Day 2: Separ to Silver City

May 28, 2022

An unexpected turn…

My Facebook live from Separ:

https://www.facebook.com/1109842221/videos/525313582620935/

Water is freely available at the trading post in Separ.

Some items to help hikers and cyclists to stay cool.

Mostly snacks - only a few meal options.

Danishes - I had the apple one for breakfast. It was decent. They have several other kinds.

I opted for the ham & Swiss sandwich (picked up for lunch) and it was actually pretty good for “gas station” food. The also had some burritos that looked like I’d need to heat them so I went for the cold sandwich.

In spite of being 100 yards from the NM State Route 9, with trucks zipping by all night long, after popping in my ear plugs I was able get a great 7 hours of sleep, which felt so good.

Washboard roads for the first 2.5 miles heading North from Separ.

The Finns (Otso and Noora) found my prescription sun glasses! They caught up to me on the way to Silver City and we decided to ride together to Silver.

Unfortunately, the cycling portion of my adventure came to an abrupt end when I crashed 20 miles outside of Silver and broke my collarbone.

Otso gathering needed first aid items from my bike (yes, my bike is ok! - thanks for asking!)

Otso and Noora insisted on waiting with me and helping me while I figured out how to get a ride to Silver.

Another cyclist who started the GDMBR the same day as us (the Rob who stayed with Jeffrey Sharp), passed us ~10 minutes after I crashed.

Rob on the left with Jeffrey Sharp on the right. Jeffrey runs the bike ranch, oversees the Hachita Community Center, and also shuttles GDMBR riders to / from Antelope Wells (for a fee. Contact Jeffrey at: +1 (575) 519-9111).

Rob rode ahead and found some people (Mark & Ronda Reed) to come and rescue me. They took me and the bike to Silver City’s Gila Regional Medical Center. On the way, we passed an emergency response team of volunteer firefighters who had been dispatched to come and get me. I was on the phone with “Global Rescue” at the time and they were supposed to let them know I’d already been picked up. They scrambled to call them off.

Mark & Ronda Reed with me at the Gila Regional Medical Center.

Two trauma patients arrived at the ER just before I arrived, so it took a couple of hours to be seen. During that time I communicated with my siblings about the situation. My wife and kids were at Disneyland for four more days and I didn’t want them to cut their trip short, so I asked my siblings if any of them would like to drive out and get me. Gratefully, both of my sisters volunteered. One of them was only 3.5 hours away, so she started driving right away.

A super-gracious Warmshowers host picked up my bike and gear from the hospital (they said it couldn’t stay there with me) and then came back later for me when the nurses had finished dressing wounds, taking and examining X-rays, and putting me in a sling.
(The X-rays showed a clean break and no surgery would be needed. To me, it seemed that the bones were misaligned because of the huge bump in the middle of the clavicle.
They explained that the bump was just because of inflammation- that the bones were still touching, so the clavicle would heal straight without needing to be set.)

The warmshowers host was super busy this weekend but was super gracious to help in my time of need.
He picked me up, took me back to his home, where I was able to shower and clean up (a lot slower than usual). Additionally, they made me a delish smoothie and fed me an amazing dinner of steak, potatoes, and salad. They offered to let me and my sister (and her daughter) stay over and leave in the morning but my sister needed to get back.

My sister arrived during that time, and took me, the bike, and gear to Snowflake, AZ last night.
She’ll drive me home on Monday.

So, the adventure continues - just in a different way than I’d planned.

~The detour IS the path~

Though it has been very disappointing to not be able to complete the journey I’d planned and worked so hard to prepare for, I have embraced this detour as the path I am supposed to be on, and will come back even stronger next year.

Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 107 miles (172 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	10
Comment on this entry	Comment	16

Kathleen JonesSorry to hear this, but heartening to see how kind people have been to you. Heal fast. You’ll be on the bike again soon enough.
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo Kathleen JonesThank you, Kathleen. I wish you all the best in your adventures!
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2 years ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensSo sorry to read this Trevan. Your attitude is great though and we are sure you will do this ride some other time. Also you must have had some road-karma built up because when you needed help it appeared for you.
Our ride took an unexpected turn, we are in Deming now and will try to ride to Silver City tomorrow.
Untill we meet again. Tailwinds! Racpat
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2 years ago

Gregory GarceauLike the others, I'm sad to see your trip come to an end so abruptly. On a trail like that, such a thing can happen at any time. Luckily, it happened to you where others came along to help fairly quickly.

I am most impressed that you have a big smile in every picture, despite the broken collar bone and the abrasions. I think I'd have a big frown. Maybe tears. I have no doubt you'll come back stronger next year.
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2 years ago

Jeanna & Kerry SmithS0 sorry to read about your crash and injury, but your attitude is inspiring to me. Very best wishes for an uneventful recovery and happily continuing whatever journey is ahead of you.
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2 years ago

sandra corsoWishing you a speedy recovery. The GD will be there waiting for you. take care, sandra
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo Rachel and Patrick HugensThank Rachel and Patrick - it was so great to share the beginning of my GDMBR journey with you two. You are delightful people and excellent traveling companions. It was so fun listening to your stories of traveling the globe multiple times. You have a wealth of experience to share and I look forward to learning much more from you.
Rachel, for any woman to take on this course, it is inspiring to me, but especially for you to take this on at this stage if your life journey, it is particularly inspiring. I will pray for your continued safety. You’re in great hands with Patrick!
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo Gregory GarceauGregory, thanks for your kind words. Yes, I was so blessed, as Rachel said ^^, with trail angels along the way. I absolutely love the community of cyclists who band together around this common interest and help each other in a spirit of mutual love and respect- even though we may have very different views politically. We are able to set those differences aside and see the goodness in each other and unite around our common love of adventure, the outdoors, and cycling.
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo Jeanna & Kerry SmithThanks very much Jeanna & Kerry. It means a lot that you’d take the time to leave that kind comment.
Next in my list is healing and preparing for the Triple Bypass in Colorado this August. Then I’m considering the El Tour de Tucson in November and reattempting the GDMBR next year!
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo sandra corsoSandra, many thanks- Yes! I’ll be back! Planning for 2023!
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2 years ago

Andrea BrownOh! What a shame. I was so looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful landscape photos. But I'm glad you're safe and that help came when you needed it. Speedy healing and we'll see your photos next year.
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo Andrea BrownI know - sorry to disappoint you Andrea!

Here are links to some of the journals/blogs of those I met in my two days. Their photos will likely be very similar to what I would have attempted to capture.

Rob:
https://gdmbrnobo.blogspot.com/2022/05/great-divide-nobo-day-2-hachita-nm-to.html?m=1#comments

Patrick & Rachel:
https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/racpatgreatdivide2022/

Patrick is carrying 2 nice, heavy cameras with him and his pictures are sure to be much better (and more plentiful) than mine would’ve been).
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2 years ago

Trevan HouseholderTo Trevan HouseholderHmmm the whole url didn’t come thru for Patrick & Rachel. Search for racpat on cycleblaze if this one doesn’t work:
https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/racpatgreatdivide2022/
Or
https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/racpatgreatdivide2022/section-6-map-antelope-wells-to-grants-nm-3944-miles/
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2 years ago

Andrea BrownTo Trevan HouseholderThank you, Trevan. Patrick and Rachel are well known to us, we missed each other by a day or so twice, once in northern Vietnam, and once in Bangkok. We'll definitely follow their journey.
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2 years ago

Joe SealbyI love your positivity, Trevan. A really disappointing outcome and I feel for you. I hope you are able to successfully complete the ride at your next opportunity. Eleven years ago I set out to ride across Canada but fell after only a week. I tore all shoulder ligaments and had to return to Australia with my tail between my legs.
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2 years ago

Ron SuchanekI bounced to your journal from Racpat's, and was looking forward to following your jounal. Sorry to see that your trip ended this way. I'm sure it's disappointing, and at the same time you got to experience generosity from the warm showers hosts and others.
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2 years ago