people along the way and taking it easy, conserving energy for our 112 miles tomorrow.

In awhile, those of staying at the far end of town (a small but select group!) will shuttle back for dinner.  The motel there has a live snake display that I visited on my way through.  The diamondback rattlesnake shook its rattle at me the whole time I looked through the various cages.  That’s a sound I don’t want to hear again!

I’ve hand washed my laundry, written my short blog for today (sorry, there just wasn’t much to describe) and will hang out for a bit here.  We have found a tiny bar of internet floating in the air just outside our motel room.  Who knew what we would find in Sanderson, Texas?

60 miles
1091 total

Last night at our map meeting, Michelle asked us to sum up our lives at this point in six words which we’ll share for our entertainment after dinner.  I’m still deciding what my words will be (actually, I’m keeping them a secret until dinner) but I know what my words for today would be, “Happy to be on my bike”.  After my scheduled and unscheduled rest days recuperating, I was so glad to be on the road again today.  Yesterday, I started to feel human again with a lot more energy and some occasional coughing.  I still have a lingering cough, especially at night (pity my poor roommate).   When I started to cough, I headed outside and looked at the millions of stars in the oversize, dark, Texan sky.  It was hard to find the familiar constellations with so many stars up there.  There are rules about outside lighting in this area with the MacDonald Observatory nearby.  What a difference that makes!

As we left our place on the hill, we were all surprised by how cold it was on the road this morning, especially going downhill.  I stopped in town for a few minutes to browse in a gift shop just long enough to warm up my hands.  It was an easy ride, great for getting back on my bike, through more rangelands with cattle and horses.

About half way there, we got into Alpine.  On the right was a woman standing outside talking to a couple of our riders.  She had a bottle bush on her lawn.   She explained that this was a Texas tradition (Genie in our group from Texas confirmed that she had one as well).  People hang their empty bottles on a tree upside down.  Elaine told us that the French do this to wash and reuse their wine bottles.  It has developed into its own art style now.

We stopped for croissants at a bakery in Alpine.  As we headed out of town, I was surprised to see some people holding up a huge Impeach Bush sign – not what I expected to see in Texas!

Unfortunately, the weather changed dramatically as we headed east.  There were clouds looming and a headwind for the first time that day.  Jane and I tucked in behind Ann and Micki in a pace line only Micki did all the pulling.  Micki is 23, Ann’s daughter, and a former bike racer.  30 miles was starting to feel like a long way to go when we began to notice that the winds had shifted.  Ann and I were talking and realized we were going about 25 mph and barely pedaling.  Once again, a tailwind made our day.  We flew into town, laughing and happy about the change in the wind.

Marathon is a fun town with a great Western style (think cowhide rugs and suede pillows at our hotel).  There’s a natural food store, a great bookstore, a soda fountain where you can get a veggie burger and some great hotels.  My friend, Megan, has a place here and it was fun to seek it out on the edge of town.  We loved it, Megan!

Tomorrow is an easy day (isn’t it cool that these 50-60 mile days we are considering “easy” now) so we get to sleep in and eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m.  We’ll all dream of tailwinds tonight.

I’m writing on our rest day at Indian Lodge State Park up in the mountains near Fort Davis, TX.  It’s a gorgeous lodge built of adobe back in the 1930’s by the CCC.  The outside walls are whitewashed stucco. Inside, the rooms have wooden shutters, wooden ceilings and wooden furniture – a favorite place of all we’ve stayed for many people.

Yesterday was a day of lessons for me.  I woke up after a bad night’s sleep feeling really sick.  My cold was worse, congestion in my lungs and sinuses, and I couldn’t keep food down.  After pushing through for the last few days, my body had clearly had enough riding and I had to give in and ride in the van for the day.  Without food, there was no way I could cycle so the decision was clear.  Even though I was warned that it was unrealistic to expect to ride every mile, things happen – illness, bike problems, weather – that you can’t control, I still had hoped to be able to pull it off.  The day ahead was to be a long one, 90 miles with the last 50 or so up into the mountains with a bad wind forecast and hot temperatures.  I felt bad physically and mentally – defeated by my body.

I changed out of my cycling clothes, put my luggage in the trailer and went back to bed until Linda was ready to leave.  She was setting up a lunch spot at mile 40 as there were no towns on the route.  I dozed in the van on the way there and then, while she was busy preparing lunch in the trailer, fell sound asleep in the van for a couple of hours.  Eventually, the cyclists started to arrive.  I am usually in the first group and it felt so strange not to be part of the endorphin rush of arriving after a good ride.  I still couldn’t eat so I just listened to the hum of voices as people came through.  The first 40 miles were the easy part on the interstate with a tailwind.  Now, the route headed south and up into the wind.

The van filled with a group who had decided that 40 miles were enough for them.  Bikes went up on top of the van as people filled in the seats.  I spied a bunch of javelinas (a kind of wild pig) back up the road waiting for us to leave to come clean up the bits of food on the ground.  They were too far back to photograph but still fun to watch from a distance.

We headed out seeing cyclists along the road.  They look so small and vulnerable from the van and yet, I realized, I have been one of them for over 1000 miles.  To get in a vehicle after so many miles on my bicycle gave me a perspective on what we have accomplished so far!  Here we are in Texas and I rode all this way on my bike.  Wow!

Along the way, we picked up Debbie who used the signal of tapping her helmet to let us know she wanted the van to stop. She’s fighting the same cold I have and her body had had enough too.  Later, Michelle went back to pick up riders who had persevered as far as they could.  The road was steep and relentless and the wind wasn’t helping.  We all cheered when Kat and Dawn showed up at the lodge almost 12 hours after they started!  Everyone has to decide for herself what she is up for that day.  Some want to make sure that they don’t push too far on any given day so they can keep going for 8 weeks.  Some want time to lounge by the pool in the afternoon after cycling all morning.  We all have our approaches and they are all ok.

When we were finally able to check in, I received a care package from Jen in Maine who sent along a new jersey and a loaf of blueberry bread which we shared before dinner.  Thanks, Jen.  It was great to get such an affirming letter on a day when I was struggling.

My roommate here is Jeannie from Michigan who is doing this ride on her road trike.  She had a stroke 5 years ago and is still accomplishing her goal of crossing the country with a compromised body and a can do it attitude. She can’t ride every mile (those rumble strips have been a real challenge) but she’s out here trying every day.  How can I let my day off be such a big deal?

Jeannie and I spent some time in the middle of the night sitting on my bed looking out the window watching the javelinas having a party with our trash bag.  I woke up to porcine grunting sounds unlike anything I had ever heard before.  There were four javelinas having a great time rooting through the trash, grabbing the tastiest bits away from their companions.  This morning, I watched them wander back into the brush, ready for their rest.

Speaking of rest, I spent most of yesterday taking a continual series of naps.  Today, our rest day, there is a trip up to the MacDonald Observatory which I’ve decided to skip.  I want to take it easy enough today that I’ll have the energy to get back on my bike in the morning.  I’m on the mend but not yet at full strength.  I’ll tuck away those lessons I learned yesterday and take them with me on the bike tomorrow.

75 miles
1031 miles total

What a difference the wind makes!  After the sag stop at mile 40 today, the wind was at our backs and we just flew into Van Horn.  The last 10 miles or so were on the interstate and even with the up hills; I was cruising along over 30 miles an hour.  What a treat to get so many free miles at the end of the day!  I cruised right into the Dairy Queen across from the motel and refueled with a chocolate milkshake.

The first 25 miles were fun and easy in a different way.  We wound our way through back roads along the irrigation canals and fields.  There were a bunch of horses together with one clearly young foal in one field we stopped to watch.  I like riding in the morning with the sun low in the sky, the birds singing and the winds down.  A huge tumbleweed crossed the road in front of me at one point.  I’m sure I’ll see more to photograph.  Tumbleweeds carry prickly thorns which can cause flats on bicycle tires so we have to be careful to avoid little pieces of them that break off in the road.

The middle section of the ride today was more of a challenge for me.  I’m still recuperating from this cold and without a lozenge in my mouth, my throat was burning.  (Yes, I kept a big supply in my back pocket.)  My lungs were also burning at some points but I decided to take the ride mile by mile and see how I felt.  Thank goodness I decided to keep going, as those last miles were so sweet!  Most of the later part of the ride was spent on a frontage road next to the interstate and was very rough chip seal pavement.  We’ve heard that Texas has a lot of these.  At one point, I stopped to take a picture and as the road headed upward, I couldn’t catch up with my fellow riders.  I started to get discouraged but when Debbie came up beside me, she reminded me to take it one mile at a time which was great advice.  Soon, I had caught up with everyone and we all rode along together.  What a pleasure it is to ride with such a group of supportive women.

We had one sad moment along the frontage road where we came upon the scene of a truck accident.  A tractor-trailer was lying on its side and there was a body covered with a blanket.  We heard from riders coming in later that the driver had a heart attack at the wheel.  As scary as riding on the interstate can be for some people on this trip, today the frontage road wouldn’t have been any safer.  It felt so good to be on the interstate at the end of the day with the smooth shoulder and the gradual grades.

Now, I’m sipping herb tea I bought in Silver City, hoping my cold will be gone by tomorrow morning.  We crossed into the Central time zone today so dinner will be a little later than usual.  Early to bed for me…

48.6 miles today
956 total

At last night’s map meeting, Michelle told us not to hurry out this morning because it was a short day and there wasn’t much to Fort Hancock to rush towards.  She was right.  Not only is this a little town on the side of I10, there were 3 water main breaks in town so there was no water for us to shower with or drink when we arrived.  By now, it will be obvious to you, that there is also no internet, little phone connection and no microwave in the room to heat up water for tea (right, there is no water either!).  For someone with a cold, the late start was a nice reprieve from the usual pace of the day – out for breakfast and on the road shortly after 7 a.m.  Today was a leisurely 8:30 call to pack our snacks for the day and to wait until 9 a.m. for the El Paso traffic to clear before we headed out.

We were following the Mission Trail for the first part of the day.  Along this route Christian missionaries built a series of churches.  I lost my riding partners early when I stopped to take pictures and got caught in a series of red lights.  I stopped at the chapel in San Elizario to see one of the mission churches.  There was also a building known as Los Portales which was originally built as a home and then converted into a school in the 1800’s.

In Tornillo, I took the recommended detour on our cue sheet to La Calesa Restaurant.  As I wound through the little town, I passed the elementary school where the children were out for recess.  I spoke with three 2nd graders along the fence.  If I hadn’t had a cold, I would have stopped into the school but I didn’t want to bring my germs along.  Most of the schools we’ve passed have been on spring break so it was fun to see children on a playground again.  There were big awnings over the playground structures to keep the kids out of the sun.

Around the corner, I found the restaurant but to my surprise no other riders.  I sat down and shortly thereafter, Arda joined me.  Using my minimal traveler’s Spanish, I found chicken soup on the menu which was just the thing for me for lunch along with some hot tea.  Later, several cyclists came along and just about filled up the place.  Already we’ve learned that the Texas wind really picks up in the afternoon and I was glad to have Arda and Jane with me to help block the wind (which always seems to be a headwind) after lunch.  We rode together the last 20 miles or so into town past more barren cotton fields, one field of Texas cattle and mountains in the distance both in Mexico to our right and in the distance far ahead of us.  We’ll be climbing those in a couple of days so I hope I’m back to full form by then.

Jane, Candice, Sandra, Dawn and I enjoyed refreshments at Angie’s restaurant across the street and Jane and I stopped at the chile store next door where the kind man talked us through the various kinds of chile products they make and sell there.  Michelle and Linda did a huge shopping trip in El Paso today to prepare for the lack of stores along the way in the next couple of weeks.  It’s another beautiful day in Texas.

67.7 miles today
909.7 total

When we all signed up for this trip, we knew there would be days that would be a challenge.  I had thought the mountains or the 90 mile days would be the hardest ones but all that proved incorrect today.

It started out innocently enough.  Cheryl had bought furry bunny ear headbands for us to wear on our helmets for Easter and going down to breakfast was a hoot seeing all these women in different colored ears.  Some were rakishly off to the side.  Pat had hers on backwards (so she could hear better) and others went straight up.  The television was on in the breakfast room and the weather report mentioned high winds with gusts up to 45 miles per hour from the north.  Now, if we were all sailors, that might have been good news.  As cyclists though, especially knowing we were going east – not north – that was not what we wanted to hear.  We joked about how our ears could become sails but we weren’t joking for long. I had also woken up with Linda, our cook’s, cold and decided to have an extra cup of tea to soothe my throat before we headed out.

Because the cue sheet had so many turns going into and through El Paso, it was the kind of day that you want to be sure to ride with other people.  With the wind, that is also the case so you can swap off taking the lead and blocking the wind.  Carol, Jane and I headed out together and made a little detour to see the old town in Las Cruces.  It being Easter Sunday, the streets were quiet and quaint and it was easy to imagine life there many years ago with the brick streets and adobe buildings.

Almost as soon as we got out onto the main road, the winds began harassing us.  The gusts were so strong that the bikes were actually leaning and we were holding on for dear life to avoid falling over.  With the twists and turns of the road, sometimes it was on our side and more often, right in front of us.  With our heads down, I didn’t see much beyond Carol’s back wheel or the white line when it was my turn to pull.  We did notice when we went through the pecan orchards because the trees helped to block the wind.  We also spotted a couple of vineyards, a polo field, and many farms that raised and sold thoroughbred horses.

We stopped at a little grocery store at mile 14 to get out of the wind.  It was fun poking around for a few minutes to see the different kinds of items.  There were chili pistachios, lots of different bins of beans and a whole refrigerator case full of different kinds of tortillas.  Even the snack foods were different but we weren’t in the mood to try any of them.

Back on the bikes, the wind seemed stronger than ever as we passed field after field with leftover bits of cotton, green onions and alfalfa fields.  At mile 19, Debbie had set up a sag stop and many people stopped right there to ride in the van the rest of the way.  The wind was just too fierce, especially for those who don’t weigh very much!  The three of us decided to head on and off we went pedaling as hard as we could to go maybe 10 mph.  The sag was set up again at mile 36 so we refueled, drank some more Gatorade (it was impossible to drink while on the bike with that wind) and headed out once more.  My throat was getting drier and sore from my cold so we stopped at a little grocery store that was open even on Easter.  The people there asked where we were going and the son translated to Mom who just laughed!  He asked if we were sure we were going to Florida!  I got some Hall’s drops with honey and lemon that I kept in my mouth the rest of the day.

Once we got into El Paso, we had a half-mile respite from the wind as we made turns through town.  Ah, what a great little stretch that was with the wind at our backs!  Unfortunately, then we headed uphill into the wind again and kept plodding along.  We lost Carol on a hill and when we waited a couple of riders came by and said she had flatted and the sag was picking her up.  Her knee had been bothering her all day so it was just as well.  Jane and I picked up Hannah at a 7 Eleven whose riding companions had decided they’d had enough too.  For about 2 miles after that, we headed downhill and got our “free” miles.  How good that felt to coast for a few minutes even with the wind!  As we went through El Paso with its many stoplights the wind was behind the buildings and all we had to do was stop and go with the lights and watch for our turns.

The last 10 miles or so were on a freeway right next to the Mexican border.  We could see the huge fences, the water barrier and the border patrol stationed along the way.  The freeway had a wide shoulder but was really bumpy, especially on the many bridges.  I put my head down and pulled, counting 12 strokes on one side, and then 12 on the other.  Jane said we had lost Hannah but she had said if she couldn’t keep up to keep going so on we went.  Later we found out she had flatted.  We were just about a mile from our exit when Jane yelled, “Flat!”.  We stopped on a bridge to fix her rear flat and found the metal shard from a truck’s tire that had imbedded itself in her tire.  We were almost finished when Mike pulled up, Sue’s husband who had been following us all day, and he blocked the traffic so we could finish.

Back on the road, we did the last few miles all uphill, of course, back to the Comfort Inn.  Jane and I split a load of laundry (a luxury I don’t usually take advantage of using the sink instead) and started drinking the herb tea I had bought in Silver City.  I’m on my 3rd cup now skipping the state line margarita party.  I’ll be off to the parking lot for dinner soon though and an early bed tonight.  As Scarlet O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day!”.

88.7 miles today
842 total

Last night at the Lodge in Kingston, we had a real feast of turkey with all the fixin’s and more. Some of us sat outside on the patio, others inside, for a real celebration of our great ascent. After dinner, we gathered in the big room for pool, Barb’s Native American story and our usual map meeting. Since it was such a big day, lights were out early to get ready for our 88 mile day today.

After another huge meal – this time breakfast with waffles, pancakes, oatmeal and an egg scramble with bacon, eggs and peppers and onions – we were ready to head down the mountain. It was really cold for our descent with the sun barely up over some of the mountains and our bodies not yet working hard to spin the wheels. I rode down with Carol who flatted at mile 6. We reluctantly took off the gloves and found the goathead thorn that had punctured her tire. I helped her pump it up and discovered that my hands have a good feel for 100 psi. As soon as we were back on our bikes, the sag came by with their floor pump. We didn’t need to add any more air. What a team.

It was amazing how quickly we were out of the mountains after all that climbing yesterday. At mile 9 we started climbing again but this time up onto a plateau looking out over the desert. It was gorgeous country and the road turned into rollers for a while as we descended even more.

From there on, we were in pretty flat riding the rest of the day. We started spying chile farms and processors along the way culminating in our arrival in Hatch, NM where they have a chile festival in the fall at harvest time. Several of us stopped for lunch in a little Mexican restaurant where I got a chance to talk with a couple of local people who were very nice in answering my questions about chiles. Along the way, I also stopped and asked some men working outside about all the tree orchards we were seeing. This area is also known for their pecans. The trees will start to bud soon and the harvest is in December. All of the agriculture relies on the many irrigation canals that we see along the way. The only running water I’ve noticed has been in the Rio Grande, which we crossed a few times today. One of the things I love about traveling by bicycle is the chance to pull over and ask local people about what we are seeing. Everyone I’ve met in New Mexico has been very kind and wave and say hello as I pass by. Even the cars that pass us have been more polite in giving us plenty of room on the road.

Coming into Las Cruces was a challenge as we were on a very busy road. I had a scary moment when my wheel got caught in a groove at a red light and I almost fell into traffic when the light turned green and I tried to go. Fortunately, I shifted my weight in time and remained upright. Those last couple of miles into the hotel when you’re tired are often the most dangerous ones and we’re all very cautious at that time of day.

One mile from the hotel we found Caliches Frozen Custard shop where we had our recovery milkshakes for the day. Now that we’re here at the hotel, I hear that the hotel is preparing an ice cream social for us. Too bad, I’ll have to eat more ice cream just to be polite!

48 miles today

753 total

I’m sharing one computer with everyone at a lodge off the grid. The computer is really slow so just a quick note for now to tell you I made it over the top of the Rockies at almost 9000′! The sun is shining, the sky is blue and I have a big grin on my face after a 16 mile climb and an 8 mile descent into Kingston. Details to follow but just wanted to let you know I did it! Yea!

Later…I just found out that this rustic lodge in the middle of nowhere, made of straw bales and off the grid, actually has wireless internet.  Who knew?  Actually, Jane who we tease because she’s always on a computer.  There is no cell phone service though so don’t expect to hear from your friends here. People are still coming in after a whole day of climbing.  As each person arrives, those sitting outside with a glass of wine, munching on sausage and cheese (and oreos), or jumping on the inground trampoline, cheer the new arrival.  They all deserve it.  It was a grueling climb especially for those who have never biked in the mountains before.

Before we headed out from the hotel, we sang the beaver song to Mary Kay’s father in honor of his birthday.  Many people had visitors for our rest day in Silver City.  The local press was there to take some pictures and talk to people about our ride.  It should be in their paper tomorrow or Monday.
We started the day climbing into the sun right out of our hotel with some rollers ahead.  At mile 9.2, there was a rock statue known as the Kneeling Nun on the side of the mountain.  It was hard to see as the sun was shining right behind it (but I saw a picture of one on a postcard so I knew that was it).  At mile 12, the real climbing began with a  one mile climb.  We saw the SAG at  mile 13 and not again for the rest of the day as we were so spread out with all the climbing.  Along the way we saw several people walking along the side of the road.  Since I wasn’t going very fast, I had time to ask what was happening.  It was a Good Friday pilgrimage, people walking 10 miles to church for the holiday.

At mile 22, the cue sheet said climb for 18 miles to Emory Pass.  Climb we did.  Except for a brief respite somewhere up on the mountain where there was a sweet (and surprising) downhill, we just kept going up and up.  At the downhill, I ran into Clark,  Kathy and Mary Kay so we could take some pictures before we headed up again.  That was the last I saw of anyone until I got up to the top where Phyllis was waiting.  I was happy to have an extra bottle of water in my bike bag (that I bought in Glennis over a week ago) as I was totally out.  I stopped a few times, especially in the last couple of miles, just to get my heart rate down and to stop and smell the fresh evergreen smells and take in the surroundings.  My legs felt great and the altitude wasn’t much of a problem.  At the top, just shy of 9,000 feet, I took a few pictures and headed down.  At a couple of points on the descent, I had to slow down not to exceed the speed limit!  There were switchbacks coming and going and the views were incredible.  What a ride!

This lodge is a unique place.  There are huge rooms upstairs and down for gathering and lots of little rooms and nooks and crannies to explore.  The people who are allergic to cats are housed in two other straw bale houses nearby.  The rooster crows, the dogs always want to be petted and there’s a giant tom turkey in the chicken pen.  We have taken over the whole place (along with Sue’s husband, Mike who is visiting from Vermont for a few days) and are going to have a big turkey dinner celebration cooked by our hosts tonight in honor of having conquered our highest climbs of this trip.  It’s definitely cause for celebration as so many completed the climbs.  What a great and brave group of women!

1.45 miles today

This has turned out to be a great place for a layover day.  Silver City is a lot like my hometown of Brattleboro, VT with its bookstores, cafes, little shops and a microbrew pub.  Rest days aren’t exactly that as all the things we don’t have time for when we’re biking have to be fit in but it’s definitely a different kind of day.  I think we all woke up wondering how to structure the day.  It’s so easy when we’re told where and when to eat breakfast, what route to follow on our bikes, where to stop for good pie or ice cream, where to sleep and who to room with.  Dinner is prepared in the trailer by Linda, our fabulous cook and the only decision is how much to eat because everything is delicious.

My first job was to get my clothes into a washing machine.  With 30 of us and one machine, we all have our strategies.  My roommate, Jan and I were on the get up first plan.  Candice was already downstairs with her first cup of coffee and found that the motel wouldn’t turn on the machine until 8 a.m.  Since it was just after 6 a.m. we had some waiting to do.  I had my breakfast, caught up on e mail and shared a machine with Candice as soon as it was turned on.  Everyone else signed up on a list with her room number and we let each other know when the machine is available.  Pity the poor guest last night who wanted a turn.  He wasn’t on the list and probably left this morning with the same dirty clothes.

At breakfast, I was surprised by Linda who handed me a package!  Everyone likes to get mail and a surprise package; especially one wrapped with packing tape that looks like heavy chains was especially intriguing.  My friend and colleague, David, sent me some German cream used for the parts of the body that sit on a bike seat all day.  Thanks, David!  What a perfect (and very welcome) gift!

At 9:30, Michelle set up shop out back by the trailer.  The bike stand was available for her to help with mechanical issues and the cleaning supplies were out for all of us.  I’m getting faster at cleaning my bike, especially with the fancy colored pipe cleaners someone found at a dollar store.  I figured out my bike computer all by myself so I’m ready to ride in miles tomorrow and in the right time zone!  After, I headed into town with my bike to another bike shop to get a new longer cable installed as the one I had was being rubbed from my front bike bag and beginning to fray.

I wandered around town, poking into different places including the Silver City Museum where I learned about the mines around the area and the “olden” days.  There was also a replica of a cabin where Billy the Kid lived.  I found a place for lunch where I ran into Candice and enjoyed a sandwich together.  Jane joined us later for a trip to the local Coop (I got my discount), the gelato shop (Girl Scout Thin Mint gelato – yum!) and a German lager at the Silver City Brewery.  We hiked back up to get things ready for our big trip up the Emory Pass tomorrow.

I’m going to head downstairs to soak my tired legs in the Jacuzzi and have a little dinner.  It was great to read all of your comments on this blog and catch up with email.  Thanks once again for all your support.  I may need it on the big climb tomorrow!