September 26, 2024
Day 38: From wilderness through Silver City to RV Park.
Last night was pleasantly warm for sleeping. I even had to put one leg out at one point to fall asleep. Most other nights were about layering up and waiting for my body heat to warm up the sleeping bag. We went to sleep with the sound of oldies music blasting for a few sites down. Is it okay to call them oldies if you lived through them but have since moved on!?
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We had the usual coffee and oatmeal and got moving knowing we had a big road hill climb to start the day. It wasn’t long until we passed the campground that we stopped short of the last night and then we were at the Lake Roberts General Store. Hopes of another coffee were dashed as they were closed for the season. We were happy to be able to dump some garbage and fill up our water bottles (bikers - tap is located behind the ice chest).
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1 week ago
The hill climb on the road went on and on but neither of us were surprised and fortunately we were fresh at the start of the day. We both commented that adding that climb onto yesterday’s climb would have been seriously challenging. We got to the top, snapped a few pictures and then bopped around the top for a bit with some ups and downs before a long descent.
It wasn’t long and we were in Silver City with resupply and lunch on our minds. We found a grocery store straight away and I got to work buying the remaining groceries for the trip. This trip is a bit like normal life where you get stuck in cycles that repeat themselves. I can’t help buying the precooked Spanish rice and serving it with beans and corn. And the little oatmeal packages are a must, supplemented with walnuts and raisins. When I got outside I said to Peter “I promise that after this trip you never have to eat rice and beans again!”
For lunch we decided on a Mexican family restaurant. It was a good choice because they had great chips and they let us enjoy another breakfast even though it was lunchtime. There we caught up on our journals and let people know we were still moving forward.
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The ride from the restaurant to the RV park was almost all uphill on a highway. It was hot and unpleasant. There’s really nothing great to say about it. We finished our ride for the day at 3 pm. The RV park is mostly open and exposed to the hot sun. It will be great for drying our laundry and we will likely just enjoy the shade for the remainder of the day.
We’ve almost finished all the climbing. There’s only 500 m more to do over the 175 km left. Today we climbed twice as much in only 79 km so we can expect mostly flat and relatively easy days. The remainder of the trail has a reputation for the ACA (American Cycling Association) sort of ‘mailing it in’. It’s mostly boring roads with a bit of off road). They are improving it but being this close to the end we are excited to finish regardless.
I was just asked what emotions I’m feeling being this close to finishing. It’s mostly happiness. It’s been a significant undertaking to find the time, research, start and finally ride the route. There have been so many great interactions with people along the way and the scenery has been amazing. Physically I’ve felt strong the entire trip. Sure, I still can curse at yet another hill at the end of the day but that’s part of what makes something great. The struggle. There’s also a big sense of accomplishment to get this far and know you will finish. These next few days seem almost like an afterthought compared to what we’ve accomplished already. I’m sure I’ll feel different emotions when we actually get to the finish. And then when we actually get back home. It’s all part of it.
Highlights:
-road climbing was nice with only a few vehicles the whole time
-saw multiple deer
-breakfast was tasty at the Mexican restaurant
Distance - 79 km / 1192 m elevation gain
Today's ride: 79 km (49 miles)
Total: 4,310 km (2,677 miles)
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1 week ago