Escobosa to Albuquerque, New Mexico
30 Miles (1991 cumulative)
I've made it to the house of Uncle Kerry1 and his wife Susan2. Kerry says that he's happy to put me up for a couple of days because "There are very few people in the world who are crazy enough to do something like this." He has plenty of stories of his own about hiking across the Chugach Peninsula in Alaska for four months and he's also one of the guys who taugh me how to sail 3. I am now going to take part in some much needed rest. I am still denying that I have a cold.
1. Kerry is not, in fact, my uncle. He is the brother of one of my parents close friends. He used to come around on Forth of July with all kinds of illegle Mexican fireworks and impress the hell out of us kids.
2. I made this statement in a post from Memphis: "Kevin is the last family/ friend stop until, who knows when". Obviously that's now. So I need to follow that up with 2 statements. First, I am now done with the second leg of the trip, having completely nearly 2000 miles and reached the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Second, and maybe this deserves to be in a more important place than a foot note, but my goal for this ride is the Pacific Ocean, making it a complete coast to coast bike tour. Sara Kagan is a dear friend who lives in Oakland, Ca and plan to visit her, making her place a possible end point. I never meant to leave her out or make her feel like chump change with the above statement. If my path or goals for this trip seem unclear at times, that's because they are.
3. Two out of the two times I have sailed, it has been with Kerry.
Sunday, October 26th
Day 33 - And finally, The Mountains
Vaughn to Escobosa, New Mexico
90 miles (1961)
This morning during breakfast I spent a while considering whether or not to pay for my site in the RV park. This was because a) no one was there, and b) there was no price listed for tent camping, even though it said "tents welcome" on the sign. I decided not to because I want to save $$$ but I still have mixed feelings about it.
After all that, I rode into the moutains (well, foot hills actually, but I can see the mountains), and past a salt pond and by 2:30 I had made it to the Blue Ribbon Bar in Estancia (resting place) where I had a beer (they didn't serve pabst oddly enough). I had a good chat with the woman who runs the place. She said she used to do crazy stuff when she was my age, but wouldn't elaborate.
Saturday, October 25th
Day 32 - Melrose to Vaughn, NM
90 miles (1871 cum.) - 5965'
I am higher than Mount Marcy1. I am higher than Denver. I am nearly as high as any mountian in the east. And it's so flat, I barely noticed the climb. But here's how I got here: I did 37 miles before breakfast, in Fort Sumner2. I know that Vaughn is another 53 miles with only one town, Yeso, in between. I had noticed that there were towns on the map that, when I came upon them, I realized that they may have existed at one point, but not so much any more. So I decided to stock up on groceries before leaving Ft. Sumner. On the way to the store I passed a lady on motorcycle shaped bicycle with big basket adorned with big bright plastic flowers on the handle bars and a trailer behind her that she was scolding because it had a hole in it that her library books were falling out of. She asked where I was going, and said I'd be better off staying the night in Ft. Sumner because there was more food (more variety maybe?) and more water (is Vaughn on the verge of running out?) But I would not be shaken. I rode to Yeso in beautiful weather with very gentle winds. Yeso, was in fact, no more. Then a terrible head wind picked up. I rode hard and I screamed and i whined and I screamed at myself for whining and I counted down the miles and scanned the roadside for tent spots, but as the sun drew closer to the horizon, i refused to give up. It became dusky, and I pulled off to the side of the road for each car that drove past, and I crept along until sunset, I had made it! The worlds largest convience store! Plenty of food, lots of water. And all the bags of chips are swollen because of the altitude. This is how I spent Mary Lobb's 26th birthday.
1. Highest peak in New York State at 5344'
2. Fort Sumner was a supply fort for the 4 corners region indian reservation where they sent all these different indian tribes, which was a stupid idea. The actual fort lasted for about 4 years before the indians went back home and the fort shut down. Then Billy the Kid died there.
October 24th
Day 31 - Friyona, Texas to Melrose, New Mexico
60 miles (1781 cum)
One month ago I got on my bike on Waldburg St. and I've been riding it ever since. Now here I am in New Mexico.
I should say that I woke up about 4 times last night, each time putting on another layer of clothing until I was wearing everything I had. I woke up to a frost covering everything. It took me a while to get started with the cold, and another flat tire and bla bla bla. Once I got going, the riding was great, pulling 16 mph most of the day. Around 4:30 I saw a loaded down bike headed my way, so we pull over to have a chat. His name was Stephen and he started Seize the World Foundation which is promoting active lifestyles for people with epilepsy and helping fund research for a cure. So he's a guy with epilepsy who's biking around the world. He started from Teluride about a week and is going to catch a plane to Europe from Charleston, SC. Finally a guy who's crazier than I am. Check out his website: http://www.seizetheworld.com/ and give him a non-tax deductible donation if you can. Pretty sweet idea, good luck Steve.
October 23rd
Day 30 - Canyon to Friyonia
58 miles (1781 cum)
More head winds, more cold. I'm camped out in the town RV park in beef country and it smells like cow s#!t.
30 Miles (1991 cumulative)
I've made it to the house of Uncle Kerry1 and his wife Susan2. Kerry says that he's happy to put me up for a couple of days because "There are very few people in the world who are crazy enough to do something like this." He has plenty of stories of his own about hiking across the Chugach Peninsula in Alaska for four months and he's also one of the guys who taugh me how to sail 3. I am now going to take part in some much needed rest. I am still denying that I have a cold.
1. Kerry is not, in fact, my uncle. He is the brother of one of my parents close friends. He used to come around on Forth of July with all kinds of illegle Mexican fireworks and impress the hell out of us kids.
2. I made this statement in a post from Memphis: "Kevin is the last family/ friend stop until, who knows when". Obviously that's now. So I need to follow that up with 2 statements. First, I am now done with the second leg of the trip, having completely nearly 2000 miles and reached the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Second, and maybe this deserves to be in a more important place than a foot note, but my goal for this ride is the Pacific Ocean, making it a complete coast to coast bike tour. Sara Kagan is a dear friend who lives in Oakland, Ca and plan to visit her, making her place a possible end point. I never meant to leave her out or make her feel like chump change with the above statement. If my path or goals for this trip seem unclear at times, that's because they are.
3. Two out of the two times I have sailed, it has been with Kerry.
Sunday, October 26th
Day 33 - And finally, The Mountains
Vaughn to Escobosa, New Mexico
90 miles (1961)
This morning during breakfast I spent a while considering whether or not to pay for my site in the RV park. This was because a) no one was there, and b) there was no price listed for tent camping, even though it said "tents welcome" on the sign. I decided not to because I want to save $$$ but I still have mixed feelings about it.
After all that, I rode into the moutains (well, foot hills actually, but I can see the mountains), and past a salt pond and by 2:30 I had made it to the Blue Ribbon Bar in Estancia (resting place) where I had a beer (they didn't serve pabst oddly enough). I had a good chat with the woman who runs the place. She said she used to do crazy stuff when she was my age, but wouldn't elaborate.
Saturday, October 25th
Day 32 - Melrose to Vaughn, NM
90 miles (1871 cum.) - 5965'
I am higher than Mount Marcy1. I am higher than Denver. I am nearly as high as any mountian in the east. And it's so flat, I barely noticed the climb. But here's how I got here: I did 37 miles before breakfast, in Fort Sumner2. I know that Vaughn is another 53 miles with only one town, Yeso, in between. I had noticed that there were towns on the map that, when I came upon them, I realized that they may have existed at one point, but not so much any more. So I decided to stock up on groceries before leaving Ft. Sumner. On the way to the store I passed a lady on motorcycle shaped bicycle with big basket adorned with big bright plastic flowers on the handle bars and a trailer behind her that she was scolding because it had a hole in it that her library books were falling out of. She asked where I was going, and said I'd be better off staying the night in Ft. Sumner because there was more food (more variety maybe?) and more water (is Vaughn on the verge of running out?) But I would not be shaken. I rode to Yeso in beautiful weather with very gentle winds. Yeso, was in fact, no more. Then a terrible head wind picked up. I rode hard and I screamed and i whined and I screamed at myself for whining and I counted down the miles and scanned the roadside for tent spots, but as the sun drew closer to the horizon, i refused to give up. It became dusky, and I pulled off to the side of the road for each car that drove past, and I crept along until sunset, I had made it! The worlds largest convience store! Plenty of food, lots of water. And all the bags of chips are swollen because of the altitude. This is how I spent Mary Lobb's 26th birthday.
1. Highest peak in New York State at 5344'
2. Fort Sumner was a supply fort for the 4 corners region indian reservation where they sent all these different indian tribes, which was a stupid idea. The actual fort lasted for about 4 years before the indians went back home and the fort shut down. Then Billy the Kid died there.
October 24th
Day 31 - Friyona, Texas to Melrose, New Mexico
60 miles (1781 cum)
One month ago I got on my bike on Waldburg St. and I've been riding it ever since. Now here I am in New Mexico.
I should say that I woke up about 4 times last night, each time putting on another layer of clothing until I was wearing everything I had. I woke up to a frost covering everything. It took me a while to get started with the cold, and another flat tire and bla bla bla. Once I got going, the riding was great, pulling 16 mph most of the day. Around 4:30 I saw a loaded down bike headed my way, so we pull over to have a chat. His name was Stephen and he started Seize the World Foundation which is promoting active lifestyles for people with epilepsy and helping fund research for a cure. So he's a guy with epilepsy who's biking around the world. He started from Teluride about a week and is going to catch a plane to Europe from Charleston, SC. Finally a guy who's crazier than I am. Check out his website: http://www.seizetheworld.com/ and give him a non-tax deductible donation if you can. Pretty sweet idea, good luck Steve.
October 23rd
Day 30 - Canyon to Friyonia
58 miles (1781 cum)
More head winds, more cold. I'm camped out in the town RV park in beef country and it smells like cow s#!t.
Comments
That would have kept you warm.
Make sure to give Jason a big hug for me if you get together in Flagstaff.
And, as always:
ride fast, safety last.