Bracketville to Campwood, TX

We left the fort and headed out of town toward RD 334. It was back roads and that terrible chip seal for a bumpy ride again. We had some up and down hills and though there was scrub, it was taller, greener and there were more trees on this ride.

I think everyone is feeling a little bit tired. After all, we have been on the road for most of March. The blowing winds and bumpy roads can get wearing after a fashion. I stopped to take a picture of a dead armadillo. Little did I know we would see several more further down the road. Some of my bike mates were laughing, especially ones who have seen plenty of armadillos on the side of the road before.Hey, I'm from New England, and these creatures are an oddity to me!

Further on we met a disheartened rider who was also sick of the bumpy road and the wind. We hung out together and she rode with us, at a much slower pace than she usually did for the company. We finally hit the Nueces River where there was actually some WATER! All of the creeks and rivers we have been crossing lately have just been a pile of dry beds. This had a beautiful view, and wide open expanse so we went down by the river and I soaked my feet for a little while and took an nice stretch and rested. A few miles down the road was our hotel . Our ride today was 48.8 miles.. They have a lovely little fabric shop for quilts here at the Wooddbine Hotel and do mostly on-line sales. If any of you are interested, their website is wwww.suziequilts.com. They stock some very different fabrics than what I have seen. We were pleasantly surprised to find a little cafe open for a late lunch. For some reason, most places close up by 2pm or are not open on Tuesdays in this small town. We definitely are in the bible belt from the crucifixes on the cafe walls to the open bible on the dresser.

I believe we have some hill climbing to do tomorrow, no fooling!
We are just about 1/2 way across the country already. Now that's pretty special!!!

Del Rio to Bracketville

Posted one day late due to no internet availability.

My roommate for last night is one of the few ladies that made the entire 111 miles in those terrible windy conditions. I sat outside waiting for my laundry to finish. They had some machines sitting outside next to the hotel, uncovered with coin slots, so a few of us did some laundry as the places for washing are few and far between for this next week. While I was sitting there looking at the dark sky, I was watching the these nine palm trees tops dance and move about in the relentless winds. They were around the pool and playground across the parking lot. The palm tops were swishing this way and that in the night and they reminded me of Cousin It on drugs thrashing to and fro.

This Monday morning, we left for a calm, fairly easy 42 mile ride to the outskirts of Brackenville, TX. Officially, after a week, we are in central Texas. There was no hurry to rush out today as we had a “short” ride and the terrain had some gradual climbs that were not that steep. The temperature soon reached the low 80's and you could feel a little more humidity in the air. We headed through Del Rio where there were shops of all sorts and more greenery. It felt like we were in civilization again. There was a breeze but it started to wane as the day went on, so different than yesterday. The shoulder was smooth and I commented on how refreshing and stress free this ride was. The we hit Texas chip seal and bumped our bottoms, and numbed our hands and feet the rest of the 22 miles. Just as we were about ½ mile from our destination, several of us stopped at a Mexican food place. I had the cheese enchilada special of the day for $3.99 with an orange juice. The food was good and the price was very reasonable.

We headed down the hill and turned into the Fort Clark Springs, just outside of Bracketville, which used to be an old post for infantry in the 1800's. Much of the post is stone construction and they have turned it into a gated recreational and retirement community with about 2,700 acres. There is a large spring that feeds into a large swimming pool with a year round temperature of 68 degrees. Several went swimming and I dipped my feet in for some relief from the warm day. We are staying in one of the old barracks. I was expecting 8 people in a room with cots, but was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely hotel room for two, tastefully decorated, one of the nicer places we have been.

For dinner we had chicken or eggplant enchiladas, beans and rice, salad, with some lemon pie or brownie pie for dessert. I was so full from our late lunch and dinner, I did not have the dessert. In fact, I was so full, that I went for a nice long walk around the "parade ground" past some lovely and historical homes. One of the homes was for sale for $279,000 and it had 5 bedrooms upstairs and looked like a lovely place to live. John Wayne stayed in this house while filming "The Alamo" way back when. It does cost some money to become a member in this gated community, so I am not sure how much more it would truly cost to own the home, but coming from MA, it seemed very reasonable if you had some type of work in the area.

Going to Campwwod tomorrow and am looking forward to a day off on Friday, April 3^rd.

Love to all,

Robin

Windblown in Texas

We got up at 6:15 am in darkness to get ready for the long ride today. It was 36 degrees in the morning and was hard to see as we were pumping up tires and loading luggage. Linda did her usual great breakfast so we were able to get on the road slightly before the sun rose. As it was supposed to get up into the 80's I didn't dress as warmly as I could have. I wore my toe warmers instead of my booties and a headband instead of a balaclava. Luckily I did have my full fingered gloves so the only part that was really cold was my face and my bottom. We watched the sun come up as we left Sanderson heading up over the hill south toward the border of Mexico. There were many rolling hills, that you couldn't quite climb up without an effort. I was out in front of my two friends, leading the way, feeling strong, taking on the wind that was starting to wind up. For miles the wind gusted about in cross winds and headwinds. I knew it was going to be a pretty long day anyways and the wind did not help us.

We stopped briefly at about mile 30, for a quick stretch, and potty stop but when I got back on my bike, my legs were like lead and I found it so hard to continue at a pace that kept up with my friends. We were trying to do a pace line, saving energy by riding close to each other, but I just couldn't keep up and I was having trouble shifting. They slowed the line down for me and let me sail behind them but I knew that I was not up to the task today. When we got to the SAG stop at mile 40, I asked to be bumped up to the lunch stop at mile 60 and said I would decide after lunch and a break if I was up to going on. Michelle took my bike down off of the car rack and said, do you know your back brake was rubbing? Go Figure! No wonder I was having trouble. I couldn't hear the rubbing because of the wind and thought I was having a hard time because of the wind. When I laid my bike down to go off in the bushes, it must have kicked the brake over a bit. At least I had a reason why I wasn't getting anywhere fast and why I felt so slow!

After lunch, Liz and I thought we would try and do another 20 miles. The wind is still howling and blowing us about a little. It was very slow going and depressing to only go 7 mph on a steep downhill. That's how hard the wind was blowing. I even walked for a bit when I thought it was too dangerous to ride safely. The cross winds and head winds made it difficult to proceed with mush haste.At about mile 59, we flagged down the SAG vehicle and got a ride in. The van was filled with people and paraphernalia. Half of the people said, enough was enough and came in out of the wind, too.

I'll find out tonight how many people make it in. Even though I really wanted to complete a century today, it just didn't feel right and we have a lot more riding to do over the next month or so. My "good" knee was hurting and my body kept saying "why?" There is no need to get hurt at this point. I'll just have to do a century back in Massachusetts some other time.


We're having pizza tonight. Last night we had curried chicken, broccoli,brown rice and a green salad.

Hopefully the winds will die down for tomorrow's ride.
Hugs,
Robin

On the Road Again

Willie Nelson's theme song always springs to mind when we hop on our bikes to start the day, or get back on after a rest stop. On the road again,
I just can't wait to get back on the road again, Biking with my friends, I just can't wait to get on the road again!

My rims arrived at 9 pm last night. HURRAH!!!! You should have heard the cheers of my bike mates in the lobby. Pictures were taken, a phone call was made, it was a great big celebration with me grinning ear to ear. What a relief!

Michelle and I put the new tires and tubes on and then we hit the hay as it was getting late. In the morning, Michelle had finished assembling and testing everything and it was leaning against a table outside the breakfast room like a brand new present at Christmas, all shiny and new.

After breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, and slivered almonds, we were on the road for a nice 54 mile ride to Marathon, TX. The temperature was a little cool, perhaps in the high 40's so I kept my full fingered gloves, leg warmers, booties, on for most of the day. I did put on two long sleeved shirts in addition to my wool socks and bike jersey. One of the warmer shirts came off at the first break about 10 miles out.

We saw three mule deer run across the road and bound gracefully over the barbed wired fence. Sometimes we'd see some cattle in among the scrub. There were several ranches around, but little water. A good portion of the day was spent in a canyon, but the spaces between the sides were far apart and looked like many other places we have been. I did notice some little flowers about on the sides of the road and some of the yucca plants had some yellow blossoms up high.We also saw a lot of road kill, deer, golden eagle, and fox. Usually we see skunks too.

Right now, sitting on the porch, I am looking up at a hill with flat sand colored outcroppings of rock at about the last 5 % with scrub on the other 95%. We are staying at a place called the Outback Oasis Motel. The name is more appealing than the place, but it does have some cute little features such as a porch on my side that has these huge cane chairs with rustic wooden backs and arms. I feel a little like Goldilocks sitting in Papa Bear's chair.

Tomorrow is our BIG ride as it is the longest mileage in one day. We have 111 miles to do on Sunday. I don't think we will be stopping as often as we usually do and I must remember to use and bring extra lubricant cream in my riding shorts! I'm sure there will be many sore bottoms tomorrow night.

Last night because it was so cold, Chef Linda made split pea soup, corn bread, and salad. There were also pies available for dessert but I had many cheese and crackers before dinner so I was pretty full. We were all crowded into a living room of one of the houses that three people were put in. It was nice to be warm, out of the wind, and gathered all together. The wine was readily available and readily consumed. Normally we are in a larger circle outside but it is hard to hear people who are not directly near you. Last night it was easier because we were all cozy and together.

It was great to be on the road again...
Hugs,
Robin

Brrr...inn Marathon, Texaas

Even though I rode in the van today, it was bitter cold. It was in the low 40's in the morning and a strong wind has been blowing all morning and into the afternoon. I grabbed my heavy coat out of my suitcase and am glad that I still have it as I was thinking about mailing it home at the last few stops. I loaned Mary Jo my gloves and Liz my barlaclava (I'm not sure if that's how you spell it.) I drove with a guide to Alpine, TX and helped with the grocery shopping.

Afterwards, we checked out a little trattoria down the street and I had some hot white Tuscan bean soup and bread which warmed me up a little bit. Then we traveled the rest of the 66 miles to Marathon, TX to a beautiful old hotel, The Gage Hotel. Our rooms won't be ready for a few hours and my rims haven't arrived yet today. Normally I would check out the one block town, but it is so blustery, I think I'll stay right where I am sitting inside a lovely room with my coat on. My rims haven't arrived yet,but Fed Ex hasn't been here yet today so I'm still hoping they'll be here very soon!

Through my trials and tribulations lately, I am reminded of a saying that a friend gave me before I left that seems appropriate now. Thanks Angela!

Perseverance-The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it. (Moliere)


I'm thinking of sharing this poem with the group after supper. I wrote this before my 9th flat a few days ago so bear with me.

There once was a bike rider named Robin,
With 8 flats in 3 weeks, you'd be sobbin',
But no tears did she shed,
Let the truth be said,
She went on with her trip with no problem.


Many women among us felt pity,
Changing tires can be really gritty,
Especially when,
Gusty, strong winds blow in,
In Fort Hancock which isn't much of a city.

She learned to change tires by looking,
Take your levers and just start hooking,
Spin the lever around,
Put the old tube on the ground,
Insert the new tube and you're cooking.

Her back tires exploded, KAPOW!
Michell to the rescue, WOW!
New rim tape and file,
New tube, tire, that's style!
Back biking the roadways for now.

My thanks to to Ann, Susan, and SAG,
In helping me out, though I lag,
Behind most of the crew,
I stop to admire the view,
Don't feel sorry for me, that's a drag.

Some setbacks, I've had quite a few,
But my new friends, you've always come through,
With a big caring hug,
On my heartstrings, you've tugged,
Kind words, sage advice, I thank you!

This group of bike women is great,
Chef Linda's meals really rate,
Michelle's always about,
To help us all out,
As we bicycle from state to state.

Over 1,000 miles we have ridden,
Butterflies,desert flowers are not hidden,
Back roads, highway shoulders,
With unique, huge boulders,
More adventures lie ahead, no kidding!

Love to all,
Robin

A Day of Challenges

Wednesday morning we got up at 7:30. Due to the time change of Central Time Zone it was still too dark to ride. Linda made a great breakfast with eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit. It was a day to eat hearty as we had an 88 mile day ahead of us to go from Van Horn to Fort Davis, Texas. Because of the rough surface on the frontage road yesterday, we scooted right on the interstate 10 where the road shoulder was smooth for the first 15 miles. The weather was great, cool to start out and a little cloud cover so as the sun rose higher you could shed the windbreaker and leg warmers by about 20 miles out.

The road surface got a little rough after 15 miles,but I was very careful to avoid any little bits of debris. We stopped for a gal that had a flat on the shoulder and then headed for our first SAG stop for snacks. I usually get a V8 and some sort of cheese or fruit and a few almond covered m & m's. It's easy to keep dipping into the chips and cookies that they also have and I always top off my water bottle and my bottle that I have some electrolytes in. When it's cooler in the mornings, I have to remember to drink more as you don't feel as thirsty as when it is hot.

The tail winds were with us again, and we zipped along often at 20 miles per hour on the highway. When you stopped, it felt cool, but when you were biking, it was warm, so we were often stopping to unzip or zip up some garment among us.

After we got off the interstate at mile 40 and went around a corner, the winds REALLY started GUSTING and there were hard CROSS-WINDS or HEADWINDS. It kept changing directions and intensity. Our mileage slowed down to about 8-12 mph for a while. As I was going downhill I felt as if the wind was going to push be back up, that's how hard it was gusting.

As we were out in the middle of nowhere, our group provided us a lunch stop at about mile 44. I can't tell you how slowly the odometer seemed to move those last four miles. The wind continued to howl across the valley, between the hills as we hunkered down with our turkey sandwich on the ground on the side of the van for a little break. Several people opted to "bump up", or get a ride to mile 62 as the winds were SO STRONG! One of my mates chose that option, but the other gal and I decided to press on. After about mile 52, the gal I was with, opted for a ride up to the top of the mountain. I was determined to keep going. The wind would blow so hard that you would be moved sideways. There was very little traffic so we did have the roadway practically to ourselves. It took me hours to get to the next stop where the van and trailer were waiting. 5 other people were waiting for a ride. I asked if I could just come into the van for 5 minutes to rest, get out of the wind, befoore making my decision to get a ride up or ride up on my own.

After my break,I figured I felt OK, and would like to try riding for another hour or so, asking that the SAG driver, to come back and check on me to see how I was doing. I took frequent breaks, drank a lot, snacked often to keep up my strength. This was the hardest ride of my life!

Most of the time I could only go 4-8 mph only against the wind. The next 14.5 miles were difficult as the route began to climb with some very steep and short inclines. I have to admit, I got off and walked up a few of the steepest parts that were more than 12% as my legs were so tired. After a brief stretch and a short walk of 100 steps or so, I would get back on and pedal some more. Luckily there were some downhills along with some uphills, but still the winds would inconsistently blow in all directions. Once in a while you'd get a break and a tailwind would help you up a portion and everything would be fine for a while. I traveled up to where we could see the McDonald Observatory up off to the right. The panorama vista was amazing. I remember going down around a corner on a downhill and just yelling out loud to the world. WOW! WOW! WOW! This vast open expanse of valleys, mountains, and breathtaking views all around were incredible. And then...

KAPOW! My rear tire tube exploded on a downhill just after I feathered my brakes to take a corner. Luckily, I stayed upright, but I could hear the grind of the rim scraping the pavement until I could get the bike to stop. I just remember thinking, get your feet out the clips NOW!. This would be flat number NINE, I consider myself to be pretty handy at changing a flat and though I was on my own, went about my business of taking out the old tube and changing the flat. I couldn't find any glass, thorns, just that big ugly split of about 6 inches that has happened so many times on my back tire. I put the new tube in and got a little frustrated with the little pump that I have. Usually I use my friend's pump as she has a much more efficient one, or I use the floor pump from the van. By now it is about 5:30, and I've been on the road since about 8:00. The Sag wagon came back noticing that I was behind and got the floor pump out for me. My NEW TIRE that was just put on three or four days ago was shredded so I couldn't ride the rest of the way anyways. We threw everything into the back seat of the wagon and headed in the last 10 miles, past all the downhill that I had worked so hard for climbing those hours before.

I was so discouraged when I got in because my back rim was shot, I just went into my room and cried. We are in a place that cell phones don't work as we are nestled in the side of a mountain, so I knew I couldn't even call anyone for a part to send out until the next day.

Well, my friend, Susan, a project manager, and Michelle, the mechanic, sprung into action for me while I took the longest hot shower of my life. They determined that my rims are poorly constructed and with my permission ordered me two new ones that will be shipped overnight today to the place we are going tomorrow, (I think it's Marathon, TX.but I don't have my sheet with me as I am up in the lodge near the office as I can not get internet connection in my room.) They went online to see what rims places had in stock, but many of them did not have two or could not ship it right away. By now it is around 6:40 central time here so Susan thought to call her bike shop in CA right before she closed to see if she could help out and that bike shop will take care of shipping it out and Michelle will install everything tomorrow.

I am so relieved and thankful for their help. I know it will be alright now and I might get an extra day off and that's OK with me too. I feel so lucky that I didn't get hurt on that downhill blowout and there was no traffic at that moment. I even felt good enough to clean and lube my bike today, what was left of it , this afternoon whereas yesterday, I was ready to throw it off a cliff...

So if any bike enthusiasts know any problems with the rims of a Specialized Sequoia elite, please let me know. I'm not sure what to do with the rims for now. But I think my bike store needs to know and Specialized needs to know though I doubt I'll be reimbursed for the new parts and tires, an additional nearly $400 for new tires, rims and all those tubes I've used up.

I did not get much sleep last night but at least it is a day off. I went into town , four miles away, and walked around, got some lunch, and looked at some shops. My laundry is done for now and I will put my feet up for a while and do some stretching that I did not do yesterday.

Last night after a glass of merlot, we were sitting on the edge of the lodge waiting for javelinas to appear at dusk. I saw something move in the distance but could not make out the animal clearly. This afternoon, from the balcony I I saw three javelinas out in the grass near the back of the hotel. I did not think they would be out in the middle of the day. They are the first of these critters that I have seen in the wild.

So,yesterday was a day of challenges but I look forward to the promise of tomorrows!

Safe and sound,
Robin

Fort Hancock to Van Horn Texas

Because of the very strong wind conditions at night, our guide and cook thought it prudent to eat breakfast inside at the little place across the street called Angie's. Though it didn't open until 6 am, about 15 of us were out there waiting in the dark and the cold for the place to open at 5:55, all thinking we would get there first and be out sooner. Because most of us were in bike shorts, we did the penguin huddle for warmth until the truck came with the person to open the place. Then we took the quiet little place over with 23 people.

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon, I went back across the street to load my luggage and haul out my bike. When I looked down, I noticed the back tire was a little soft, having lost some air during the night. (For those of you keeping track, that would be flat #8). After consulting a few of the pros, I decided it would be best to change it before starting out. (So much for our early start on our 74 mile trip today!) I did change the back tire and replaced the tube without much difficulty. Susan warded off all those people who were ready to "help" me and "pity" me. The culprit was a tiny black thorn on the inside of the tire.

There was some gradual uphill after some flat riding on some back country roads. The advantage was it was quiet with little traffic, but the disadvantage is that much of the road surface today was rough. We climbed up into the town of Sierra Blanca after crossing the lower part of the same named mountains. We mistakenly ate at a little restaurant which had terrible food at about mile 42. After leaving most of it on our plates,we journeyed onward the other 32 miles with some travel on an interstate and some travel on a frontage road.

About a mile from our motel, Liz got a small wire in her tire and got a flat. It was changed quickly and we were on our way. Overall, it was a great day as the tailwinds were at our back and the weather was just perfect in the high 60's for most of the day. I think we were all worried about the mileage today but the weather, wind, and terrain really impacts the ride and today we lucked out!

I'm off to do laundry as we have very little chance to do launder again until 8 more days.
Hugs,
Robin

El Paso to Fort Hancock

The plan for today was to take a “recovery” (easy) ride, going at a slow pace on flat ground and not racing to the motel as there won't be much there except sit in gusty crosswinds and pelting sand. Though I did hear a rumor that there was a chili pepper store across the street that I may check out as I didn't have time to stop in New Mexico on the 88 mile day two days back. We slept late, until 6:45am or so and didn't head out until 7:45am which was one of our later starts. Again, the weather was great, blue skies with a bit of westerly wind to help us along.

Down the road we traveled, out of the city and back to farmland and small towns mostly without services. We stopped at a mission six miles out that was rebuilt twice since 1680 when the Rio Grande flooded. It was built by the Piro Indians and Spanish. The adobe and plaster mission is still an active church today. It was fascinating to see the old beams with painted designs on the ceiling made out of cypress and curved cottonwood salvaged from the original building .

When I went to get back on my bike again, Oh, oh, flat tire in the front. (That makes flat #6) We found two goat head thorns embedded in the tire which punctured the inner tube. Susan, the mechanical engineer, quickly fixed it and we were on the road for another ½ mile and oh, oh, the front tire was flat again.(That makes flat #7) This time I found four more tiny thorns and a little hole through the tire which we patched with the silver liner from an energy bar that I had in by bag. The thorns were probably in the gravel of the parking lot at the mission. This time I changed the whole tire myself ( with a little direction/reminder from my friends.) We hit the road again and traveled to a second mission that was originally built as a fort in the 1640's, destroyed by flood in 1829, and rebuilt again in a different spot. Michelle, our guide, caught up to us and rode with us the rest of the day.

We headed to a small cantina off the beaten path for enchiladas with green chili pepper sauce that were delicious. If we didn't have specific directions, for this little eatery, we never would have found it as it was nestled back away from the main road in a small neighborhood next to a school.

After our leisurely meal, we headed out again and Michelle got a flat. I may invest in a suitcase of tubes and may even check out some CO2 cartridges for filling up at the rate I am going . Those little hand pumps aren't the easiest things to use. I have the distinct honor(?) of having the record number of flats so far. Luckily Liz has a pretty good pump that has a small lever that you can put a foot on but it still takes around 200 pumps and time and energy to fill it up enough to get moving again.

By the way,I did my blog from yesterday before dinner so I neglected to tell you what we had for dinner. Last night we had corn breaded fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, sliced tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and black raspberries with a crème sauce.

After I got in today and took my shower, I spent more time cleaning and lubricating my bike　As my shifting was getting cranky in a few of the higher gears that I was attempting to use today. I also looked for more thorns that might be embedded in my tires and had Michelle,the bike mechanic, take a look at two gashes I had on my tires to see if they could be repaired or if I needed to change the tire. She recommended that if I had an extra tire (which I did) to change it and keep the worn one as a spare that could be patched with electrical tape if need be. By the way, if you are on the road and don't have anything to line your tire with, people have suggested using a dollar bill, which is thin enough and durable enough in a pinch. So, I　ended up taking the tire completely off, removing the tube and putting on a new tire. We shall see tomorrow if I did everything OK. I HOPE SO!

While I was working on the bike, the wind started picking up to 40-50 miles in velocity, gusting and swirling sand about so everything and everybody was gritty. I may need to take another shower before I go to bed. We moved the chairs for and set up for dinner to the other side of the motel for dinner and brought the van and trailer around to help block off some of the wind. We went to dinner in shifts, every other person held the seat next to them while the other gal got their dinner so the chairs wouldn't blow away.


For dinner tonight, we had spaghetti with homemade bread from the Dutch oven, Caesar salad, and mini brownies for dessert. We had a quick map meeting so we wouldn't blow away.　Tomorrow will be an over 75 mile day with some long gradual climbs as we go over the smaller part of the Sierra Blanco Mountains.
Have a great day everyone!
Robin

Time for Texas

We left at the first sight of the sun this morning (the butt crack of dawn as we say) to try and beat the wind and the predicted heat. We headed out in the country again, passing miles and miles of pecan groves. I always thought Georgia was known for its pecans but I guess New Mexico must be high on the pecan farming list. In the flat land, there was a lot of cotton and fields of alfalfa as well many vineyards. As it was early Sunday morning the wine tasting was closed which is probably a good thing as we had 66 miles to travel today The Organ Mountains were off to our left and we knew we were close to the border of Texas as well as the border of Mexico because of the huge fence along a highway later on in the day that went on for miles.

We crossed the border into Texas late morning and were disappointed that there was no huge sign marking that crossing. Perhaps we were on the back roads that didn't warrant such signage but figured out we were in El Paso so therefore must have crossed the state boundary.The rest of the day was spent getting through El Paso with the last 8 miles on the Cesar Chavez highway which is a divided highway. I am glad it was a Sunday with light traffic as some of the crossings at the exits and on ramps were a bit tricky. Five of us went through in one bunch and I was in the lead pointing out the bolts, glass, nails, wires that lay on the shoulder of road we were traveling. It takes a lot of concentration when traffic is zooming about you so we tried to get through that section as quickly as possible.

The last mile three miles after the highway seemed to take forever as it was slightly uphill and getting very warm again. It was suppose to reach 80 degrees and it sure felt like it. Today I feel very tired, probably due to the challenging two days before. We also tried to press on today at a slightly higher speed than we have been going to beat the wind that has recently picked up and to get in a little earlier. Yesterday I made it in at 6pm, today we made it in by 2pm. I didn't stop for lunch, but ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and trail mix on the way.
Love,
Robin

How many flat tires can one get?

OK, the day started off just fine. We awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking in the lodge. There was oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, orange juice, potatoes, eggs,and homemade bread. We chowed down as we had an 88 mile ride ahead of us to get from Kingston to Las Cruces, New Mexico.

We continued our descent down the mountain for quite a way and then started with a few shorter climbs about 10 miles out. Then the area flattened and we were to go straight for the rest of the 88 miles.Just as we were coming down for a stop at mile 26, there was a beautiful lake in front of us. It was so unexpected after traveling down out of the mountain past desert scrub. After my break, I headed out behind Susan and Liz. One of my water bottles dropped out of its holder so I turned around to get it. As I was catching up to my buddies, POW! my rear tired blew out AGAIN! Too late to tell my friends that I was pulled over. Two other women came by and as I was changing it found a very small sliver of glass in my tire that may have caused the inner tube to flatten, but there was also a large rip. When we were pumping a new tube up and just about ready to flip the bike right side up, KAPOW again! Now I had no tubes, and there wasn't anything else they could do,so I told them to go on and I would call the SAG for support and either get a new tube or put the bike on top and get a ride in. Ann, happened to be SAG driver again, and she got a new tube in that seemed to work. By now, I was way behind everybody,but I wanted to ride if my tire was OK. I tried to hurry to the town of Hatch, known for its chili peppers, where people were stopping for lunch, but of course, there was a headwind that made the journey more challenging. I did manage to get to lunch just as a few were leaving. Knowing I still had 30 plus miles, I knew I needed to take a rest, have a little something to eat, to make the rest of the journey safely.

It was hot and windy most of the way. I pedaled past many farms that grew pecans, or cotton, or onions, or chili peppers. I crossed the Rio Grande, but we have rivers in our area that are much wider than this looked. My SAG driver saw me a few times and offered me a ride, but I felt good and wanted to go the rest of the way even though it took me until about 6 pm to make it into the hotel parking lot. At dinner, everyone cheered for me for making the journey mostly solo after two flats, and still having a good attitude. What can you do? Complaining and getting upset doesn't help at all... My goal tonight is to hydrate and get to sleep by 9:30 pm in order to get up for 5:30 am.It is supposed to be very warm tomorrow and we want to get a fairly early start.

BTW, Michelle filed down some sharp edges on the rims, added new tape to the rim, inserted a new tube and put on a new tire on the back of my biek. Hopefully, I should be all set now! Let's hope so!
Hugs,
Robin

High in the Sky

Today we biked from Silver City to Kingston, New Mexico. We biked a grade that just kept going up past a huge open copper mining pit out of Silver City, past a rock formation called the Kneeling Nun ,and kept traveling upwards for the first 20 miles. The terrain really changed and we were back in the pine forests in the Gila National Forest that we were in yesterday but way on the other side of the 3 million acres. We climbed up quite high and had lovely views of the valley and roads that we had just traversed. For the first time of the trip, I didn't want a downhill because that meant we had to go up again even higher to get to Emory Pass at elevation 8,828 feet. After the downhill, the climb REALLY began!!! Most of the grade was between 6-10% and a few spots were up to 13%. Because of the high altitude, I stopped QUITE FREQUENTLY to catch my breath. I didn't feel dizzy or lightheaded but was really sucking air on some of the steeper climbs.

The SAG driver drove by and told us that we were about one mile from the highest point. Well, we kept on and MADE IT! I cannot tell you how excited I was to reach this pass. It is the highest elevation of our whole trip. People at the top asked us how someone in our group got the bikes up here and she told them that we rode up. They couldn't believe it. I can hardly either. I feel proud and empowered. Looking down at where we had climbed was an amazing feeling. If I reach and attain an 8,828 foot elevation challenge, what other accomplishments lie ahead? Can you believe that we made an overall elevation change of 5,000 feet( if you include the four feet we had to walk up the steps into the lodge!)

I put my leg warmers and wind jacket back on for the downhill descent. It was about five miles or so until we reached the turnoff Black Range Lodge. We've taken over the whole place. There are all sort of cubbies and rooms all tucked away. There are massive stone walls and ponderosa pine beamed ceiling built from the ruins of the old casino and saloon from the 1880's. Back then, Kingston, the town we're in, had the largest population due to the silver mining.

There is no cell phone connection here and I am unable to get on the internet on this day so will post this tomorrow.

For dinner we had a dinner cooked at the lodge of turkey, baked potato, vegetables, and salad. I didn't have room for the birthday cake for the gal that turned 65 today or the homemade ice cream. I talked with an artist from Pennsylvania who used to live in Taos, New Mexico for quite a while before dinner. He was amazed that we women had attempted such a challenging climb through the pass as well as traveling across the country.
After that long climb I crawled into bed at 7:30.

I feel absolutely terrific because of meeting the challenge of this day!

Love,

Robin

Gila Cliff Dwellers

On our day off at Silver Springs, New Mexico, three of us rented a car and drove north two hours on the Trail of the Mountain Spirits on a scenic road through the Gila National Forest. The Ponderssa pine forests, junipers and the towering rock formations reminded me of the Colorado. There is a "spirit of place" throughout this area in the solitude and in just thinking of those people who have passed this way generations ago. We saw a total of five mule deer cross our path and quietly stare back at us before heading off to the cliffs to see the seven caves carved out high up a rocky cliff face. We climbed a trail that looped upward for about a 1/2 mile. It was cool and crisp in the wooded area below. We were under dressed in our Teva sandals, shorts and thin shirts but as we traveled upward, the sun shone on our backs and warmed us up on that southwestern slope.

It was amazing to see what remains of the caves, the walls that were built and the little rooms that may have been a ceremonial area for many Native Americans. We could see what looked like a smokehouse for meats, and possibly drying skins, several holes in the rock to hold pots, and sooty, blackened walls and ceilings where fires must have burned for years and years. Supposedly the cliff dwellers grew corn, squash, and beans atop the mountain tops. There is some evidence that they collected the rain water and had some sort of irrigation system as well. Some evidence indicates that a generation of natives may have lived here at one time during a severe drought, but other indications are that this was a sacred place and many used it for ceremonial purposes.

After hiking up, and in the caves, we hiked back down and headed toward Gila hot springs for a little soak in the natural heated pools. It was kind of a funky little place, with three rounded pools of various temperatures with wooden sticks and driftwood built nearby for a little shade.

Later in the evening we went to town for dinner at a very interesting restaurant that had a wonderful selection and varieties of cuisine. You could order in three different sizes so most of us chose three of the tapas, or small variety in order to sample a greater amount of dishes. Food was great but the service was so slow, it got to be unbearable, especially knowing that we have the hardest climb tomorrow to the highest altitude. Anyways, it's late and I need to get to sleep for the big one tomorrow!

Overall, it was a great day to try something a little different such as driving a car, and walking about. The best part is the peaceful feeling from experiencing such a beautiful and unique area of New Mexico. May the serenity and spirit of place extend outward to all of you....
Love,
Robin

Continental Diivide, Here we Come!

Our day started out with a gradual but steady climb. A headwind added to the challenge. At first we could go about 10 mph. I suggested we form a pace line to help conserve energy for a few miles as we slogged slowly upward and onward. The slope got higher and we spent a good portion of the next 10 miles at about 7 mph pace. The terrain was dry grass that was golden. It reminded me of California after a dry summer. We did start to see some taller trees. The road became steeper. I thought it would take forever to reach our first SAG stop 14 miles out. We finally did and continued to climb up steeper at between 4-6 mph for a long time until we finally reached the continental divide at 6,355 feet. The feeling that I had at that spot was overwhelming. It was one of the challenges that I was concerned about and felt like I had just accomplished a major goal. In addition , this was our eighth day of riding too and fatigue was wearing on everyone, even those elite riders in the group.

One would think that the rest of the trip on this day would be downhill, at last that's what I thought but NO! We had some ups and downs, and many steps, where it would flatten, climb, coast down a bit and climb some more. We did have one very long stretch 4-5 miles that was a great downhill and probably got our speed up to over 30mph. In the whole day we climbed a total of 3,700 feet in elevation and went 46.6 miles.

The first thing I did when I got into town was to hit the bike shop and purchase a new helmet, another pair of bike shorts, a pair of gloves, and some gel shots for some energy boosts. By the way, I did feel OK on my ride today after my fall yesterday. I was being very careful and was ready to catch a ride if I felt peculiar in any way.

We reached our hotel by about 3:30, cleaned our bikes, did our laundry, picked up the rental car and had dinner at 6:00. The cook made Spanish rice, Mexican dish with turkey, beans, corn, and polenta, cooked in a dutch oven with charcoal. We also had watermelon, salad with balsamic vinegar, and chocolates for dessert. I celebrated the beginning of our lay over day with a beer. Tomorrow we're off to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings a few hours north of Silver City, New Mexico. It should be a nice change of pace to WALK around for a change. Possibly we''ll eat out at a fancy restaurant too!
Love,
Robin

Down and Out in Duncan!

Hi all,

OK, we were ALL really tired after yesterday's journey. I decided, with my pajamas on by 7:00 pm, that depending how I felt in the morning, I would ride for a while and probably hop a ride on the SAG for the afternoon to get in early for a change and relax. No sense pushing those achy knees and sore muscles too much. We still have two more days before our rest day.

We planned an early start, and after an english muffin, juice, and a boiled egg, packed our trail mix and were ready to hit the road by 7:05 as the day was predicted to be warm, in the 80's. Susan had picked a thorn out of her tire the night before, but when she went to pump up her tire in the morning there was a slow leak, so she changed it in the parking lot before we left.

One of the images of the morning that I remember the most as we cycled out of Safford was the symmetrical rich chocolate brown moist furrows that had just been plowed . In sharp contrast, the very very asymmetrical ruddy colored mountain of Mt Graham topped with snow at 10,ooo feet loomed in the background. As we traveled a few miles, there was very little wildlife, no bird songs or butterflies flitting about as before. The terrain was drier with tufts of dried green or golden grasses that reminded me of the Troll doll I had as a kid . (I cut the hair off to even it out, thinking it would grow back!)Oops!

After about 25 miles or so, some of us were drooping a bit so Susan thought we could flag down the SAG driver as she went by and get a boost up to the next stop at at town called Duncan where they had a cafe. I felt like we were playing hookie, but it was a nice change for 15 miles or so to be in a car and looking at the landscape. There were more golden hues, plants were short and scrubby. Once in a while you would see a cow or two and mountains all around.

At our fuel stop, I had cottage cheese and rye toast and was ready to roll. A few hundred yards out, I came across a railroad crossing, caught my tire in a groove and went down. My helmet hit the pavement and I have a few little scrapes on my elbow and leg but overall am fine. My brand new helmet has a crack in it, but better the helmet than my head! After a while, I did get up and pedal some more to get to the border of New Mexico about 7 miles away. Yeah, two states crossed and several more to go! I decided to call the SAG for a ride but there was no cell reception in that area, so I meandered along for another 12 miles or so before we made contact. Even though I felt OK, I was very emotional, and thought I'd better take it easy for the rest of the day.

Carol picked me up and we went back to see the other riders behind me to see if they needed water or help. Liz, who I thought was right behind me, ended up having a flat, changed it, pumped it up, took of the pump and the valve stem came with it causing another flat. By this time she was ready to be picked up and joined me. We went further to fine Marilyn, and she had also fallen in the same tracks I did, and was taken to a clinic for evaluation. She had more bruises and bangs than I did.

By the time we made it to the hotel, it was already fairly late in the afternoon and most of the other riders had made it in.

Things you might hear on the road:
1. My bike shorts are beginning to irritate me!
2. I've gotta have a Bag Balm stop.
3. I hope that shiny stuff in the road is mica and not glass.
4. Do you see the crest in sight?
5. Does anybody have any 50 sunscreen?
6. What day is this?
7. How many days in a row have we been riding?



Everything is fine, really.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
Love,
Robin

Long, Long Day

Globe to Safford, Arizona was a long ride. It was mostly flat and we did have a lovely gradual downhill where I did not have to pedal for quite some time. There were also some rollers with a little bit of climbing but flat for the last 45 miles or so. Luckily the cue sheet they gave us was a little off so we really went 78 miles instead of the 83 listed.

Today there was a little haze in the distance but we could see mountains ahead of us with snow on top looming in front of us. We did travel pass an Native American reservation at San Carlos. It was so sad to see the homes and poor conditions where the Apache lived. The land they lived in on land had very little water. I couldn't imagine staying there in the hot summer at all. We got a report that there were some mean dogs up ahead that were chasing bike riders. As we approached that area, I was in the lead and saw one mangy black dog barking and chasing after a car up ahead. I waited for Susan and Liz to come up with me, and we decided to walk our bikes past the dog so we could use our bikes as shields and would form a circle , more like a triangle, if he came behind us. The dog disappeared off to the right toward some trailers, just as the SAG vehicle was driving by wondering why we were all off our bikes walking them cautiously down the road. Anyways, the dog never did come back ,our well formed plan abandoned so we saddled up and took off again.

We also traveled through the town of Pima, of cotton fame. At this time of year, they were just planting the fields of cotton, but we would see little fluffs of cotton remnants on the sides of the road. No big lunch stops today as there really weren't many places with services along the route but we did manage to stop at Taylor Freeze in Pima about 13 miles from the end of our trip at about 3 o'clock or so. Some people got a green chili burrito and root beer floats. My tooth was hurting again so I had 1/2 of a grilled cheese sandwich and some water.

Dinner tonight had a Cuban feel, with a chicken stew with lentils and veggies over brown rice, with cantaloupe, and a tossed green salad. A woman who went on the trip last year was in the area, came for supper and brought us dessert. She was back in the area camping and wanted to do the 25 mile climb over the mountain that we did yesterday. The road was closed to bikers when her group came through and she wanted to do the part she missed!

Two more days of riding and I think our name will be changed slightly to the Bag Balm Babes! Someone asked about my bike's name. I named her Gertrude, after my 80 something year old neighbor who died in a car accident in November. She was all excited about my trip and said if her balance was better she'd like to go on the ride. So, in her memory, Gertrude the bike will accompany me across the southern tier of the USA. We cross into New Mexico tomorrow!!!
Love,
Robin

Up and Down and Up and Down and Up

Apache Junction to Globe Arizona was filled with lots of elevations changes. From what I recall we climbed gradually at first from 1,500 to 2,651 feet at Gonzales Pass, went downhill for a few hundred feet and then climbed 4,600 feet down a long descent about 1000 feet, and then back up another 5 miles to our hotel in Globe, AZ for a total of 56 miles. The challenge, besides the climbs, was going through a tunnel riding the bikes with traffic zooming by. Even though it was a Sunday, there were a lot of motor homes, trucks, motorcycles, and automobile traffic. Three of us went in front of the Woman Tour Van that had their emergency flashers on and proceeded slowly through the tunnel because it was also on an uphill climb. The other tricky part was near the summit where they had cones and sometimes Jersey barriers out for a construction project. Often times there were no shoulders, or they were full of gravel, or signs, or sandbags, so we would HAVE to go on the white line into traffic. One huge over sized truck went by and missed be by inches as I was hanging on to dear life.

Well, we all survived somehow and wish we could have appreciated the beautiful views but I just wanted to get out of that traffic and scary situation. My legs are a little creaky tonight, but my tooth hurts near the front of my mouth. Perhaps I was clenching the teeth going up and down the mountain passes but I fear it may be the start of something else. We were told that most often the group can't go up the pass because it is snowed in. We lucked out today with 65 degree temperatures which felt much warmer on the ascents but much colder on the descents.

What I do remember is the slanted fault lines in the mountains and the various textures and colors. In one section, older flowers from last year swayed 4 to 5 feet in the air from century plants.

At our hotel, I met some real cowboys. One of the older gentlemen was warning/joking that if we heard a lot of noise from a certain room to let him know or the front desk know because there were some fellows that could get a little loud. When his room mate came out, I joked around asking if this was the troublemaker. It wasn't but we got to chatting and they are in the area filming. They are trying to preserve the life,history, and traditions of cowboys for a documentary. I don't know if he was pulling my leg, but one of the men said Tommy Lee Jones was talking on the phone to one of them trying to get in on the project in some manner. The people you meet are so interesting.

So, the two women that I usually travel with goof around on the road thinking of silly things. We were trying to come up with a name for our "group." Tell me what you think of these names: Pedaling Partners, Cyclin'Cystas, or Bag Balm Buddies? Right now bag balm is a "hot commodity" for most of the gal s in our entire group. We'll grease up and be ready for our 83 miles to Safford, AZ tomorrow morning.
Love to all,
Robin

Hot in Phoenix

We had a 53 mile through the city of Phoenix to get to our destination in Apache Junction. As we were staying at a “not so super” Super 8 off the highway, there was no rush to reach our hotel early. (There is a Waffle House and a highway for excitement.) There is also a big LPGA tournament and a Renaissance Fair in the area so there weren't many blocks of hotel rooms available.

Seven of us decided had decided the night before to detour and bike to the Desert Botanical Garden and added about 7 more miles onto our trip for the day. One of our group members recommended this visit as a must do becausetof a special exhibit of the glass blowing artist of Chihuly. There were about 15 blown glass sculptures artistically interspersed among the desert botanical landscape. The colors, textures, and forms of the sculptures were absolutely amazing. It would be great to see at night when they were all lit up as well.

Our day was also complicated by a road closing. We found an alternate route and made it out of the detour, back onto our cue sheets directions and headed to the motel by around four after stopping for a late lunch. Dinner tonight was earlier at 5:30 so the clean up crew didn't have to work in the dark. For dinner we had poached salmon, herb noodles, tossed salad, quinoa, nuts and cranberry salad, and cheesecake. Several tour members didn't eat enough during the day and had a harder time finishing the ride in the afternoon when it got warmer. No more flat land tomorrow. Back to climbing so we'll see if there is any improvement in our strength.

Hugs,

Robin

Phoenix

It is amazing to me still to be where I am doing what I am doing. I remember one time several years I go I worked myself up to go on a half-century ride . The route went 1/3rd of a mile from my house and I was so tempted to just head home but didn't. But it took me two days to recover!!!

I have ridden over 50 mile in the last 4/5 days and and have six more days of more +50 miles per and don't have a day off to recover until New Mexico. Today we traveled 66.7 miles for a total of 417 miles so far! WOW!!!!

I liked riding through the country. Most of the ride today was pretty flat with some downhill and some gradual uphills into Phoenix. We traveled on the "Carefree Highway" on the outskirts which wasn't too bad. Liz and I were tired at the end of the day. I still am not sleeping well at night. The train whistle kept blowing last night.

For lunch we stopped at an "In and Out" restaurant for a hamburger. They have a very limited menu of three burger items and fries but I guess it's quite popular out here.. Beautiful weather again.
Life is grand on the carefree highway...
Love,
Robin
Yeah for me! I finally figured out how to import a picture!

56.7 miles to Wickenberg,, AZ

We were forewarned that our motel in Salome had "character." We all made sure we wore our sandals in the shower and on the carpet that must be original from the 60's. A pink neon light shone outside our windows. Believe it or not, I slept fairly well for once, only waking about 4 times during the night The morning was gorgeous starting out in the 40's and rising to high 60's by mid afternoon. We took a right out of the "motel" that did not even warrant a rating, and eased onto the smooth shoulder of Highway 60. The road was straight and flat for miles and miles and miles and miles. The Harcuvar Mountains were on our far left while the Big Horn Mountains were far off to our right. We rode through the middle of a vast open space, occasionally dotted with farm crops, a grove of nut trees, desolate remains of old cafes and homes, and RV parks. There are so many of these RV places that are just plunked in the middle of nowhere. I guess this area attracts a lot of "snowbirds" from the north for these winter months. A few miles down the road we stopped at this funky, cool, coffeehouse that had a potpourri of eclectic articles, signs, and decorations sprinkled in every nook and cranny. The coffee drinkers in the group enjoyed their special lattes and beverages. We all spent much more time in this unique little place than we planned only a few miles into our trip for the day.

At about mile 29, we stopped in a little town called Aguilla, and visited,the Coyote Cafe to have a regular lunch from the counter instead of our usual peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that we make in the morning after breakfast. I had cranberry juice, a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, with cottage cheese, along with a tall glass of ice water. Outside the Cafe we noticed some plastic zip lock sandwich bags partially filled with water with a penny inside. Curious, I went back inside to ask what they were for. One woman said they were to keep the flies away but didn't know how they worked. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing or know what might make this work?

The road surface was less smooth for the rest of the journey. It makes my hands go numb easily even though I have gel pads and move my hand position often The sun was out most of the day but large, fluffy clouds cast shadows on the mountains to our north and it looked as if some sprinkles may have reached the ground far off into the distance. At mile 33, I heard a HUGE explosion and wound up with another flat in my rear tire . For those keeping tract that would be flat # 3 in less than a week and the second one in the rear. It left a huge gash,about 7 inches long in the inner tube. With some help, we got her pumped up and finished the rest of the trip to Wickenberg without incident. There are some rough edges on the metal rim of my tire that may have to be filed down if that happens again. We rolled in to hotel parking lot about 3:30. Because of the rough road , our average speed was 11.5 miles per hour. Our dinner was lasagna, salad, garlic bread and a mini brownie.
My eyes are itchy and sore probably due to the spring pollen.I am already aquiring a biker tan with while stripes on my legs and arms and two dark circles on my hands where there is an opening in the gloves.
Love,
Robin

Blythe, CA to Salome, AZ

One of my favorite parts of riding continues to be the first part of the day when we head out toward the east as the sun is rising in the morning cool when the world where I am is still and quiet except for the whir of tires on the pavement and the occasional cry of a bird nearby.On this day I also heard the singing of the barbed wire fences as the cross-winds swept across to make the metal sing, tzzz, tzzz, tzzz. I noticed dome shaped objects in the landscape. First, there were dark domed-shaped mounds of earth towering over us on our right. All around were rounded tussocks of bold goldenrod yellow brittle brush bursting with color all along the roadway and across the landscape. Many of the knee high scrubby brush were also rounded.

On this day we crossed the Colorado River on a pedestrian bridge from California to Arizona. I am still amazed that we crossed OUR FIRST STATE! Great,green, gigantic saguaro cacti dotted the flat lands and hillsides and welcomed us to this new state. It grew greener with more open spaces.

A large chunk of our day was spent on an interstate. Out here bikes ARE allowed on some interstates if there is no other alternative route available. We were reminded how fragile life is when we witnessed a police chase on the interstate, spotted a dust cloud up ahead just beyond and overpass, then witnessed a medi-vac helicopter landing to assist in the fatal accident that occurred from that chase. Luckily we were not involved but 10 minutes earlier may have been a very different outcome. It was not our time...

We traveled 64 miles on this day to a very tiny town called Salome with very little services. We did celebrate our first state crossing with margarita.For dinner we had chicken curry over brown rice, salad and strawberry rhubarb pie. Yummy!
Love to all,
Robin

A Day of Respite

The day off from biking went by much too quickly. Laundry did get washed,email was updated, the post office got a visit, some pictures got developed, and a few pages were started in the scrapbook.For folks that know me well, I do appreciate an email once in a while. When we do get some down time, I often check it and I'd love to hear from family and friends about what is going on in their neck of the woods.

A good portion of our morning was taken up with a change a flat workshop. (I could have used this BEFORE rear flat tire number one on the first day of the trip and front flat tire on the second day of the trip but better late than never!) It was also the first time that I was shown how to clean the grit out of the important moving parts of my bicycle. I'm still trying to come up with a name for my bike, Do you have any suggestions?

In the evening, a large group got together for a dinner at a Country Club that served Italian food. I loaded up on my carbs with my veggie pasta for tomorrow's ride. We ride for 8 straight days before our next day off so this should be a challenging week for us.

We do leave the state of California tomorrow so I am looking forward to crossing the Colorado River into Arizona early in the morning with my "Pedaling Partners" . In the evening after a state line crossing we earn our first Margarita Party. I am looking forward to that celebration and trying not to think about our less than stellar accommodations that we have coming up tomorrow night.It is supposed to be the worst of the trip but there is nothing else available.(Please...no bedbugs...please)
We have also been forewarned of a nearly naked man that likes to traverse the streets of that same town. There is always something exciting happening on our trip!
Hugs,
Robin

Confident, stronger, and proud is how I feel today after completing a 90 mile ride today. We all got up early before dark to prepare for this long day and luckily tailwinds were with us most of the way with blue skies and comfortable riding temperatures in the 60's and 70's after the sun came up. It is just an awesome feeling to be out on the road and watch the quiet rise of the sun and gently wake up as the mud swallows sing and dart about the canals and croplands. The traffic was light and the air was clear and filled with of spring and the whir of thin tires on the shoulder of the pavement.


One of the features of today's landscape that I recall the most were massive rolling dunes around 28 miles out. I guess this is a big area for dune buggy racing especially on the weekends outside of Brawley. One side of the road is protected and has some vegetation, shrubs and a few cropped trees while the other side is devoid of most vegetation due to the traffic of the dune buggies.I noticed after a "Nature Call" at the side of the road that the area was fenced off due to a bombing area and possible unexploded ordinances just outside the area that the dune buggies can go on.

Wheeling along at a bike pace you really notice patterns in the sand swirled out by the wind and you could hear the tss, tss, tss, of the grains of sand as they reached the others side of the asphalt and landed on the accumulated piles of sand. As we traveled along the road dips and hills tiny streams of sand would scoot across our path at odd acute angles like sandy ghostly whisps of smoke .

This was a day that we all had grains of sand embedded in our faces, like a free dermal abrasion therapy, from huge trucks that zipped along the same roadways. You do have to hold on tightly so you don't get swept to the side and you also have to carefully watch for any small piles of sand that may have built up which makes for very unsteady bike control.

We also passed through the Chocolate Mountains and they did look as if they were sprinkled with Hershey cocoa powder. The color was so different from the beige, flat, open expanses of the sand dunes a few mile before. Looming ahead in the distance the deep brown was an interesting contrast. Another contrast are areas of the desert that had access to the canal system fed by the Colorado River. Alfalfa, and sugar beets were common crops interspersed with desolation and scrubby terrain on the other side of the road.

The Border Patrol is very active in this area of the county. I cannot begin to total all of the trucks and personnel we have seen traveling across California. Imagine all the money spent on manpower, equipment and this enormous fence erected. I find it odd that we as Americans were so offended by the Berlin Wall, yet we have spent millions building one ourselves. A rider yesterday did see a Border Patrol pointing a gun to someone down in a gully and we were waved through a security checkpoint today as well. (I guess they didn't think old ladies on two wheels were a threat to our security...) By that time of the day we really didn't want to be inspected either, full of grit in our teeth, hair, eyes and body.

My riding buddies and I stopped often, ate lots of snacks, drank lots of water to get through the day and felt a true sense of accomplishment at this particular challenge. For many of us is was our farthest mileage in one day on a bike. My mini group left at 7 am and we pulled in to the hotel parking lot around 4 pm. It was a long but fruitful day. I am looking forward to our layover day. There is a tire changing workshop and an opportunity to clean our bikes, our clothes, our minds, and rest our bodies and our bottoms for at least a little while...Perhaps I'll even send some items home that I have not used yet as my bags are heavy and sometimes have to be lugged upstairs along with our bikes that we keep in our rooms.
Love to all,
Robin

March 8th I think...
Already time is different. I haven't had time or the desire to turn on the tv or get the news. Our days are starting to get into a rhythm and routine of getting up early at sunrise, lugging out bags out to the van, eating some hot oatmeal and yogurt for breakfast, bringing the bicycle out, pumping up the tires, making a trail mix snack bag and a peanut butter sandwich for lunch on the road, filling up two water bottles, resetting the odometer, attaching the cue sheet, heading out, reaching our final destination safely, eating dinner together out by the trailor, packing up for the next day, and getting to bed early.

The ride from San Diego to Alpine to Jacumba, CA yesterday was a challenge. We had a 45 mile trip through many hill?mountain? climbs. I had a new favorite five letter word of the day. It was CREST! That meant we could see the top and new we had a break from climbing. Up and down all day, but mostly up!!! I had flat tire number two about 2 miles from the final destination. This time it was my front tire. I called for back-up from the SAG driver because I could not undo the lever it was on so tight. Luckily, Ann again happened to come along to rescue me. This time I had her talk me through it while I changed the actual flat. The SAG wagon came and we could use the big pump which makes it a whole lot easier. I made it the last two mile, a little late of course, but threw on my swimsuit after a very quick shower to go into the natural hot springs for a well deserved soak. Dinner was early that night because of the time change. Linda made turkey burritos with guacamole that someone brought from their avocado grove. We also had salad, succotash, and left over birthday cake.

During the night it turned very cold, and there was frost on the windshields. We left at dawn at 32 degrees heading up some more toward Brawley, CA for a journey of 65 milles or so. As we climbed upward, the sun rising, the cold air blowing and tearing my eyes, I knew it was going to be a good day. There are two women that headed out with me. We seem to go about the same speed, need to take breaks at the same time, and laugh a lot along the way. After our climb, we turned on the interstate and started this fantastic 10 mile descent down the mountains. The vistas were fantastic. Rounded boulders dotted the landscape and as we picked up incredible speed flew down into a huge valley into the desert that went on for miles and miles. We saw some mini white lilies as well as some small purple and yellow flowers. That's the benefit of being on a bike. you really notice some of the subtle changes in flora, fauna, shades of rock outcroppings, and soil on the way.

With many stops for fluids, and snacks, we bicycled through about 67 miles of terrain, mostly flat. By the end of the ride it was 75 degrees. We all felt a great sense of accomplishment. Life is still great in paradise. The winds were with us and not against us today.
It's getting late after 9 pm and we are up at dawn so will sign off for now. Think of me on my 90 mile journey tomorrow!
Hugs,
Robin

In San Diego and Day One

I'll try and update quickly but I have been having trouble with the computer especially with word processing and importing pictures and graphics. On Wednesday morning, I was one of 12 women who received their bikes from the mechanic. Six of us decided to go on a short warm-up ride to make sure everything was working correctly. We journeyed out of the hotel parking lot, toward the ocean, down bike paths and across reams of traffic. We did see several birds in the water such as blue herons, pelicans, and sand pipers. Our short little warm up ride turned out to be 21 miles, but the area was flat, and the sun was out. Another day in paradise. Later in the afternoon, Carol from NH, and I took a city bus to Old Town San Diego to see some shops and historical sections. That night we celebrated Carol's 60th birthday.

The next day Ann from NJ and I went for a walk down by the water and found a wonderful little jogging path that was away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. At 1 o'clock we had our first orientation group, meeting everyone, finding out a little about ourselves, and discovering how the trip was organized. This is Woman Tours 12th tour across the Southern Tier. 275 other woman have completed this trip in that time. 21 more women are planning to complete this tour that I am on.

That night, a friend, Angela, drove down from Laguna Hills to meet me and go to the send off banquet with me. That night I think everyone was very excited about our next day.
Breakfast was at 7:00 in the parking lot. I chose some hot steel cut oatmeal with yogurt and almonds. I didn't want to eat too much on the morning of our BIG DAY! By 8:00 we were off on a 3 mile trip to the Pacific Ocean to dip our tires into the water and begin our trip eastward to the waters of the Atlantic. The feeling while in the first few moments of that ride was overwhelming. I started welling up, of course, or had this huge bug catching ear to ear grin on. It was just wonderfully strange.

We all took off our bike shoes and socks, and carried our bikes down to the ocean's edge of Dog Beach, carefully watching foot placement in the sand along the way, if you get my drift at DOG beach. Then we headed off eastward by 9 o'clock to begin our ride out to Alpine, California for a total ride of 37.3 miles in all. I have the honor of having the FIRST FLAT TIRE of the trip! At about mile 21, something didn't feel right, so I pulled over and discovered my flat. I really don't know how to take the back tire off the chain, so we called for BACK-UP, and Ann, the SAG(Support and Gear) happened to be driving along just as we were placing the call. LUCKY FOR ME! She changed my flat for me and things were fine. I was off again, by myself now, and then my gears started to slip when I shifted. LUCKY FOR ME, Michelle, the guide/mechanic pulled up behind me and was able to adjust it. Now I was pretty far behind everyone else now, but began a steady climb up 2,000 feet to our destination. It was a gradual steady climb and I made it!!! One more incident I forgot to mention is that as I was trying to reset the time that was off by 20 minutes on my bike computer, I messed up the odometer so that was useless for me for the whole ride. No Worries though as I arrived safely at our destination. I am very tired and though it is only 8:15, we have a long day tomorrow with a lot more climbing to 4,000 feet to reach Jacumba in 45 miles.
Love to All,
Robin

Destination San Diego

It has begun. All of the dreaming, planning, packing, and purchasing....My day started after a 4:10 am wake up time today in order to get to the airport by 6 am. The flight was booked solid and it took a long time to get everyone boarded as every nook and cranny in the overhead bins as well as a body in every seat made it a crowded flight. Due to the winter snowstorm that came through the day before, many people had re booked. While we were cuing up for our spot for the runway it really did hit me. I'm soon to take off and am heading off to get to the start of a bike journey in San Diego. OK, it took a while as we were in line waiting for our turn for quite some time but eventually we made it to Atlanta with just enough time to walk across a couple of terminals (miles) and board the connecting flight.

When I went to confirm my flight online the night before, they wanted an extra $50 for checking two bags. I made a last minute decision to bring one of those one heavy bags on board plus my carry on item. Of course I was stopped by security for a bottle of conditioner and hmm...how can I say this politely...a tube of cream for the gluteus maximus (buttocks) that I forgot to take out. I did remember to remove the sharp scissors, small Swiss army knife, and small tubes of various lotions but forgot about those two items crammed in bike shoes After that I went on my way without further breeches to the security of our country. You should feel very safe!

I had a window seatand paid a few dollars more for an extra inch or two of legroom. For once I could actually see out the window for most of the trip as it was clear and we were flying in daylight instead of the dead of the night. About midway through the flight, I checked on the onscreen map of the route we were taking and noticed several familiar names. To my delight, we were flying a parallel route to the bike trip that will begin on Friday in the opposite direction. I remember flying over the town/city of Kerville, Bastrop, Del Rio, Sanderson, Marathon, Van Horn, and El Paso in Texas. I should reach Texas by bicycle in about three weeks and will take about three more weeks to get through that particular state. From the air I could see the mountains, escarpments, and plateaus.

Strange while waiting on the runway in Logan, I had a lot of time to look at the wind blown snow that drifted into different patterns like curved sculptures with rounded drumlins. Shallow furrows held shadows while other patches were like wave crests of the ocean frozen in motion with sharp edges. It reminded me of the shape in miniature, though differing in magnitude and hue, of the ruddy-colored sand dunes in the Middle East with ever changing and transient topography. Even the mountains of the Appalachians held a raw dark beauty with its granite gray mountain tops sprinkled with new snow. OK, enough you say! I could go on about the bare stalks of grass stripped of color...I just wanted to take a moment to stop and appreciate different aspects of beauty in our country.


Those of you who know me well know can rest assured that I was episodically overcome with tears at different times of this day. Hopefully my clinging hug said it all to Sean/John at the airport as we bid farewell. I knew as I uttered I'll miss you that I was on the verge of becoming a blubbering idiot so I just walked away after another clutching hug.

Anyways, I'm here in San Diego, safe, waiting for my roommate to fly in soon, and head out to dinner.
Hugs,
Robin/Mom/Grandma/Mrs. Sewell