August 16, 2022
Fixing leaks
Durango to near Arboles
My sea to summit air mattress has been slowly leaking overnight. I have tried putting the mattress in a lake and also a couple of baths to find air bubbles. It took a few baths to find any leaks and despite patching them, it still keeps slowly deflating overnight.
So last night I visited a camping store in Durango, who stocks the same mattress. Matt offered to look at my mattress overnight to see if he could find anymore leaks.
So in the morning I make my way to the store to see if Matt had any better luck. He found another leak but thought there is a more bigger issue with the mattress. So he kindly offers to replaced my mattress under warranty. Thanks Matt.
While another issue I have had, is that randomly a few days ago, my Kobo eBook's screen suddenly turned black and wouldn't work. From my research it has a crack screen, despite not looking like there is any problem with it, nor do I remember dropping it. All I can think is that maybe my bike fell over one time.
I have tried a couple of computer stores but they say it will cost more to fix it than it's worth and anyway I don't have time to wait. Instead, I will carry a paper book, which I will swap using the free street libraries I keep seeing. Thankfully one repair place, is able to recycle my kobo.
My bicycle shoes are also starting to get holes in them, so I will try some tape. While one screw in one of my cleats keeps coming loose.
As for cycling out of Durango I'm able to use a cycle path beside the Animas River. However it just ends, so I'm forced onto busy roads.
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Thankfully, soon after climbing out of the valley I'm able to join quieter roads before having to return to a highway. Still it's a quieter away from Durango and I'm making good time until suddenly my bike feels wobbly.
I have another flat tyre, this time it's the front tyre. It's warm now but thankfully a church is nearby, with a shaded verandah.
It's also lunchtime so I take the opportunity to eat and fix my flat at the same time. A man comes over but he's just the pastor. As I explain my trip, he mentions other cyclists have also briefly stopped here.
Once tyre is fixed, I'm soon in the Native American town of Ignacio. Which has a large Casino and also an informative museum which has sadly similar stories of the Ute Nation being moved. Particularly stories of children's been forced to go to boarding school to forgot their Indian heritage. Sadly a similar situation happened to Indigenous Australians.
From Ignacio, I'm making good time through a farming landscape despite some dirt roads.
All day I have been occasionally crossing the old railroad route and as I make my way north of the town of Arboles I see that I can cycle on the old rail route.
Soon the trail goes from dirt to rocky to a paved path as a large shelter appears just before a refurbished steel railway bridge. As I go to cross the bridge, west of me large dark clouds are appearing and knowing that this is common in Colorado for this time of year, I will wait at the bridge to see what develops.
In the meantime, I will walk over the bridge to see if the rail trail continues. It's undeveloped and covered in thorns. Soon it's unrecognisable from the surrounding landscape.
It's nearly 6pm so as the clouds move closer, this shelter will do for tonight especially as a toilet is nearby and I can access water from the river below. Anyway, I was only looking at cycling for another 7 miles to a possible open space beside the same river. Which I have no idea if it's a suitable place to camp.
I have only been here for half an hour but now thunder is surrounding me. As rain arrives on dusk, I have made the right decision to stay in a dry place. Allowing me to cook my Rice a Roni dinner. A simple meal I often have with tinned tuna or chicken.
My tent is fine in the rain, but I prefer keeping my bike dry and it's better in the morning, not to have to pack up a wet tent.
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