Day 37: Wilderness to wilderness.

September 26, 2024

Today ended up being a big push of a day. This was a bit of a surprise to both of us. It’s similar to the whole trip though. You just never know exactly what the trail is going to deliver. We ended up riding from 7:15 until 6:30 pm which is likely one of our longest days in the saddle.

We woke up to dry tents and cool but not cold weather. Last night we both heard some sort of dogs (fox or coyotes) that were chirping and barking. It almost sounded like young pups maybe playing but they were oretty at 2 AM. We woke up at 6 and the stars and moon were still out as we packed up with the assistance of our headlamps. I like getting up early and riding while it’s cool and we use less water. Plus, we both sleeping at 8 pm. Tonight will be different because I’m pecking out this post and it’s 8 pm and I’m in my tent and it’s dark but warm since we are at 1900 m.

We had oatmeal and coffee and started the day out right. The riding from our camp was very nice. We rode through the ponderosa pine forest and then popped out into the open again with beautiful sunlight and at some points huge swaths of yellow flowers on bushes. We just missed an incredible time along this stretch where there are wild shastadaisies (spelling?) lining the roads. We saw a few still blooming but for the most part the season was over.

Along the way I snapped a lot of pictures and they will make up the majority of the photos as the afternoon was all climbing in the woods and the pictures would be boring.

We still had a decent amount of water but we needed to stop at the Beaver Work Center to fill up all pilot bottles. We arrived there at 10 AM and met 3 other bike packers who had joined up on the trail (Australia, Pittsburg, Edmonton). We asked if they saw Ken and sure enough he left at 8 AM. I guessed that he camped there so we are still trailing him after our day off and it’s unlikely we will cross paths again.

At the work center there was a great water source, outhouse, garbage and WIFI so we used all the resources available. We layered on sunscreen and peeled the last layers and got rolling by 10:30. After talking with the other riders and looking more closely at the elevation profile we knew we were in for some serious climbing. And that turned out to be our entire afternoon until about 5:30 pm.

We stopped for lunch at 11:30 and intentionally had another meal not requiring water. We had wraps and then a bagel with chocolate peanut butter. At least the first ingredient was peanuts but it was similar to Nutella.

The climbing today was all decent gravel but the angles were significant making for some serious leg workouts. As we were getting closer to our last climb we spotted some clean looking water in a creek that was nearly dry and barely moving. We agreed it still made sense to resupply even though we might make it to a campground with a lake. We hadn’t seen a vehicle for at least 4 hours which was great because it was a 1 lane deal and at times moon dust that wouldn’t have been pleasant if we were passed.

I was at the creek when I heard a vehicle so I ran up to the road to make sure they saw our bikes. They did and they stopped to ask how we were doing. Again, amazingly nice people who asked if we needed water or wanted a sandwich. They’d been fishing without any luck and they were headed to the camp we were targeting to drop the one guy off. He said he had cold beer for us if we made the campground.

We loaded up all the water then started the last climb which was steep and amounted to another 100 m of elevation. We then descended one last time and I was ahead. And that was a good thing because my slides fell off my back rack and that meant 2 of 3 straps were loose. The section I was riding was so bumpy all I could hear was my peanut M&Ms bouncing around. Peter grabbed the slides and I strapped everything down again. It’s good having 3 straps back there and next time I think I’ll just use the middle strap on the slides because if I lose them it’s not a big deal. The bag on the other hand would be a big deal.

After finishing the next little 50 m climb we were pointed down and headed for camp but it was another 25 km and we weren’t sure with the light hat we’d make it. We pushed hard and decided to stop about 8 km short at a forestry site. It’s nice enough but rustic with no picnic tables and dusty camp spots. We set up in the light, strapped on the headlamps and made dinner. We had a hearty meal of rice, beans, corn and leftover refried beans and guacamole. That hit the spot after another big day of riding.

We only have 255 km to finish. We could possibly do that in 2 days but the way the resupply, camping options, and our shuttle line up we will take 3 easier days. Tomorrow will still have a lot of climbing but we will likely only do 80 km of riding with a meal and resupply in Silver City.

Highlights:

-morning riding with sunshine

-Beaver work center amenities and meeting other riders

-challenging but still a really nice afternoon climbing

-talking to the fisherman

-good weather and ample water

Distance - 124 km / 1651 m elevation gain

Today's ride: 124 km (77 miles)
Total: 4,231 km (2,627 miles)

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