Adventures

Day 25: Saved by Sylvia

Syliva outside her snack shack

Hopewell Lake Campground (8 July 2019) Immediately after waking, the tire was checked. Three plugs were inserted into the tire yesterday and all seemed to be working well. The tire was well inflated and lost only a little air overnight. The lack of sealant in the tire meant that small holes would not self-seal and small irregularities where the tire presses against the rim could leak air. Given how little air was lost overnight, the later was not likely to be a problem.

Jim was up and getting ready for the day. He offered me some water which was happily accepted. It was about 40 miles to El Rito where there was a store. Jim confirmed there was no potable water at the campground which is still within the Carson National Forest. Of course there was Hopewell lake but with what Jim offered, I had enough water for the trip to the store. For the first time since leaving Banff, however, my food supplies were low.

It was a gorgeous and warm day that greeted us as we pedaled through the remaining miles of the Carson National Forest. The gravel rolled under wheel with ease as the route took us mostly downhill at first. I felt good and enjoyed slicing through forest and field on gravel that varied between rough, fast, thick and slow.

I was preoccupied by flowers growing on the side of the road as the bike rolled quickly down a gentle slope when suddenly a small caravan of vehicles appeared to be blocking the road ahead. I stopped alongside the trailer of the lead vehicle and chatted with two men sitting on the flat bed loaded with hay bails. The older seemed to pretend he didn't know that I was on the Tour Divide in order to draw me out for the benefit of the younger. When asked, I immediately proclaimed I was headed to the Mexican border and the younger seemed duly impressed as the eyes of the older knowingly approved. We chatted some while the other two work vehicles prepared to unload the horses for the range. This crew was preparing to round up some cattle that had been grazing in the national forest. The crew of Latino and Latina cowboys began the process of setting up a staging area as I rolled away with a shared sense of well being and purpose.

Not 20 miles from camp, the road turned and provided a long view into a valley containing the village of Vallecitos, New Mexico. The village sits in the center of the Ranchos Ring and is surrounded by the Carson National Forest, farms and ranch land. There were no resources indicated in Vallecitos on my prepared list for the Tour Divide. Reminded of the feeling of being stuck in the wilderness, the sight of homes scattered in the valley below filled me with joy.

Vallecitos in the valley below

When my bike dropped down into the edge of the village, Silvia was waiting for me. Her small shed by the side of road welcomed Tour Divide riders to stop for supplies. Joined by Sylvia in her shed we talked about the Divide, Mikki and other riders while I devoured sardines, crackers and sweets. Silvia predicted the exact day of my finish which I refused to accept. Surely she overestimated my ability. Jim arrived and the three of us sat and chatted. Silva brought me up to the house to rise off my bike and after looking at it a moment she told me a story about another rider. She said that when this rider washed his bike the sidewalls of his tires bubbled, the result of air escaping. The sides of the tires were worn thin from rubbing on dried mud stuck to the bike frame apparently. After my bike was washed, the sidewalls of the tires bubbled as well. This provided me with fresh motivation to get some sealant at the next possible opportunity.

With a slight bit of urgency the route was engaged. The day became hot and layers were shed. It's strange to think back and realize that not until today did I discover how much cooler my long sleeve hiking shirt was than the merino tee-shirt which was used as both a base layer and my only outer layer when it was hot. Better late than never to discover the hiking shirt worked better as the sole layer in hot weather. It really was amazing how the air flowed through the loose fitting shirt and across my skin. This was much more cooling than the tee-shirt and the tight clothes normally used for cycling. In addition, it responds to conditions. With just a merino tee underneath, it was good for riding in the cool morning air. The hiking shirt turned out to be one of my best decisions even though it was significantly less aerodynamic than a spandex cycling jersey.

Merino t-shirt & REI hiking shirt

It didn't take long on paved roads to reach the small town of El Rito. There was a small general store and around the store no shade was to be found. Inside was cool and there were three old gentlemen just hanging out chatting. They didn't pay me much mind as I scoured the selves for something to consume now and maybe something extra for later. The heat had suppressed my appetite which was restored by downing a V-8. I asked the fellas about tire sealant and the consensus was Bodes in Abiquiu would have it.

Georgia O'Keeffe and I have a connection -- we're both from south central Wisconsin. Well, not really. She grew up near the small town of Sun Prairie which is now a suburb of Madison where I currently live. I actually grew up in the Chicago area and moved to the Madison area in 1987 after completing my Ph.D. in genetics at the University of Georgia. Sadly, the year I moved from Georgia was also the year Georgia O'Keeffe died. The town of Sun Prairie once sought to name a park in her honor, I was once told. Apparently, she declined the invitation to attend the dedication so the town decided to name the park after some one else. Seems a bit small minded but in 1976, Sun Prairie was a small town. This comes to mind because besides Bodes and the Georgia O'Keeffe museum, there's not much else in Abiquiu.

At the site of museum there's a lodge and although it was early in the afternoon, I secured a room there for the night. After which, it was off to Bodes for food and, with some luck, sealant! The store was busy when I arrived but I was too late for lunch service and too early for dinner. I managed to eat convenience foods and scour the selves for tire sealant. After not finding any and eating all the snacks purchased, I returned to shop for supplies and ask about sealant. Sealant was not available, unfortunately.

Across the parking lot from Bodes was an ice cream stand. There I enjoyed a coffee malted while a couple of tourists quizzed me about my stuff. It didn't seem like they were able to process anything I told them. The bike was parked out of sight and despite looking rough, I apparently wasn't the image expected from some one biking from Banff to the Mexican border. After explaining that it's technically a race without any support allowed, I was asked if my family was meeting me here. What kind of bicycle race is it anyway if you're sitting around in a hiking shirt leisurely eating ice cream and talking to locals? I have to admit they had a point, perhaps the Tour Divide makes no sense at all.

Jim also stayed in Abiquiu and we connected briefly. He was apparently dead asleep when I tapped on his door for dinner. The restaurant was too fancy for the likes of me but the food was excellent. Besides the late lunch at Bodes, I ate two dinners that evening. Flush with supplies and refreshment but still no sealant, I was looking forward to the ride to Cuba. I was determined to reach Cuba before the hardware store closed but when I closed my eyes that evening I had no idea what obstacles the route offered.

Elevation Profile for Day 25

On to Day 26