Adventures

Day 29: No Place for Bikes

Sunrise

Gila National Forest (12 July 2019) Awake before dawn, the cold instant coffee was savored in darkness. The new day was brightning as Jim seemed to pop to life and got packed up in just the few moments it took me to pack the tent. It was another beautiful, mostly clear morning that glowed red from the mountains in the distance to the grassland that glowed amber before us. The peace of the morning was violetly disturbed before we finished breaking camp by a ranger on a small tractor sputtering up the hill past our camp to bring hay to the cattle. Out of common respect, we all ignored each other. So began my penultimate day on the 2019 Tour Divide.

Jim and I knew that the route ahead was hillier than the day before so we made no plans for a rendezvous. Not long after camp, I expected I wouldn't be seeing Jim again until perhaps, the very end. Jim was a great riding companion. He was experienced, undaunted and steady. He badly damaged his rear wheel on the first or second day of the race, resorting to zip-ties to keep the tire on the wheel before making it to a bike shop. Even then he continued to ride the damaged wheel which, because of an unevenness in the rim, allowed air to leak from his tubeless tire. It was Jim's idea for each of us to pack six or seven sandwiches in Grants and it was this supply of calories that fueled my attempt to reach Silver City. There was no doubt Jim would finish but the 125 miles and 9,000 feet of climbing I had planned for myself that day was too much to ask of anyone.

Jim makes final adjustments

The road was lined with poppies as it snaked past ranch land and deep into the Gila National forest. I was filled with vigor, joy and anticipation. It was a day with an ambitious plan which held more than a few unknowns. The written experience of others suggested that the National Forest Work Center was a fairly reliable place to get water, however, they have experienced water outages. It was also the location of a soda machine. The machine itself was known to be very unreliable or rather -- it reliably took your money and returned nothing. The key to getting calories was to find a person with a key to open it up. Except for the possibility of a soda, there were no other indicated places for supplies or water on the route to Silver City. Surprisingly, this did not weigh heavy on my mind, despite my diminished water carrying capacity and the parched landscape all around.

Prickly Poppies lined the road leading away from camp

The morning was passed by consistently crushing gravel under wheel. As the day warmed, a few clouds rolled in but were never obviously threatening. The rolling terrain was enjoyable. A road sign ahead warned of gravel ahead which made me laugh. Like the four hours of gravel behind didn't matter? It seemed to be a joke and it made me smile.

The Beaverhead Work Center is a small campus of buildings but only a picnic area, soda machine and a trailer are contained within the area open to the public. There was water too. It was just before noon when I arrived and proceeded to knock on the trailer door, hoping that someone inside would open the soda machine. While I could get by without the extra calories, it would be a boost to have them. It was lunch time and the name of man of that came to door escapes me -- let's call him Randy.

Randy didn't seem to mind my interruption in the least. He was working at the center as a consultant on satellite imagery, as I recall. He didn't know where the key to the machine was. He was aware that the person that usually unlocks it upon request didn't come to work today. He didn't tell me this to send me on my way so that he could get back to his work, quite the contrary -- it was only a preface to his determined hunt to find the key. After some rummaging he emerged from the trailer with a fist full of keys and after some trial and error we found the right one but neither of us knew how to use it properly to open fully open machine. It wasn't obvious to us despite our two Ph.D.'s or perhaps, that was the problem. Just as Randy was letting me give it a try, a young man appeared and with very little effort stepped in to open it up straight away. I was granted and paid for three cans of soda. Randy and the fortuitous young man seemed very happy to help me out.

Beaverhead Work Center in the Gila NF

The rest of the BLT from Pie Town and some potato chips were polished off in no time at all. Randy offered me an apple which was a real treat I saved for later. The sugar from two cans of soda made me feel great and one can was stored for later. Lunch was very pleasant at the picnic table under the shade of a few tall trees. Before departing, I tapped on the door of the trailer one more time just to say goodbye to Randy and to thank him for his help. I made him aware that Jim should be coming by shortly. Having lingered there for what seemed to be an hour, I was a bit surprised Jim had not yet appeared. At the time, I didn't check to see how long I lingered nor did I know 47 miles were covered from camp. I was aware that on such an ambitious day, stops should be made as efficient as possible. Not rushed, however, because that leads to errors. Looking back at the ride recorded by the eTrax, it was in reality a 30 minute stop.

After the Beaverhead Work Center, the route got hillier. There are few long hills and plenty of short ones. The long climbs were enjoyable -- not overly steep but some of the shorter climbs hurt. My legs felt the bite and my mind turned to the planned arrival in Silver City. I knew there was a paved road and some single track hiking trail which was followed by a downhill into town. With about 90 miles covered, I calculated that I'd arrive before nightfall. That would be a very pleasant and unexpected result and this thought energized my pedaling. Based on my reading, the route followed the Continental Divide Hiking Trail (CDT) for some 9 miles and should not present a challenge. Being an experienced mountain bike racer, I was expecting to ride most of it.

Rare wetland in the Gila

When pavement was reached some 94 miles from camp, I was elated. Even though it was 30 miles from there to Silver City, it appeared my goal of reaching Silver City that day was well in hand. The CDT section on the Tour Divide began at a campground, although the correct trail head was not easy to locate. The trail rolled sharply up and down but it soon became apparent I was off route. The correct route was found after turning back. Subsequently, I was very attentive to the CDT markers and my eTrax navigation device.

Oh my, not long after finding the right trail I found myself dragging my bike up the side of a boulder. With both feet and one hand on the boulder the rock was scaled while a pedal scraped along as the 50 pound bike was dragged behind by the handlebar. Fear of falling backward kept me from carrying the bike on my back and it was just too steep to roll along requiring the bike to be dragged on its side. After the boulder, the trail narrowed and offered short sections that could be ridden. The trail was loose and in places narrow. Too narrow in some places for the bike and rider to safely stand side-by-side making walking difficult and riding precarious. The narrow trail was soft as it skirted the edge of hillside which rose quickly on the right and dropped precipitously on the left. The looseness and drop-off made me decide to try walking but over one short section it was so narrow I could not help by create some trail subsidence. This was no place for a bicycle and in the moment it felt very discourteous to all of those that work to maintain the trail for hikers.

Century Plants in flower along the CDT

Night fell before the CDT section was completed. My headlamp was turned on and I occasionally used it to illuminate the trail behind to check for mountain lions and other curious critters. Before nightfall, however, it was clear why the route planner wanted to take us this way. It was wonderfully gorgeous with great vistas and, for me at least, the special treat of century plants in full flower. The 20 foot stalks created a special magic as the sun set and hues of orange and pink streaked across the horizon.

Darkness descended and my attention became focused on following the track on the navigation device, out of a determination to not follow the hiking trail any longer than necessary. The trail became detestable in the darkness which made it too tricky for me to ride. Hours passed and the eTrax was checked regularly for any sign of the route departing from the trail. The OSM basemap created and loaded on the eTrax especially for this trip contained a clear marking for the entire CDT with the Tour Divde route superimposed upon it in blue. In the dark I was at the mercy of these lines on the tiny device so when the eTrax showed the route departing from the CDT for an obviously less-traveled trail, I did not hesitate. This departure had me on a trail that was a bit overgrown with grass and brush but soon led to a rough dirt road with potholes the size of washing machines filled with water. The road swooped up and down as it snaked through what I guessed were trees and brush in the darkness. Pedaling became easier as the road turned to gravel before ending at a paved road. Despite the blackness, it felt great to put the CDT behind me. Perhaps this section was made all the more challenging because of misplaced expectations or the darkness but it will be remembered as one of the most challenging sections on the Tour Divide.

It was well worth investing in good lights for the Tour Divide. There were really only two times when they were absolutely necessary but I can't imagine riding the gravel road to Salida or the 18 miles to Silver City on pavement without good lights. With two headlights and two taillights I felt safe on the road and could see around me on the trail. The hub that powered the lights on the bike also charged a battery which was in turn used to replenish the batteries of the lights on my helmet. The lights allowed me to confidently sail down the hill toward Silver City.

Long views as daylight begins to wane

It was 11:30 P.M. when the McDonald's in Silver City was reached and where I was thankfully ignored by a group of after-party teenagers. Two full meals were consumed and a third was packed to eat later. After touching base with Pat, I cycled off to a nearby hotel for my last night on the Tour Divide. I felt spent but also incredibly happy. It turned out that the goal of reaching Silver City was a good one. Traversing the 250 miles from Grants to Silver City in two days was a wonderful experience. Even as darkness fell on the CDT, there was not one serious thought of stopping for the day -- partly because the amount of food and water carried seemed insufficient for an overnight. It was surprising how much water an overnight seemed to require and dehydration was a huge hindrance to forward motion. When Pat sent a text asking why I'm not stopping, I simply replied, "committed to make Silver City." Later she told me she felt bad thinking it was her fault I pressed on into the night because she texted me the day before anticipating the day of my completion but that was never on my mind. At the time neither of us knew how many hours would be offered up to the Continental Divide Hiking Trail. In daylight, more of the hiking trail might have been rideable, saving some effort and time on that section. Overall, however, I was better prepared for a long day than an overnight.

Sleep did not come easy. Overtaken by the excitement of completing the Tour Divide and anticipation of being united with Pat, my mind raced. TrackLeaders was used to check on Jim who appeared to stop for the night just before the CDT trail head. It was discovered that Mikki was also spending this night in Silver City. It looked like Max was pedaling and would finish in the morning. Bill was not far from Jim so perhaps they would connect and finish together. Our respective adventures were nearly complete while for others such as Adam, Joseph, Bonnie, Larry and John the journey was completed or perhaps to be continued.

It was well after 2 AM before sleep was granted and rest was gained. The morning would reveal the final day on the Tour Divide and best of all, reunite me with Pat.

Elevation Profile for Day 29

On to Day 30