June 11, 2010 – 49 miles

We ate an excellent breakfast at a small restaurant in town this morning. Auke showed up late due to a flat tire which occurred overnight – his first since the two he had in Tucson. It was odd because he thoroughly cleaned his bike, tires included, just yesterday.

After eating, we climbed Stunner Pass. It was slow for me – riding with a full stomach isn’t comfortable. Part of the way up the pass, I stopped to take a picture of the valley in which Platoro resides.

We descended the opposite side of Stunner Pass into the shade of the mountain. I was chilled after working up a sweat climbing. As we lost altitude, a mountain with eroded sides, exposing colorful oxidized minerals, came into view.

At the bottom of the descent we crossed a river and immediately began climbing again. I rode ahead while Mathieu waited for Auke, who was taking pictures of the colorful landscape. The caught up and overtook me very soon. We would meet again near Elwood Pass – 10 miles (almost entirely up) ahead.

I could not get into good rhythm, so I found an alternate means of keeping my legs turning. With 6 miles to go, I stopped for a small stack. I ate one Oreo from a pack of 6 that I bought in Platoro then kept riding. I told myself I would eat one cookie at each mile mark until Elwood. This turned out to be a bad strategy as I watched the odometer slowly increment. Sometimes I would not look for a while, and then guess the mileage. Often I would guess a higher number than my actual distance, making it seem even longer of a climb.

Just before Elwood, woods gave way to a high open meadow. The Texans had camped here the night before – they were cold the entire time and were nearly blown off the mountain, they said.

When I arrived (fashionably late) at Elwood, I snacked and rested. After a few minutes, we were riding again, this time to Summitville – an abandoned mining town. The mine now leaks heavy metals and toxic chemicals into the surrounding streams.

On the way there, Mathieu’s tire went flat. I stayed behind to offer moral support as he replaced the tube. He sure picked a bad place for a flat – very cold and windy!

Afterwards, we rode on toward Summitville. Within a few miles, his tire went flat again. This time Auke was there, so I rode ahead up a steep climb which leveled out at Summitville. The town wasn’t quite as abandoned as I expected. People were working to clean the mine’s toxic runoff.

Past Summitville we had a 5 mile climb to Indiana Pass. At 11,910 feet, it is the highest point on the Great Divide. The first half mile was extremely steep. I dismounted the bike and pushed up this section. Things didn’t get easier for me even after the grade became rideable again. Maybe it was the altitude. Maybe it was something I ate. I felt dizzy and nauseous. I alternated between riding and walking often on my way up to Indiana Pass.

Then finally, I saw the top! I got back on the bike and tried to convince myself to ride the final half mile without stopping. I didn’t go too far before stopping again. As I rested, gathering strength for a final push, a hunter drove by. We talked for a while about the trip and the route. He seemed very impressed and told me his son is a Navy Seal and the toughest guy he knows…and he wouldn’t be able to what we were doing. Before driving away, he asked if I was hungry. “What do you have?” He gave me a bag of trail mix!

When he left, I stood and ate handfuls of mix, reflecting on what he said. Now I was motivated to finish the climb without rest. And I did.

The actual top was anti-climactic. There were no markers or signs indicating the pass. Nothing but cold wind, snow drifts, and sparse trees. I took some pictures, a short video, then began descending. The hard part of the day was over. All that was left was 25 miles to Del Norte, which was 4,000 feet below where I stood.

After a few miles of coasting downhill, I met up with Mathieu and Auke. As I ate lunch, storm clouds started coming over the mountain we just conquered. That ended my meal quickly.

I put a rain jacked on and began descending with the others. In an every-man-for-himself style, Del Norte was our next meeting point.

It started raining, lightly at first, and then harder. I stopped to put rain pants on. As I did, Auke passed me. The road was loose gravel, which is hard for Mathieu with his trailer.

Going down the road, I could see tire marks in the gravel. At the turn of a switchback, I saw tire marks leading straight into an aspen stand – like someone forgot to turn. I slowed, expecting to see Auke and his bike in a messy heap. I did not, though. Inspecting further, I saw that right at the edge of the road, the tracks made a sharp turn heading down the switchback. Auke had stopped at the edge to take a picture.

As I continued downward, the temperatures rose and the rain subsided. Gravel turned to pavement for the last 10 miles, which made fast riding easier and safer.

Right where the route entered Del Norte is a coffee shop/grocery store called the Organic Peddler. On the roof was a bicycle, so we decided this was a good place to wait for Mathieu.

It was a very hippy-ish place. The people working in the shop knew about the route – lots of riders have stopped for food and drinks in years past.

Mathieu arrived unusually late. He had mechanical problems with his disc brakes – not good on a 25 mile gravelly descent. We started thinking of where to spend the night. The Organic Peddler had a small cabin/house available. Rain was coming soon, so we took it. As we hauled our gear inside, it started pouring.

After the rain stopped, we rode through town to find Gary Blakely – a guy who offers basic bike repair and sells some spare parts. I bought two new tubes to replace some of my patched ones.

Afterwards, we stopped at Subway for dinner. While eating, the Texans rode in and joined us. They are camping in the local park tonight. It looked like more rain and wind was in the forecast, so I was happy to be inside.

The ride back to the Peddler wasn’t fun. It was cold and windy. The cold soda I drank with dinner didn’t help either…nor did the rain that came upon us.

Before going to bed, Auke reminded us of the dilemma we faced. For him to photograph the national parks, we would have to up the mileage or take paved shortcuts. We decided to ride 80 miles on pavement to Salida tomorrow. It would bypass 3 days of on-route riding.

I slept well (on a cot mattress on the floor) knowing Indiana Pass was tackled. Afterall, it’s all downhill from here, right?

June 10, 2010 – 17 miles

Today, we woke up later and broke camp slower than usual. Platoro, only 17 miles away, was our target. We originally planned to have a full rest day there, but we could not manage the distance yesterday. This short day would substitute as a rest day.

Platoro is 1,000 feet higher than our campsite. Over 17 miles, we didn’t think it would be too hard. The gravel road followed a stream all the way to Platoro, which mane for nice scenery. Unfortunately, loose gravel made it a slow grind for me. The last miles were also straight into a fierce headwind.

When I made it to Platoro, Mathieu told me his altimeter device counted 2,000 feet of climbing. This it typical for the roads we ride on. There are so many short ups and downs that the total ascent is far greater than the net ascent.

Mathieu and Auke already rented a cabin for the evening – and it looked fantastic. It had 4 beds, an open second floor, full kitchen, common room, indoor plumbing, and a porch with an amazing view.

I cleaned and tuned my bike and patched some punctured tubes on the porch. At 10,000 feet, the wind was brisk but the sun warmed us well.

The Texans arrived in the afternoon and hung out with us for a while. A little later, a solo cyclist w/ a BOB rode into town. Nadia White is tracing her great grandmother’s westward journey as a pioneer. She keeps a blog at travelswithjosie.com.

The three BOB-pulling cyclists decided to put more mileage in for the day and rode out of Platoro into some strong headwinds. I was glad not to have to ride any further today.

For dinner, we had homemade burgers, fries, and a dessert of pie – slightly overpriced, but very good.

Back in the cabin, we started discussing long term plans/goals for the trip. Auke really wants to see the Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park – spending multiple days in each. Our place would not accommodate that, so we might need to take shortcuts off route, increase mileage, or both. We all have different goals and abilities, which causes some tensions within our group.

June 09, 2010

I ate an extra large breakfast this morning – I knew it would be a tough day. We were scheduled to climb to 11,000 ft. via Brazos Ridge, which is known for bad road conditions.

From out campsite, we gradually climbed on steep gravel roads. Mathieu stopped to filter water at the first stream we crossed – I pedaled ahead as stopping to wait would only put me further behind.

While riding, I frequently glanced over my shoulder expecting to see Mathieu ready to pass me. When I ran into Auke waiting at the Lagunitas campground, Mathieu had not passed me. Maybe I am getting stronger, I thought.

10 minutes later, Mathieu showed up. He was late because he had a flat…so it wasn’t me being stronger. We decided to meet at the top of Brazos Ridge – 5 miles ahead and 1,000 ft. up.

The scenery was spectacular! At the top, a snowdrift blocked our path. With some trailblazing, we found a way around. Over the next half mile Mathieu and I walked down a steep/rocky section of trail. Somehow Auke descended it on his bike.

We dropped about a 1,000 ft. then leveled out for a while. Mathieu stopped to filter water again, but his filter wasn’t working. While I filled his bottles, two dirt bikers rode up to us. They were familiar with the area so we asked about the trail conditions ahead. A short amount of climbing then a downhill, they said.

I definitely did not consider the climb short! It seems that people on motorized vehicles are too far disconnected from the road to answer questions of condition, distance, and grade. The roads were horribly rutted.

After a lot of up and down, I finally descended into the pleasant Apache Canyon. This was my last look at New Mexico as the Colorado border was just ahead.

Just before it, I joined Mathieu who was waiting. He said Auke rode ahead – probably to Horca. He is a cyclist and wants to ride on and on – waiting for me is the opposite. I was exhausted, though. We’ve had 6 hard days without rest. Plus, it was close to 15:30 and I hadn’t eaten lunch yet.

We rested a while then crossed into CO. We knew a few miles ahead was a paved highway we would go on. Rounding a corner, we saw an 18-wheeler perched high on a mountain. The last mile before pavement certainly was not easy!

At the top, we found Auke and two other cyclists who were pulling BOB trailers. Bryan and Cody are two Texan college students riding the Great Divide South to North. They started on the border the day after me and said they had seen and followed my tracks.

We rode fast downhill on the highway and turned off where our maps indicate a restaurant/bar. It was closed…the boarded-up windows type of closed.

The Texans stopped to cook lunch there – we decided to ride on to Horca. There is a restaurant/grocery there, but between us and it was La Manga pass.

In Horca, we found the restaurant also closed…we tried the grocery. It was open, but unfortunately was understocked. Apparently we arrived very early in the tourist season. It was almost 17:00 now and I still hadn’t had a lunch. I bought Graham Crackers and jelly to make PB&J cracker sandwiches.

As we ate, Cody and Bryan rolled in. They joined us and downed some beers. While we ate and they drank, a dirt biker – Sanjay – arrived. He was also riding the Great Divide, then continuing to Prudhoe Bay, AK. He started in Antelope Wells two days ago! We started two weeks ago!

Sanjay said mountain biking the route was the “real” way to do this trip – we said the Continental Divide Trail hikers were doing it the “real” way.

It was getting late quickly and we needed to decide what to do with the rest of the day. 23 miles separated us and Platoro. Auke wanted to push it to there tonight – as did I, but being exhausted with limited hours of light it was out of the picture.

We camped 6 miles down the road at the Spectacle Lake campground. An hour after we arrived and set up camp, Cody & Bryan rolled in. We camped together.

July 18, 2010

Well, I made it to Banff yesterday evening after pedaling 2,790 miles over 57 days. My adventure is not quite finished yet, though. We are going to continue north to Jasper AB – another three riding days through spectacular landscapes.

The scenery here is already amazing – possibly the best on the route. Unfortunately, I do not have the access to upload photos from the past few days. Maybe when I get to Jasper…

When time and computer access permits, I will continue to post journal entries from the trip. My apologies for being so far behind – each entry takes a lot of time and energy, both of which are often in short supply.

June 08, 2010

After breaking camp this morning, as I was walking my bike to the road, I found an unopened can of beer buried in the dirt. “It’s good calories,” Mathieu said, so I put it in my pannier.

We rode on pavement to Canon Plaza where our maps say “Snack stand on left may be open.” It was not open…this was just the start of a bad day. Auke posed in front of the stand while Mathieu took a picture.

The pavement turned to gravel and we started to climb switchbacks, giving us a good view over the valley town.

I found the guys waiting for me at the top of the climb. We decided our next meeting point would be 8 miles ahead. Soon enough, I was riding alone again. I simply cannot keep pace with Mathieu or Auke on the climbs.

I really do not mind riding alone – I am not forced to push myself to stay with a stronger rider or slow for a weaker one. I can stop when I want, pee when I want (which is often since I drink so much water), and there is no one around to see the frustration on my face from a tough climb, bad road, lack of energy, headwinds, etc.

At our meeting point, I found the guys waiting again. I ate a granola bar and drank the beer – it was 9:30.

The next section was a tough uphill to the first of two 10,000 ft summits. Close to the top, I passed a cool looking ranch. Just beyond it was an old abandoned cabin, presumably used my miners. There was a mine going into the mountain, hidden by overgrown shrubs. I looked inside (and wanted to go in, but didn’t) and continued on my way.

I had to walk the next section to the top. As I was pushing, I saw other bike shoe footprints in the gravel – so I wasn’t the only one struggling.

At the top, we again decided on a new meeting point – the Hopewell Lake campground, 13 miles ahead. This was a very tough section for me. I arrived at the campground 45 minutes after the other two.

I made stuffing and chocolate pudding to re-energize. It was too much to eat and I was uncomfortably stuffed for the next few hours.

Out of Hopewell, we descended on the paved US 64. I reached 40.2 mph! We turned off the highway and soon started climbing uphill at 5 mph. What a difference! One minute, 20 mph feels slow…the next, 6 mph is fast.

It was a difficult climb to the top. My stomach was overstuffed (borderline uber-stuffed) and it was quite warm outside. I rode slowly and stopped to rest often in the shade of pine trees.

We met at the top and I informed they guys of my exhaustion. I did not know how much further I could go.

We rode a short downhill, then continued up again. The landscape changed from forest to high plains. In the distance, we could see the snow-covered peaks (presumably across the CO border).

We turned west and descended. The road was loose gravel and we had a strong headwind. We had to pedal hard to go anywhere. When we crossed the Rio San Antonio, I stopped to filter water. The mosquitoes were horrible!

Shortly past the river was a steep climb on more loose gravel. When I got to the base of the climb, I could see Auke at the top and Mathieu pushing his bike up the last 100 meters.

After such a tough morning, I couldn’t muster the strength to mash the pedals uphills. It was a long walk to the top. There wasn’t even a descent to enjoy. We stayed level on the frustratingly loose gravel and still had a terribly headwind.

Mathieu and Auke were nowhere to be found, so I continued. I was getting increasingly frustrated with everything. I really wanted to stop and pitch my tent at every patch of flat grass I passed. But my partners were up ahead somewhere, so I had to continue.

Even at my breaking point, I had a huge smile on my face when I turned a corner and saw Auke sitting by his bike. Unfortunately, this was not going to be our campsite for the night. We rode another painful mile to the campsite. We assembled our shelters and cooked much-deserved meals.

While eating, we heard strange grunting/growling noises in the nearby woods. It wasn’t anything we had heard before…could it be bears?

It made us nervous for a while until we figured out it was cattle. I slept easier knowing that.

June 07, 2010

I slept on the couch in the hotel room last night. For that reason, I paid a smaller portion of the cost. Good deal, I think.

We slept in this morning (6:30 for us is sleeping late). After slowly getting ready, we rode to the only grocery store in town – a Route 66 gas station. There was a wide selection of foods, but none were good for camping. I’ll have to ration my food for the next few days.

We left Abiquiu with the intention of only riding the 20 paved miles to El Rito. When we got there, we were disappointed. It is not a place to spend a rest day. We used the computers and ate lunch at the local community college and hit the road again at 16:00. We would try to get in another 20 miles.

We made the distance by 18:45, but found ourselves without a place to camp. We continued on pavement, searching for any decent place to set up three tent (decent means public land, away from the main road, and preferably flat).

While on the road, we rode past a truck sitting idle on the side of the road. Auke rode over to ask if there were any places to camp in the area. The driver was taking a piss and, by the way he talked, was quite drunk.

We turned off the pavement onto a forest road (wild camping is allowed in national forests). A few hundred meters down it, we found a flat area to camp. We set up camp just before dark. I hurriedly cooked a pot of stuffing and ate it while walking – walking was the only way to keep mosquitoes off me.

So much for a rest day…

June 06, 2010

I woke up at 6:00 today, cooked breakfast, and dried my sleeping bag. Good thing my air mattress held air last night – the ground was very cold this morning.

I was the last to be ready – it took me longer than usual to get ready. Still, we were riding by 7:45.

The first 4 miles were on steep, rocky, rutted roads. I pushed the bike much of that distance.

At the top , we reached 10,400 ft. I could really feel the altitude’s affect on my body. Any extra effort while riding uphill made me breathe heavy. I had to control my pace and effort to keep from hyperventilating.

After the summit, we started downward for a while, only to climb above 10,000 feet 10 miles later. It was lunch time, but no one else was hungry, so I quickly ate trail mix and a granola bar. From here, we had a long, steep, rocky descent. It was so bad that at times I had to go under 5 mph. Any faster and I couldn’t control the bike and I feared the intense vibrations may crack the welds on my frame or racks.

To make matters worse, a storm was brewing behind us. The storm made me want to ride fast, but the rough terrain did not allow it. I am surprised to have made it down with my bike in one piece.

When we first started the descent, we agreed to meet 20 miles ahead at a critical turn. Looking back, this was not smart – especially with the terrain and coming storm. I knew I was very alone on the descent – the others went faster down the initial rough section. Being in back, if I fell I would be alone for quite some time before anyone realized.

I made it down fine, though – singing Iron Maiden and Epica songs to distract myself and alert bears of my presence (possibly I wasn’t even in bear territory…but I wanted to be on the safe side).

Every few minutes, I would look back to check the progress of the storm. The thunderheads kept getting bigger, but hardly closed distance on me.

Eventually, it blew close enough for me to hear rolling thunder. It was not very threatening (no visible lightening), so I continued riding. When it started raining, I took shelter under trees and ate some food. I though the storm would blow over, but it did not. It seemed not to move – only continuously threaten me. When I realized the storm would not pass, I continued riding.

I arrived at our meeting place, but no one was there. It was an exposed area – not a place to be during a thunderstorm, so I assumed they rode the last 8 miles to Abiquiu. Tire marks confirmed my assumption. Mathieu and Auke actually left a note on a sign at the intersection, but I did not see it.

The last miles to town were all downhill, but washboarded. I can not imagine doing this day backward. The Tour Divide rookies are in for a surprise!

I met the guys sitting outside a gas station. Mathieu jumped up and went inside the store to get me a Dr. Pepper. They had been waiting an hour.

We rested, drank sodas, and ate chips before riding another mile to the Abiquiu Inn. Its the only place in town to stay indoors, so it was very expensive. It was very fancy, also. Too upscale for us dirty bikers. I bet this place is the nicest hotel we stay in on the entire trip.

As I lay on the couch, writing this entry, I noticed the coffee maker is the same model as the one I used in school. Just for the memories, I had to make myself a cup. Mathieu also bought some Budweiser, so I drank one also. This is luxury…I cannot get used to this, otherwise I may not want to finish the trip.

Tomorrow, our supposed rest day, we may ride 20 miles to El Rito, NM. The hotel should be cheaper and there may be a computer I could use to post updates. I am very far behind.

June 05, 2010

We woke early today to beat the heat. This area is expecting record high temperatures. While packing, I noticed that I had a flat tire again. I replaced the tube while eating leftover stuffing and a batch of Macaroni and Cheese. We were off to a later-than-usual start to the day…

The first 10 miles out of town were on pavement, but at a steady incline. I passed a group of geology students while climbing up a mountain. The leader of the group took my picture and told me the other two were only a minute ahead. I was feeling good – much better than yesterday.

The slow and steady 4 mph ascent was made bearable by a game I played in my head. I went through the alphabet thinking of a person w/ a first name starting with each letter. I repeated for last names (very difficult) and did another round for foods. This got me through the climb without walking and only minimal stops.

At the top of the road, we turned onto gravel. The temperature, trees, and shade were perfect. We rode through beautiful forest, up and down on rolling hills, passing what I’ve decided to call forest cities. They are campsites filled with campers, RV’s, and hotel sized tents.

We rode onward until we found a shady area by a stream to eat lunch.

Shortly after lunch while riding a steep downhill, my rear tire blew out. Usually, my flats are the result of a slow leak. This time, I had a very large puncture and tear in my tire. The guys were too far ahead to hear me call for them so I walked into the shade, flipped my bike, and patched the tube. Now 4 of my 5 tubes are patched.

Right before getting the tire back on the rim, Mathieu came back to make sure I was alright. We rode together during the next stretch, just in case my patch failed. It held, even as we climbed to over 9,000 feet.

Right as we turned onto FR 144 (a road known for being steep, rocky, and rutted), we found an open space suitable for spending the night.

We cooked our meals, set up camp, and went to bed before 20:00 – a mountain to the west made for an early sunset. I fell asleep to the sound of elk grunting in the distance.

June 04, 2010

I woke up early due to discomfort – my patch job failed minutes after going to bed. I cooked breakfast and went though the normal morning routine. As I went to put my gear on the bike, I noticed I had a flat rear tire. Fixing it put us at a later start.

When I started riding, I noticed my steering was skewed. When the front wheel was pointed straight ahead, my handlebar was a few degrees off-center. I did not want to hold up the others any longer, so I did not bother to fix it or filter extra water (our BLM campsite had a small lake/reservoir). Afterall, I had a decent amount of water from the San Mateo spring.

The road we were on was extremely eroded and bumpy. It was so bad that on a descent, I had some equipment fall off my rear rack! This was turning out to be Hell. I was tired from restless sleep and now lacked confidence in my bike and gear.

The scenery was amazing, though. Yesterday, we had our own private Monument Valley. Today, we enjoyed a private Grand Canyon.

When we descended into the canyon, Mathieu told me some discouraging news. At this pace, we would not make it to Cuba. I was low on water and there was none to be found. No way could I camp another night.

I unhappily pressed onward. On the Great Divide, onwards is often the only option.

The day turned extremely hot and dry, without any clouds to offer shade. My water supply consisted of less than a litre of water. I had been rationing all day and the previous night and was very dehydrated. We all needed water soon.

Then, we came upon a murky lake. It looked nasty, but it was our only option. A little ways up the road, we spotted a brick building surrounded by a barbed wire fence. There was a water pump inside!

Mathieu carefully climbed the fence and filled our water bottles and bags. We were saved! Even though I was carrying an extra 12 lbs now, I had the peace of mind knowing I’d survive to Cuba. This lifted my spirits greatly.

Soon after, it was time for lunch. We met on the first pavement of the day. There was no shade and endless biting flies, so we continued. Eventually, we stopped on the side of a relatively busy road and ate our meals.

I ate way too much and felt very uncomfortable on the low-grade climb that came next.

We reached a point where we could go two ways – continue straight and intersect the Chaco alternate (meaning only 30 paved miles to Cuba) or stay on the main route (going off road for all but the last 10 miles to Cuba). The guys left the decision to me, since I was the one struggling. I chose the main route.

Navigation was easy, so we let our differing paces increase the distance between each of us.

I came to a section just before a climb – a herd of cattle blocked my path. While trying nicely to get the cows to move, I was suddenly “inspired” to find a private place to go to the bathroom.

The thing about being in the middle of the desert is that both everywhere and nowhere is private. Even though I was the only person in many miles, I felt uneasy about not having a tree, rock, or shrub to hide myself behind.

After taking care of my business, I resumed my attempt to clear the road of cattle. These large creatures intimidate me sometimes – especially when going through the middle of a herd. I do not want to get between a mom and her calf.

Slowly, the cows parted and I met up with the others. We decided to wait for eachother every 5 miles. I certainly had a lot of time to myself during these stretches. To pass the time, I sometimes sang out loud – Iron Maiden, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Epica. Without the music in the background, it is very hard to remember the words. No one’s around to hear, so it does not matter.

After a few of these stretches, we reached US 550 – a busy 2 lane highway with huge, debris-free shoulders. 10 miles to Cuba!

We dumped our spare water (on ourselves) and snacked on melted trail mix. The plan was to regroup once we reached Cuba.

I started out strong, but eventually slowed (presumably after the sugar high ended). While riding the highway, I got some honks and waves. I had the feeling that those drivers knew what we were doing.

The miles went by extremely slowly, as there were no hills to climb then coast down. Just a steady cadency for over an hour. It had a bad effect on my saddle sores.

Regardless, I made it to Cuba and found my partners sitting outside a motel using the unsecured wi-fi, drinking cokes.

I had a coke, then we rode through town to find a hotel for the night. We took the last hotel before leaving town – the Frontier Inn. It had two singles, a queen-sized bed, and full kitchen.

We showered then went to a grocery store and Subway. The footlong sub wasn’t enough, so I cooked some stuffing. I was certainly stuffed after all that!

Much of the night, I spent patching tubes and the air matress. We all finally got to bed just before midnight. Again, the curse of electricity disturbed the rhythm of rising and falling with the sun.

June 03, 2010

We woke up early today to get a good start out of Grants. Water was our main concern of the next two days. Between Grants and Cuba is 120 miles of dry mountains and desert.

The distance is recommended to be split into three riding days. We decided to try for two.

After getting to bed just before midnight, 5:30 arrived very abruptly. After a luxurious rest day, I did not want to suffer in the heat again.

I forced myself out of bed and started the packing routine. We were on the road by 7:30.

The first 20 miles were on pavement…which gave the illusion of ease. Once a few miles out of the city, the road climbed steeply. I struggled a lot during this section, but did not walk. With the amount of time I spent standing/resting, walking may have been a quicker means of travel.

The pavement ended, giving way to loose gravel…the climbing continued. Around mile 26, we stopped for lunch by the San Mateo spring. I ate tuna on tortillas as the main course and nutella and pineapple on tortillas as desert.

We treated the spring as our last encounter with water for the day and filtered a lot of it. Just after lunch, we had the steepest yet climb of the day, reaching 9,000 ft.

Surprisingly, at the top were cattle near the road. Auke pointed them out. I noticed one looked very angry and then said so. “Thats a bull.” Right then, it started running toward us. Even with many miles of steep climbing, the adrenaline rush got Auke and myself away fast enough.

There was a nice long descent afterward that I really enjoyed…until my gear started threatening to fall off the rear rack. I tightened some straps and continued descending.

After a very bumpy downhill section, we rode onto pavement that had been marked as a private road – not for cyclists like us. We rode on it anyways…it was only a 4 mile stretch.

Without incident, we left the pavement for more dirt. In the past ten miles, we went from pine forest in the mountains to barren desert. The Great Divide aways surprises!

With some careful navigating we made it through many intersections of desolate unmarked roads.

As we rode, the scenery changed again. We found ourselves in our very own Monument Valley.

Later in the day, I noticed my tire pressure was getting low. When I stopped to fix it, a group of five or six motorcyclists rode up. They were also riding the Great Divide – sections of it, anyways.

We pressed onward, riding through sand, eroded rock, and deep arroyos. We were riding along a single road – no turnoffs – so Mathieu and Auke rode ahead (or I slowed). Then, from behind came two motocross/dirt bikes equipped for touring. I kept riding, expecting the guys to pass. Instead, he paralleled me and started talking – asking about the trip, giving advice, making sure I had enough water, and took a picture of us both. He wished me well and accelerated. He had Illinois plates.

A few minutes later, I arrived at a BLM wildlife exclosure where we would camp for the night. The motorcyclists were talking to Mathieu and Auke. It turns out the two were father and son from Vernon Hills, IL – only a few miles from my Chicago hometown.

We had a spectacular campsite. Open desert with mountains stretching to the east of us. It made for a very nice sunset. After eating and assembling my tent, I notice my sleeping mat wouldn’t inflate. There was a large hole in it where it rubbed against the rear rack! The sun was setting fast and the mosquitos were out in full force, so I hastily patched the hole.

I went to bed hoping it would hold, but it did not. I had a long night sleeping on hard ground. It wasn’t as cold as past nights, so the lack of ground insulation was bearable