As is usual this far into the ride, the legs started moving at 6:00 am then I remembered it was a day off, so managed to roll over and sleep in until 7:30. I tried to make it until 8:00 but by then everybody else was starting wake up and talk in the hall on their way into breakfast so I gave up and got up.
I hung around in the lobby after breakfast with another cup of coffee while I waited for my laundry to finish- Yes! clean gloves , arm warmers, knee warmers and wind vest, all of which were starting to smell quite ripe and look decidedly grubby. Of course the clean riding shorts and jerseys are nice too but it was really the gloves , armwarmers and vest that I was focused on because of the smell and being stiff with sweat and other bodily fluids,
By this time the sun was up enough and it was warm enough to venture out to join the bike cleaning and maintenance crew clustered around the trailer passing chain cleaners, simple green , toothbrushes, paint brushes and other cleaning and lubing implements around. From not knowing how to change a flat tire 9 days ago, most of the ladies can now confidently remove their rear wheels, clean their chains and derailleurs, check their tires for thorns, slivers, sidewall wires, glass and other shoulder debris, patch their damaged tubes for emergency spares, and remount their rear wheels without assistance. The bonding and camaraderie that has developed within the group as we have ridden together and shared time in the evening was obvious in the teasing comments, spontaneous choruses of songs from the 60’s and 70’s including selections from John Denver, Aquarius and various other artists, howls of joy , ribald comments and laughter when Mary Jo’s husband arrived to bring her some other jerseys and some riding sandals and general hilarity. It didn’t quite degenerate into a dirty rag throwing fight but it very easily could have.
Bike disassembled down to the frame, cleaned, lubed and reassembled I retreated to my room to try to catch up on my blog. Unfortunately the internet is down. It’s a good thing I downloaded my pictures last night.
Around noon, Kris who had done a sisterly devotion and driven down from Albuquerque to spend the night and see us off again in the morning, arrived. Apparently we will be riding through some spectacular scenery and even encountering a bit of snow along the side of the road tomorrow, which should help to take the mind off the climbing.
We loaded up her van with a couple of the other ladies and headed into town to find some lunch. We managed to avoid the gelatto place and found a good vegetarian restaurant, “Peace Meal” for lunch and then spent a couple of hours wandering along Bullard Street checking out the various galleries, craft stores and the two bike shops. At the first bike shop we ran into Scott Mitchel Anderson, the young man who is doing the same route solo and camping who was also stocking up on sunscreen, electrolytes, tubes and other necessities. It was good to see that he is still safe and traveling and covering the distance hauling a small trailer. He has almost become the group mascot.
Downtown Silver City is a study in contrasts. Lots of old turn of the century buildings and houses from the hey days of the silver mines, a some empty and boarded up but others doing a thriving business as small galleries and shops. It says a great deal that the local biker bar/ hangout was next door to the local coffee shop with espressos, lattes and free wifi , with an equal number of bicylces and Harley Davidson “hogs” parked in front of each establishment with an equal number of biker dudes having lattes as beers. Many of the blank walls are decorated with colorful and whimsical murals and it is well worth taking the side streets to the many galleries located just off the main street.
Fed, restocked with chamois butter and electrolytes from the two bike shops (Gila Bike and Hike, Two Sisters Bike Shop) and generally in a relaxed frame of mind, I prevailed upon Kris to swing by the post office so that I could mail off the cue sheets so far, a t shirt for my daughter from the Ingredients Coffee Shop in Salome and a pack of jerky from the Top of the World Jerky drive in to Phil at home for redistribution and piling up on my work table. I always have mixed feelings about what to do with the used cue sheets but figure that since I am taking notes on them this year instead of trying to remember everything, they might even be fun to look back over but I don’t love them enough to haul them with me when they are of no further use.
Dinner out and an early night, along with lots of hydration and a couple of doses of aspirin to help thin out the blood for the elevation gain shortness of breath and I should be all set for tomorrow which is the biggest climb of the trip, up from 5900 feet here in Silver City up over Emory Pass at 8828 feet and then back down to 6,000 feet to Kingston.
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