June 9, 2021 to July 2, 2021
Two years planning, broken ribs and a used red bus
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
Tuesday we climbed out of Abiquiu north towards the Santa Fe Forest. With persistant cool drizzle and elevations beyond 9000 feet, the views were beautiful but the chills and aches were real. We moved from high desert cactus to mountain Sage and Pine. Asphalt turned to dirt and rocky roads.
Early evening brought us to a dot on the map called Vallecitos where we found the legendary landmark for bikers and hikers on the Continental Divide. It's a farm with a small home in the distance, and along the road is a 12 foot blue shack with a doorbell. Ring the bell and the owner scoots down the hill on a quad to the shed, and welcomes you to her store. Sheila and Joe opened this shop originally as a lemonade stand for their kids to greet the bikers/hikers and sell treats. The stand evolved into an elaborate 12 foot shed, open in the summer and filled with simple snacks and supplies.
Wet, tired and approaching the evening with a lot of uphill miles to the campground, we asked Sheila if she knew of another local spot we could rest for the evening. She pointed across the street to a small home and told us her mom lived there and had passed away 9 years prior and the home was an extra. Sheila insisted we stay there, free and clear, rest up and have a safe ride. Wow! We dined like royaly on Turkey Spam on tortillas with chips and Coke. Watched a DVD of Blazing Saddles, laughed and dropped for a deep sleep.
Wednesday early morning we admired the horses that wandered the yards, and then set off on a steep gravel road where the pines changed to stands of Aspens and amazing vistas. Rode up Burned Mountain at 10,174 feet, passed Hopewell Lake, short stretch along Highway 64, and then a sharp turn onto fatefull Forest Route 133. This road was made of vulcanic gravel and it sucked. Following our rule that if you pedal uphill slower than you walk uphill, then get off the bike and walk. We walked a lot on FR133. At the top we saddled up and coasted down the tree lined rocky vulcanic gravel road to an enormous open rolling meadow, full of grass and cows.
Our friend Ben was ahead by 50 yards, I was in the middle and Steve was right behind. Another rule is to regroup after big hills and route changes. So we waited a minute, did not see Steve, and began the ride back up the gravel road to check on his whereabouts. Steve was walking his bike down the hill. He took a spill, smashed the corner of his helmet, shredded part of his jersey and had an unusual angle to his righ shoulder. He was sure he dislocated his shoulder and it looked nasty.
We rode 12 miles along this crappy road to get to the meadow, and it was 80 miles to our next stop. We used our Garmin locator SOS button and hailed for EMS evacuation. Few hours later they arrived in an EMS rescue truck, complete with Fire Hose and medical equipment. They hoisted Steve’s bike onto the roof of the truck, and with room for ONE passenger on the bench seat of the truck’s cab, Steve drove with EMS on an alternate road another 11 miles out to the highway. On the highway EMS tranferred Steve and his bicycle into a waiting ambulance, and then whisked him off to the nearest hospital 40 more miles away in Taos, NM.
Our friend Ben, who begn his journey solo, decided to continue riding forward towards the resupply city. They left me to set up camp for the night on a mountain meadow with the cows. The weather was crisp, the skies were clear, the stars were bright, and as soon as the cows stopped mooing, it was quiet.
Dany in Michigan was texting updates with Steve in Taos, and then relayed the updates to me in the cow meadow via the Garmin satellite service. Steve had broken ribs, stretched shoulder ligaments and luckily no punctured lung or any head trauma. The Taos Police drove Steve to a local Taos hotel at 3am.
Awakened early by the mooing cows. Packed my bags and began pedaling 11 miles on the gravel road out of the Rio Grande Del Notre Wilderness to the highway. Enjoyed an AMAZING breakfast burrito Tres Pedrias, then back on the highway shoulder towards Steve. The thermometer on the bicycle registered 104F, was I’m pretty sure was correct. Stopped for photos at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, then then met Steve in Taos. He had already met new friends, took his bike to a local shop for boxing and trasnport to Michigan, and with Dany’s help coordinated a Friday flight from Albuquerque to Detroit. We wandered to Taos Old Town, enjoyed dinner and then wandered back to the hotel.
Continuing the Continental Divide bike ride as a solo rider, in light of Steve’s accident, was not wise for me to pursue. I preferrred staying out west and biking more, but needed transportation. Rental cars are rediculously high, Amtrak doesn’t accept large bicycles, so I considered buying an inexpensive used car. The local Chevy Taos dealer only had a few high priced pick-up trucks, but their flagship store in Alamosa, Colorado had several interesting used vehicles. The local Taos salesperson personally drove me 90 miles to Alamosa, Colorado, where we spotted the red bus, drove it back to Taos, and now I own a 2004 Red GMC Yukon XL, with plenty of room for me and my bicycle to explore the west.
Plan to spruce up the filthy interior of the red bus today, then visit the Taos farmers market, grab a short bike ride, and then visit friends in Albuquerque. Next stop TBD. Ride on.
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Today's ride: 150 miles (241 km)
Total: 567 miles (912 km)
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3 years ago