March 1, 2024
Day 10: Pine Springs to El Paso
It’s been two days and I haven’t written a summary yet of our ride into El Paso. Sometimes you need some time to recover physically, sometimes you need some time to process mentally. I needed both.
It was hard, we both were exhausted and pushed to the limits, and we needed to align our expectations.
The day started early with a beautiful pre-dawn glow. We packed up in temps in the high 30’s, disappointed that the 20-30 mph gusts that blew our tent over yesterday had not abated. We bundled up but felt warm enough and confident we wouldn’t absolutely freeze. The first 10 miles were all downhill and we made sure we spread out to give each other room to see and avoid road debris and hazards and to allow margin for the treacherous breezes that pushed us all over the road. Instead of using all the downhill momentum, we rode our brakes hard as any speed over 20 mph combined with the crosswinds would threaten to literally blow us off the road. We made it down safely, but Jude suffered a flat and I never heard him over the howl of the wind. By the time I turned around to go back uphill, I added over a mile to the trip. He had already taken the tube off and we worked together to get a new tube and tire back on the rim.
After about 45 minutes we headed back down the road, this time straight into a headwind. It was unrelenting all day. At one point, we passed a dirt road with a road sign that was very fitting: Howling Wind Rd. At around mile 55 we stopped and ate lunch at the only safe spot: behind a guardrail. We made sure plastic bags were secure and lunch didn’t blow away. I finally got to experience the relentless winds Jude has been dealing with: howling in the ears, leaning into them in the bike or just standing, yelling to be heard at close range, pedaling hard on a downhill just to hit 13 mph, working hard just to go 9mph on the flats. Thankfully we had each other to draft off of, work together, and give each other rests.
As we headed back into the maelstrom after lunch, we passed an interesting artifact at mile 57: an aviation navigation arrow. As a Google Maps buff [nerd], I had seen these before out west. They were used to guide the first airplane mail carriers by sighting the arrows on the ground. This group of aviators was the precursor for American Airlines. In looking at our route, we would pass by this one which is the only one near a major road. The rest are on private land too far away to photograph from the ground. I laid my bike down, ran to the other side of the highway and took my picture, nerd/random interesting fact side of me satisfied!
At mile 67, now 8 hours into our ride, we finally had our first place to stop and relax: a road side picnic area with no services. While the wind and sun were unrelenting, it was at least cool in the high 50’s, so we had enough water to last until mile 90 which was the first gas station we’d seen in 3 days and more than 180 miles away in Orla. We worked hard to get out of the gradually rising rollers, gaining several thousand feet, and got some more downhills into the outskirts of El Paso.
We hit the Valero gas station at mile 90 and then the Trek store at mile 95 to get some adjustments to Jude’s rear cassette and derailleur. This is where the wheels started to come off (figuratively) and I learned lessons: first, I missed a stop near mile 85. Jude has gotten into a good rhythm on his rest breaks and likes to stop every 10 miles in the morning and every 5 miles in the afternoon. I kept going to push through and get to a gas station. It would have been better for a quick rest stop to regroup for the final push.
Second, Jude likes to get finished with his rides before dark. Whether we camp or stay in a hotel, it helps him to start earlier in the dark so the ride will at least end in the light. I realized we should have started earlier in the morning, but I had wanted to time it so we could see El Cap and the Guadalupe Peaks in the sunrise. This also meant that, after a flat tire and a speed-sapping headwind, our later arrival to the Trek store made Jude wanted to skip it and push on to get to the hotel before dark. I insisted we stop at the store to get his bike worked on. Unbeknownst to me, he still had a goal to get to the hotel before dark, so when his bike was finished, Jude took off like a bat for the final 14 miles and I could only hold on for dear life. He gapped me several times and I prayed for red lights. Thankfully we were able to switch to fresh lights at the bike store and we were well lit for the final 30 minutes in the dark. Quick showers and a takeout order of massive burgers from West Texas Chophouse helped us recover a bit and talk about the day. This is where I learned some lessons that will help in the next few days.
After an almost 12 hour day, 9 hours of which were in the saddle, my body and brain were still in hyper drive. I walked to the Walmart to get some supplies and had a second dinner. Jude was talking to Elizabeth when I returned and we discussed the day together. He also did laundry and then I very literally crashed hard in bed.
What a day! I went to bed so grateful to be here with Jude, learning from him, working together and taking my turns at pulling into the wind. What an experience! I’m so grateful for safety thus far, for an amazing son who is growing up before my eyes, for a loving and supportive wife and for kids who are adventurous and love experiencing God’s creation.
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Today's ride: 105 miles (169 km)
Total: 689 miles (1,109 km)
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