May 15
The ides of May...(ok, not really a thing). Route below:
I believe in the Bank of Karma: you make deposits and withdrawals and things even out over time - that is as deep as I get. Yesterday was a deposit because it sucked, and today was a withdrawal. Epic... Bill said it was a privilege to ride today, and I agree 100%. We had a pretty easy climb through 28 miles, and the rest was downhill, tailwind with zero traffic on Rte 66 to finish the ride. Stuart led us through town, and we ducked into a Subway right before the wind, rain, and hail started...clean living paid off. Did I mention that we had ZERO flats today?
We have gone from California beaches, into the agriculture country, into the desert and red rock country and up into the mountains and back into plateaus, and today we crossed the Continental Divide:
A few more photos of the ride down from the divide:
Pictures do not do it justice as we had beautiful, red rock faces to our left and mountains in front of us as we paralleled The 40. Today's quote is appropriate as we are continually watching the topography and landscape change as we travel east. "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them." Ernest Hemingway; he was a tortured soul, but nobody could say it as succinctly as Hemingway.
One of the small towns we went through on the way to Grants is called Cibola, which is the town that The Walking Man told Trashcan Man to go to in Stephen King's classic book, The Stand. I read that book again last fall, and it is a great read. A bonus quote from that book that shows Stephen King's brilliance and brutal honesty: "If we don't have each other, we go crazy with loneliness. When we do, we go crazy with togetherness." Well, the boys from Griffin are sort of going crazy with togetherness. We are having a big time and appreciate your text messages and e-mails.
We head to Albuquerque tomorrow and Santa Fe on Friday. It is hard to believe that we are 800+ miles in already...talk soon!
We all need a no flats crazy with togetherness day every now and then. Hoping for more of those as your journey continues.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad y’all had a good day! I told Senoia bike shop about all the flats yesterday. The pictures are AMAZING! Keep it up! Be safe.
ReplyDeleteBoys from Griffin!! Great progress and seems like a wonderful ride yesterday!! 800 miles in 10 days!!! Amazing guys!! Keep pushing and staying together!!! Pics r wonderful. Stay safe and healthy!!
ReplyDeleteJudd (and Team), impressive!!! Following your path (online), and prayers are in for no more...or fewer flats, as well as cooperating weather, especially on your tougher days (although at 80 miles a day, I imagine every day is pretty darn tough). Keep it rolling! Scott S.
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