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