This morning we headed out at 7:15 AM before the sun
came up but there was a hint of the new day over the mountains
I (We) get around!!! First song on the radio this AM!
You can see that it was 41 degrees when we headed out of Gila.
It was chilly but clear!
As I was leaving Glenn on Rte. 180, the sun was starting to
reflect on the hills and I had to move quickly to capture the rising!
Glenn's new logo cycling shorts! At first I thought
it was strange that the logo was sideways, but when you see
Glenn on his bike, it makes perfect sense!
And we're off on Day 4!
Missed the rising of the sun but couldn't
help shooting these
This scene was so entertaining that I took
five videos. Had to share this one!
You'll understand why at the end!
Our first meeting of many today!
Glenn couldn't decide if he was hot or cool today.
The layers came off, then went back on :)
The temps never rose above 65 so it was
a perfect day for riding and driving.
Glenn also decided today that his backpack
filled with water weighs more than 10 lbs. and
may have contributed to his fatigue on other days
so we decided to try a new tactic this morning.
I kept the backpack in the car, he took his two
bottles of water and a snack and we met up every
10 miles for him to refuel and hydrate. Seems to
have worked well. I spent my time, while waiting
for him, listening to an audio book (thanks
Wendy and Roz)!
Boredom sometimes leads to creative photo ops!
Glenn wanted to recreate a photo that was
taken of him in 2000 as he crossed the
Continental Divide in Montana on his cross country bike trip.
Wish I had the other one here to show a then and now!
Finally, I found some "bike" signs! All of them
heading to Silver City or in the town itself. They even
have a cycling club there called the Silver Spokes!
Must be a bike friendly city!
Heading out of Silver City.
I have to admit that I thought that
Silver City might be more of a metropolis. I did find a
car wash there which was much needed after the
5 mile trek in and out of the Casitas on the dirt road
yesterday and this AM. I sure am getting the "new"
out of this vehicle quickly! Oh, and a gas fill up too!
I started seeing formations like this one soon after
leaving Silver City. It became apparent rather quickly
that we were in a huge mining area on Rte. 152.
This overlook was amazing! I have never seen a
working mine before and it was fascinating.
The colors and formations were beautiful!
This last mining formation was almost patchwork looking
We were heading to Hillsboro....its always great to
see those miles to our destination dwindle!
Snack time and a little map checking! Yes, he still uses
maps AND his GPS. You can never be too sure of your route!
Just winding through more of the Gila National Forest
A bloomin' cactus!
At about this point, with my urging, Glenn climbed in the car
for a very steep and winding ride. He had heard about the Emory
Pass and decided to "pass" on it. There was no space on the
side of the road which, in some places, was gravel. It was an
accident looking for a place to happen. This made for a
relaxing, safe and pleasant ride up and down the pass.
" Bicycling Magazine has written up the ride as one of the great climbs in the country!"
I preferred the car climb instead of the bike climb:)
We both enjoyed this beautiful scenery. In some spots, we
thought the formations looked like Bryce and/or Zion National Parks.
Now THIS was a Long and Winding Road!
Beautiful vista
We wound our way down the mountain to the sleepy town of
Hillsboro, NM. I had done my research and found just one place
to stay in this area. The reviews on Trip Advisor weren't bad.
Some said that they almost didn't go in because of the exterior but
the rooms are clean and comfortable. How bad could it be?
BAD!!!!
The town is small, 120 residents, I think I read.
The only restaurant in town closes at 3 PM but
isn't even open on Wednesdays. So no food in town.
After this discussion, I asked to use the bathroom.
The owner's sister took us up to our room in the B & B,
and look what I found in the toilet!! This and other
things led us to depart the place with the blessings of
the nice lady who was horrified too. The only problem
is that the closest place with accommodations is Las
Cruces which was to be our stop tomorrow. No problem!
We drove the hour to Las Cruces and checked into the
Holiday Inn Express that will now be our home for
two nights. Glenn will figure out in the morning how
to make up some of those miles we lost. There is a
high wind advisory for tomorrow and a thunderstorm
forecast for Friday so we'll just have to play it all by ear.
Can't mess with Mother Nature!
Rain on the drive to Las Cruces.
Glad that Glenn is in the car not on the road!
....And after the rain....
We decided that Ian had something to do with this rainbow!
Today's Stats
Time for some carb loading!
Thanks so much for the donations that came in last
night after my STAR challenge. Two friends
tied for the tee-shirts and will get them when
we get home. Thanks Wendy and Melinda for
your very generous contributions to I Care I Cure!
Thanks to all of you who take time away from
your busy schedules to follow our journey!
Decals to anyone who makes a donation by noon on Thursday :)
OMG a frog in the toilet!!! You are both doing great. Proud!
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