Day 14, Friday, 3/20/15, Rodeo/Animas, NM, (43º at 6:30 am) to Columbus, NM (66º at 4:30 pm) 94 miles, elevation changes: +1951/-1810.

Because of the mud created on the road by the thunderstorms Thursday afternoon, we had to be shuttled out the 2.9 miles of dirt road from the Painted Pony Resort out to the main road. (McAfee, the inventor of the McAfee antivirus software, built the Painted Pony Resort.) I started riding at 8:30 am and finished in Columbus at the elementary school we are staying in at 4:30 pm.

I am going to begin to share my biking stats for each day: 93.9 miles; 6 hours and 39 minutes of actual riding time; average speed of 14.1 mph.

We again biked over the prairie. It is so beautiful. There are always mountains around us in all directions, some close, some very far away. It was a day of long gentle climbs and long gentle descents. The challenge was the 4 – 8 mph head wind that we encountered starting at 9:30 am for the remainder of the day.

Highlights:

• Riding 93.9 miles, the farthest distance I have ever ridden in my life in one day.
• Crossing the Continental Divide at 4520 ft.
• Being in the most remote, lease populated portion of NM. Riding on NM State Route 9 was like riding on a bike path.  Very few cars and trucks are on this road. The Coast-2-Coach sag cars and the Border Patrol vehicles passed us more than local cars and trucks combined. I had moments when I stopped and heard only the wind, birds and the sounds of the prairie.
• I got my first flat tire, the rear tire, on Big Blue after 4430 miles of riding. I had bent the presta valve stem on the rear tube about 6 months ago. It finally gave out and just couldn’t hold back the air. Luckily, I discovered this just before bed and I replaced the tube after breakfast before being shuttled out to the main road.

Tomorrow is a rest day. We are going into Mexico for lunch.

Here are some pictures:

 At the Continental Divide.

View looking west climbing out of Animas from the Painted Pony Resort. It is beautiful country.

Looking east taken through the fairing as I'm riding.

I was bored at about mile 65 and took a selfie while riding. It is fussy because my phone is in a waterproof case with a plastic cover over the face of the phone.

The view of the prairie with the a major player in this story, Big Blue.

Sunset at the Columbus Elementary School. There is always beauty around me.

 

Make it a great day!

John