Day 13: Lordsburg, NM To Silver City, NM Rest day ahead!!!!

Day 13: Lordsburg, NM To Silver City, NM Rest day ahead!!!!
Miles: 46.39
Theme: Up We Doe, and Down We Doe

We got to sleep in a bit this morning. Snack table wasn't going to be set up until 7:45. We had to change our clocks when we got into NM yesterday however, so in reality it all turns out the same. Psychologically it felt like sleeping in though! As I was rolling my bike out of the hotel room , I noticed that my front tire was flat. Good thing I had a little more time this morning! One of the biggest causes of flat tires out here is because of pieces of tire on the shoulder. Almost all tires are steel-belted now, which means that there are tiny shards of steel in the blown tire pieces - that love to puncture our tires. I was the victim of one of those shards. No big deal - it sure is a lot easier to change the tire when still at the hotel than out on the road. Using a bike pump on the road never gets the tire inflated as well as a stand up pump. And besides, you can go wash your hands when you are done if it happens in the hotel parking lot!

Once I finished the tire issue, it was on to gathering snacks for the day. There would be no restaurant to stop today - and since it was a short day -you guessed it, that means a lot of climbing - and therefore you need to make sure you have enough fuel for the day. Yes the Sag Wagon will be out on the road, but it is always best to carry something in case you run into trouble... My own personal rule is to check what I have left from the day before however before grabbing more snacks. So far I have only had to throw out one PB & J sandwich that turned into a ball by the end of a days ride. Not very appetizing in the least! The snack table is full of all sorts of things like bananas, peanuts, almonds, cashews, dried cranberries and apricots, m & m's, various types of power bars, PB and jelly... We certainly don't lack for anything on this trip!

We hit the road but had to back track out of town. The first 14 miles were uphill. Kathie, Tex and I agreed to met at the Sag stops as we have different paces up the hill. I found the ride this morning a bit harder than I expected. Perhaps I was fatigued after biking the past 7 days without a break. I did find my rhythm however and was going along well. I was the first at the Sag stop at mile 14. I was getting to the point where it seemed like the uphill just went on and on and on - so I was very glad to see the Sag! It wasn't a steep uphill, it was just relentless! Lisa (Young Pup) is on sag today. She brought out fresh Tangelos. Now I have always kind of snubbed my nose at Tangelos. Give me a real California orange any day. Well - I have changed my tune! Absolutely fabulous, so juicy and sweet. Yum, I won't be snubbing my nose anymore!

Once Tex and Kathie arrived at the Sag, I checked in with them and then I pushed on. I said I'll meet you at the Continental Divide. It was about 12 miles away --- all uphill of course. I just pedaled at my pace, stopping and taking photos when I wanted. After a while at the crest of a hill, I thought I saw a sign. Lo and behold it was the Continental Divide. It felt like such an accomplishment to get there. Next Lise and Nancy arrived. We took photos of each other and then I waited for Tex and Kathie. While I was waiting I decided to go ahead and eat my PB & J. Then I thought - why should I just stand around waiting, I'm going to call Kate. And so I did. It was fun to be able to share that experience with her. Liz showed up next, then Kathie, then Tex and Eva. It was so fun to be able to celebrate with them. Many photos were snapped, congratulatory hugs and kisses. And then the funniest moment, Eva decided to Twitter. Then Kathie and Tex sent text messages. Her they are on the side of the road in their texting/tweeter stance - trying to block the sun so they could see the screen. It was funny - bikes strewn on the road, but texts going out! Ah technology!

We knew the Sag would be just a couple miles further, so off we all went - so they could eat their lunch at the Sag. After lunch, I decided to hang back with Kathie, Tex and Eva for the rest of the ride. We had about 20 more miles to go.

This is where the "Up we doe and down we doe" comes into play. You see, when I was a kid I had to go to speech therapy. People couldn't understand what I was saying. I figure if you believe in the theory that you learn language by imitation - well I had quite the role models. My dad has a very thick Scottish brogue and my mom an English accent. No wonder no one could understand me. I have been told when I was young and we went in the car, I would say "up we doe and down we doe" over all the hills. In the second half of our ride today we did a lot of "up we doe and down we doe."

At the very last major hill before reaching Silver City there was a memorial at the side of the road. We have seen many markers at the side of the road. This one was especially poignant however. It was in memory of a cyclist. There was a white bike with the name Dan Potts painted on the top tube. Next to that was across with some flowers and a rusty wheel. With traffic, road debris, dogs, and so many other issues - riding across the country does not come without a risk. We have been fortunate so far and I hope we continue to be. Almost always when we leave in the morning - or take off after stopping at a Sag - someone yells out "Have a fun ride --- and be safe!"

We are now all safely checked in to the Comfort Inn here in Silver City. It was a good day. Everyone rode the entire way other than Alice. The hills are really tough on the type of recumbent she has. We will call this home for 2 nights. We are all ready for a rest day. We have ridden for 8 days straight and many are all to aware of their bike sets or their tired legs.

When I checked into the hotel I had a surprise from my friends Kelle and Renee who live is Palm Desert. Kelle had joined Kate to see me off in San Diego. Waiting was a package with a keychain that has a picture of Kate and me on each side from the morning I departed San Diego. It is really nice and I will enjoy looking at it each day. They also sent me tree mail (Kelle and I always bet on who will win survivor each season --- and I have won the last bazillion seasons!). Included in the tree mail was a quote from Helen Keller: "Next to a leisurely walk I enjoy a spin on my tandem bicycle. It is splendid to feel the wind blowing in my face and the springy motion of my iron steed. The rapid rush through the air gives me a delicious sense of strength and buoyancy, and the exercise makes my pulse dance and my heart sing."

My pulse is dancing and my heart is singing! Thanks Kelle and Renee!