September 19 - San Diego

September 19 - Monday; Shakedown Ride on Point Loma; 25 miles.
At last night's group meeting Ray covered the tour schedule, ground rules, how the budget works, distributed the group equipment and assigned cooking teams.

This morning we loaded all of our gear and headed towards Ocean Beach for tour kickoff photos. Dipping our tires in the Pacific required us to walk our bikes about 100 yards down the sandy beach. We all balked at first but RJ took off and we all followed. The bikes were covered with sand by the time we got back off the beach so it is questionable whether we should have done this or just taken a photo of the beach and ocean in the background. But we all figured, what the heck, we should actually dip tires in the Pacific.

After the tire dipping we headed towards the road along the top of Point Loma that leads to Cabrillo National Monument. A rite of passage for this trip apparently is a climb up Hill Street - an extremely steep street that just about burst my lungs and burned out my quads. This is supposedly the steepest climb of the tour - though we would later question that in at least a couple of instances (leaving Lost Maples State Park in West Texas for example). Once at the top it was a very enjoyable ride to Cabrillo. The park attendant was an avid cyclist and let us in for free. At Cabrillo we took took photos from spots overlooking San Diego and the harbor. After eating our lunch we covered how to read and interpret the Adventure Cycling Association maps. I'd used them earlier this year on portions of the Northern Tier route in Washington state so I already knew how to use them. It was chilly and windy at Cabrillo. We then headed back to the hostel.

The ACA Fall 2011 Southern Tier Self-Contained Tour Group: L to R - Kat, Ray, Vicky, RJ, Adrian, Dan, Gary, Fred

Tier dipping ceremony at Ocean Beach: L to R - Vicky, Ray, Kat, Fred, Dan, Adrian, RJ, Gary. Special thanks to the lifeguard who snapped the photos for each of us.

October 28 - Des Moines

October 28 - Friday; Des Moines
This will be the last Southern Tier trip update until I resume in late spring 2012. Susi did well through the night and this morning. Baring any complications, she should be coming home tomorrow; complete with drainage tubes, blood thinner shots, etc.. This will all be a bit of a stretch for me but “in sickness and in health”. Since she’ll need quite a bit of TLC the next two weeks I will not try to rejoin the tour group – but wish them safe riding, good weather and tailwinds for the remainder of the trip. Please send photos of your arrival and tire dipping in St. Augustine. I’ll be there in spirit! Hopefully G&S will NOT be there to welcome you.

Susi will kill me for this but her Halloween photo is included below (actually her first walk this morning since surgery yesterday). I thought the grandkids would get a kick out of her costume and makeup (sorry sweetheart – couldn’t resist).

Susi - Holloween 2011

October 27 - Houston to Des Moines

October 27 - Thursday; Houston to Des Moines.
They were not able to do surgery on Susi last night because of the blood thinner issue and were expecting to do it this morning. I called my daughter Jessica when I woke up this morning and they were never able to get Susi’s blood in a condition acceptable for surgery. Susi's cousin Barbara brought me to GW Bush Int’l airport this morning for a 1:00 pm flight to Des Moines via Denver. The plane was very late leaving Houston but I was lucky enough that the gate it pulled into in Denver was immediately next to the one for the flight leaving for Des Moines. I barely made it – special thanks to Houston/Denver passengers that were kind enough to let us off quickly. I arrived in Des Moines around 6:10 pm tonight and was met by Jessica and her husband Matt. We arrived at the hospital at 7:00 pm. Susi’s surgery started at 11:30 am and she was out of recovery and in a room when I arrived -though pretty much still out of it. The surgery went well and they are working on pain management and blood thickness.

October 26 - Navasota to Cold Spring, TX

October 26 - Wednesday; Navasota to Double Lake Recreation Area near Coldspring, TX; 75 miles.
We had a pretty nice stay at the Super 8 in Navasota. There was plenty to eat at their continental breakfast. By 8:00 am we were off to Anderson (10 mi.) and Richards (20 mi.). We had a nice “second breakfast” at a cafe in Richards then headed for New Waverley (43 mi.) On the way we met another young couple traveling in the other direction. They had started in New York I think and were going to San Francisco by way of New Orleans. They were very interesting and still energetic after 60+ days on the road. I attribute this to the fact that they are not part of a group with a set schedule and have been free to stop wherever for as long as they wanted. They’d spent four days in New Orleans. After snacks in New Waverly we grocery shopped for tomorrows breakfast/lunch. We had already decided to eat dinner at a BBQ restaurant just outside that park entrance as it had come highly recommended by the young couple we had talked with earlier. The route description from last year’s tour guide indicated that the road between New Waverley and Pumpkin had no shoulders to ride on and had “harrowing” logging truck traffic. We did not experience any of this. There were shoulders in all but a few short places and the traffic was fine. All the drivers we encountered were very courteous and gave us plenty of room. We arrived in Coldspring about 2:30 pm so we made excellent time during the day and the riding was very pleasant. After refreshments at the Shell gas/convenience store in Coldspring we rode the last couple of miles to our camp site. After setting up camp and showering we rode back out of the park to the BBQ restaurant and had a “most excellent” BBQ dinner topped off with chocolate pie. Then it was back to camp.

While I was setting up my tent I turned on my cell phone that had been off all day. I had a message from Susi indicating that she was at the hospital having a CAT scan. When I talked to her the night before she indicated she had stomach pains but went to work on Tuesday anyway but was taking Wednesday off. It turned out to be her appendix had already burst. Given this and the fact that she is also on blood thinner which complicates the surgery part, I made the decision to terminate my trip and return home as quickly as possible. Susi has a cousin Barbara who lives in Houston which was only about an hour away from Coldspring. Barbara most graciously agreed to pick me up and take me to Houston so I could catch a flight back to Des Moines. I returned to camp (in the dark with a Petzl head lamp – only got lost once) and packed up my stuff and loaded up my bike. After bidding everyone a regretful and sad farewell I rode back to Coldspring to the Shell station to wait for Barbara. Thanks RJ for riding with me back to the park entrance and saying goodbye. That meant a lot. Once at the Shell station I had time to remove all my fenders and racks so the bike was ready for a Houston local bike shop to disassemble and box for Barbara to ship with the rest of my gear. We arrived at Barbara’s house around midnight. My daughter Jennifer was able to research flight arrangements and booked me on a return flight tomorrow afternoon. My other daughter Jessica did a great job of keeping me informed of mom’s status.

October 25 - Carmine to Navasota, TX

October 25 - Tuesday; Dixieland RV Park in Carmine to Navasota, TX; 55 miles.
It was clear last night until about 3:00 am and by morning it was fairly foggy. My tent fly was soaked inside and out and the tent itself was a little wet but I had to pack it up anyway. We left the RV park and rode to the local gas station/convenience store for coffee (Diet Coke for me) then took off for Burton, Longpoint, Gay Hill and Independence. I had lunch at the Independence Store. They had excellent fresh sandwiches. I chose chicken salad and also had chips, Diet Coke (yeah, another one) and a Baby Ruth. The store sees quite a few touring bicyclists and has a notebook that travelers can write in. In my entry I included that I was an ’85 graduate of Texas A&M and was glad to be back in Aggieland. I was waited on by Casey Rogers – A&M class of ’02. Thanks Casey for your hospitality. Then it was on to William Penn and Washington On The Brazos State Historical Park where I spent about two hours touring the visitor’s center and the Star of the Republic Museum. The last leg of today’s ride was to Navasota and the Motel 8 (via DQ and a large chocolate shake). I’ve cleaned up, dried out my tent and have a load in the washing machine. The dryer is broken but things should be dry enough by tomorrow morning to wear. I think we’re eating at a nearby Mexican restaurant that came recommended by the park ranger at the Washington On The Brazos  visitor center. Today’s ride is the end of Section 4 of the Southern Tier Route. Tomorrow we begin Section 5 with a 67 mile to Coldspring, TX.

Casey Rogers - Independence Store, Independence, TX (A&M Class of '02)

Visiting the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington On The Brazos State Historical Park

October 24 - Smithville to Carmine, TX

October 24 - Monday; Beuscher SP (near Smithville, TX) to Dixieland RV Park in Carmine, TX; 52 miles.
It was another nice night for camping and I slept without the rain fly on my tent. My only mistake was being in the line of sight of a nearby pole lamp so things were pretty bright all night. It didn’t bother me too much. I was nearly asleep at about 9:00 when I kept seeing bright flashes. At first I thought something might be wrong with my eyes but then figured out Dan was trying to take pictures of an armadillo that was crawling by my tent. We were on the road shortly after 8:00 am and rode to Winchester, TX then on to La Grange. RJ, Gary, Dan and I rode west about a mile to the Riverside Café for breakfast. It came highly recommended by one of the locals at the town square. We met up with the rest of the group on the east end of town at a Shell station/convenience store then headed to Rutersville , Oldenburg and Warrenton where we stopped at a small store for snacks. The current owners were very nice and gave RJ and I a rundown on the history of their store and a little of the town. From Warrenton we rode to Round Top where Gary mailed a package of photos home then it was on to the Dixieland RV Park in Carmine, TX. Everyone arrived by around 2:30 pm. We’ve pitched our tents and cleaned up and grocery shopped. We’re having sandwiches and chips for dinner. Tomorrow we’re off to Navasota, TX which is the end of the Southern Tier Section 4; only 3 sections left and I expect it will go by very quickly.

Winchester Ranch just west of Winchester, TX

Fred outside the Winchester Store (only open Thurs - Sun)

The Winchester Depot

Setting up camp in Carmine

October 23 - Austin to Smithville, TX

October 23 - Sunday; Austin to Beuscher SP (near Smithville, TX); 52 miles.
After a nice continental breakfast at the Rodeway Inn we began making our way back through downtown Austin and to the main Southern Tier route. Being Sunday morning this was relatively easy. We rode as a group again today as the route was a bit complicated. After a minor SNAFU at McAngus Rd (sorry RJ – my bad), we made our way to a small convenience store near the Travis/Bastrop county line for snacks. The store was quite a bit higher in elevation than the surrounding area and there was a nice view back towards Austin and the tall buildings in the downtown area. We were probably 15 miles away as the crow flies. There was also a 2x1 combined cycle power plant nearby. After snacks we went through Cedar Creek and over very rural roads until we reached the main route; a windy, blacktop road with lots of dogs, goats, horses and cows so it reminded me a little of the midwest. Once on the main route, it was a relatively short ride to Bastrop where we ate lunch at Schlotzky’s and grocery shopped at Walmart. From Bastrop the main route was supposed to go through Bastrop SP which is reported to be very scenic and we were originally planning to camp there. However, the fires this summer burned through the park and it is closed including the road through it. RJ used his smart phone to find an alternate route to our final destination. We are camped at Buescher SP and arrived about 2:30 pm. Camp is set up and everyone is cleaned up. We’re having spagetti for dinner. Tomorrow we are off to Dixieland RV Park and CG near Carmine, TX. The route goes through Winchester! For those who know my background, my wife and I grew up in Winchester Illinois (chorus from John Mellancamp’s “I Was Born In A Small Town” – one of my favorite songs because to me, and many who came from small towns, it has real meaning).

Texas wildfire remains near Batrop, TX

Dan, RJ and Gary (front to back) on road into Beuscher State Park

October 22 - Austin, TX

October 22 - Saturday; Austin, TX; Layover Day; 6 miles.
Our Kerrville celebration was for reaching half of the trip mileage. Today is the calendar half way as we’ve been going 33 of 64 planned days.

It was sure nice to sleep in a bed for a change. It had been 8 or 9 days of camping since the last time I slept in a bed. I got up at 6:00 am and ate at the motel office where they had a continental breakfast. I then did laundry. RJ, Ray, Adrian and I took off around 10:15 am to find a UPS store so I could send stuff back to Susi to offset the laptop and cold-weather clothes weight. We arrived at 10:25 am but it did not open until 11:00 am so we set off to find Lance Armstrong’s Mellow Johnny’s bike shop. It is a pretty neat place with 5 or 6 of Armstrong’s older bikes on display. My general impression is that it must be the “place to be” on Saturday morning if you part of the Austin bicycling scene. They sure sold a lot of merchandise in the half hour I was there. I only bought chamois cream, an essential part of a comfortable day’s ride for me personally, right Al? We then found another UPS store and I shipped the box home. Outside the UPS store we talked at length with one of the local UPS drivers who is also a high school football referee. He had great stories about officiating football in the great state of Texas where football reigns supreme. He officiated at one last night where two parents on the losing-end of a 42 – 0 loss were escorted from the stadium by the local sheriff’s deputies. He made it sound like this is not a totally uncommon occurrence. We then proceeded to Stubbs BBQ which we had passed on our way to the motel yesterday for lunch. I had the brisket plate and it was SUPER and a great antidote indeed for the Ethiopian dinner last night. I returned to the motel and worked on the previous daily updates to this blog and various other tasks. I also walked 1.5 miles to a Best Buy to purchase a battery charger for the camera Susi sent (I forgot to ask for the charger). After my 3 mile walk the group had a map meeting to discuss getting out of Austin tomorrow and back on the main route. Austin is not actually on the main route but the map has two sections for the “Austin Alternate” for those wanting to take in the city. We had dinner at a local dinner complete with pie and ice cream. My overall impression of Austin is positive except that Longhorn fans live here. I see on ESPN that Texas A&M beat Iowa State today – sorry Kent.

October 21 - Blanco to Austin, TX

October 21 - Friday; Blanco to Austin, TX; 67 miles.
It was a nice night for camping in Blanco. The temperature only went down into the mid-50s so this was the first day in a few days that I only had a long-sleeve shirt on over my jersey and no other cold-weather clothing.  The park was peaceful and the facilities very nice. About my only complaint (and not that I’m complaining because those of you who know me know that I don’t do that) is that I’ve pitched my tent in the dirt almost every night. Not a biggie, it just gets everything dirty; tent, sleeping bag, clothes. I hope we run into some campgrounds with grass soon – which we should as we head further east into “civilization”. It was 26 miles from Blanco to Waring where we ate breakfast. The terrain was a bit hilly but no wind to speak of and, as I mentioned, the temperature was very mild. From Wimberley it was another 26 miles to Mountain City where we met up as a group to begin the ride through Austin. The ride through Austin had a lot of route changes but they were easy to spot and we made it through the downtown rush-hour traffic and to the motel without incident. We arrived as a group at about 5:00 pm, checked in, cleaned up (a shower with a real towel was REALLY nice) and went next door to a Ethiopian restaurant. My dietary needs are relatively simple and consist primarily of “junk” so I didn’t especially enjoy the Ethiopian cuisine and can now mark that off my list of things I never wanted to do in the first place but did once anyway. Only some genuine Texas BBQ is the antidote. To my pallet it pretty much tasted like “dirt” but the rest of the group enjoyed it so I guess it’s not too much to take one for the team now and then.

October 20 - Kerrville to Blanco, TX

October 20 - Thursday; Kerrville to Blanco, TX; 61 miles.
It was 37 degrees this morning but warmed quickly as I made my way from Kerrville to Center Point where I had breakfast at a Mexican restaurant. The ride was along rural, wooded, flat blacktop road and was very relaxing and pretty. From Center Point I rode through Comfort and crossed I-10. Past Comfort the road turned a bit hilly. I stopped at the Waring General Store in the small town of Waring and had another snack before taking a short detour from the main route due to a bridge rebuilding project on the main route. Sisterdale was the next town and the group met up there for yet another snack. From Sisterdale to about 5 miles out of Blanco was very hilly; short, steep hills. A few of those take something out of you. I tend to go down as fast as I can and use the momentum to carry me as far up the other side as possible then crank like crazy to reach the top – only to see another hill just like the last one – then do it all again. The climbing aside, it was a nice ride today with views from the ridgeline back to where I had been; again pretty views and rewarding to see what I had done. I arrived in Blanco about 3:30 pm along with Dan, Gary and RJ. We sat at a Shell gas/convenience store sipping refreshments and telling lies for about an hour when the others called from the campground letting us know they had arrived. We’re camped at the Blanco SP which is very nice. At the Shell station we met another touring cyclist, Gary I believe his name was, from Salt Lake City who was doing a part of the Southern Tier from San Marco (off route a little) to Mesa, AZ. He had done San Diego to Mesa last year. He had toured in the past with his dog in a trailer and had done the Transcontinental and Northern Tier routes. He said he had toured over 15,000 miles with his dog but the dog had died a few months ago so he was alone on this ride. He also went to dinner and camped near us for the night. We ate at another Mexican restaurant. I’ve nearly reached my limit of Tex-Mex for a while. Tomorrow’s ride is 70 miles into Austin followed by a well-deserved rest day on Saturday. Susi sent me my laptop and some additional cool weather clothing which means; (1) I should be more consistent with blog updates and (2) it won’t be cold again and I’ll be carrying the extra gear for nothing!

October 19 - Lost Maples SP to Kerrville, TX

October 19 - Wednesday; Lost Maples SP to Kerrville, TX; 52 miles.
It got down to 36 degrees last night and I had multiple layers of clothing to start today’s ride. As I turned out of the state park I was a blue heron flying over the road and down the river. Then I began to climb gradually but around the first turn, there it was! A 7% grade, 1,000’ climb that was straight and I could see the top the whole time. I’d much rather climb tree-lined, curvy mountain passes even though they are longer and higher, than to be able to see the top. It is easier mentally as there is more scenery to take your mind off the climbing. I started the climb using the pedaling technique I used yesterday and my legs felt fine. I just kept my focus on some short goal I knew I could reach like the beginning of a guardrail, then kept going to the next goal like the end of the guardrail. It was a gut-busting, quad-burning climb but I made it without stopping. The view back from the top looking at where we had been the day before was very pretty and rewarding. I also shed a layer of clothes at the top and waited for a few of the others to arrive before going on. The rest of the ride was nice. The weather was cool with no noticeable wind and there was abundant wildlife; white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, antelope, wild goats, etc.. I really enjoyed riding the hill country today! The last 7 of the 34 miles to Hunt, TX was pretty flat and winded along the Guadalupe River. There are some very nice homes along the river a couple of which had Texas A&M flags flying on their flagpole so there must be a few alums living in these parts. We all ended up at the first place in Hunt and had lunch. My first BBQ since entering Texas – delicious and long overdue. After lunch I headed to Kerrville and the Kerrville Schreiner Park where we are camping for the night. There is a total burn ban in these parts so we hired a van to drive us to a really nice Mexican restaurant where we celebrated the halfway point (mileage-wise) of the trip. Tomorrow’s ride is 60 miles to Blanco SP in Blanco, TX.

View looking back from top of early morning climb (1,000' @ 7% grade)

Gary makes it over the top.

October 18 - Big Oak River CG to Lost Maples SP

October 18 - Tuesday; Big Oak River CG (near Montell) to Lost Maples SP, TX; 45 miles.
The local forecast for last night was wind from the north at up to 60 mph. While that did not quite materialize, it was none the less very windy when we got up. We decided we would ride to Camp Wood which was only five miles down the road and just keep going for as long as we could. It took almost an hour over flat ground with a 25-30 mph headwind to make the five miles to Camp Wood – very tough going! We ate breakfast then the route headed east for a while so we headed for Leakey 21 miles away. The going was tough but got a little better since the wind wasn’t a direct headwind but more of a crosswind though still with a headwind component. To get to Leaky involved two significant 1,000’ climbs; steep at 6% grade and relatively long, though not like a mountain pass. I struggled on the first climb but noticed a different pedaling technique used by a couple of the other riders. I tried it and it seemed to help me climb faster – though I think in the end it is mental as much as physical; you just have to bear down and CRANK! The descent into Leakey was fast, curvy and very fun. The first place we came to was a very nice Harley store with a small restaurant where we ate lunch. This is definitely motorcycle country – if I had one, I’d want to ride it here. When you see them pass you on the steep climbs you wish it was as easy as just twisting the throttle a little bit (instead of burning your quads). From Leakey we all met up at a small store near Vanderpool to purchase groceries and haul them the last 4 miles to the campground. There was another rider stopped at the store (Dan I think his name was)  who started about the same time we did from St. Augustine, FL traveling the ST route to San Diego. He was only 27 and was riding what appeared to be a carbon frame bike (with a pretty good load). He had clocked a number of 100+ miles days but was now entering the mountains. On the last part of the ride to the campground I saw one of the funniest things so far on the trip. The headwind was strong and we were riding slightly uphill; Vicky, Gary, me and Ray in a line. Gary decided he should give Vicky a break from leading and pulled out to go to the front. At the same time, the wind gusted to probably 30-35 mph and there was Gary to the left of Vicky GIVING IT HELL but not making any progress towards getting even with her much less taking the lead. He eventually got in front and was a hero for leading the last few miles into a fierce wind to the campground. The forecast for tomorrow is for wind, but in the 10-15 mph range. We have one final 7% grade, 1,000’ climb almost immediately out of the campground. I’ll see what my legs have left after changing technique and muscles for the last half of today. It is supposed to get down into the 30s tonight – a little cold for the gear I have.

October 17 - Del Rio to Big Oak River CG

October 17 - Monday; Del Rio to Big Oak River CG (near Montell), TX; 80 miles.
Today’s ride took me through Del Rio and into the western edge of Texas Hill Country. The weather was nice but it got fairly hot late in the ride as the wind was (finally!!) at my back and there was no cooling from the riding. The first 35 miles to Brackettville were flat and went by pretty quickly but not very scenic. We all arrived about the same time and ate lunch at the Crazy Chicken where I had my first cheeseburger since week one. We picked up two days worth of groceries as we pedaled out of Brackettville which increased our load considerably. We had to carry it 45 miles to the campground. These 45 miles became more and more scenic as I entered Hill Country. I arrived at the campground at 5:00 pm, set up camp and got cleaned up. We haven’t yet stayed where there were no showers, though a couple of them only had cold (really cold) water. It works once you get over the initial shock and if it has been hot, as it was in southern California and Arizona, cold is good! We dined with a meal of Rice-a-Roni with canned chicken and green beans – pretty good actually and plenty for everyone. I did not have cell coverage to tell my beloved “happy birthday” but Gary was gracious enough to lend me his to make this special call.

Entering Texas Hill Country

October 16 - Seminole Canyon SP to Del Rio, TX

October 16 - Sunday; Seminole Canyon SP to Del Rio, TX; 39 miles.
I slept great last night both because of yesterday’s long, hard ride and because the temperature was moderate and great for sleeping outdoors. If I hadn't been traveling with a group, I probably would have spent an extra day at Seminole Canyon SP. As we were leaving the visitor center they were starting a walking tour of the canyon. The walking tour would have been nice, but I didn't think there was time to do that and stay with the group.


The wind never did really die down last night and today’s ride was somewhat like yesterday’s with 15-25 mph headwinds during the whole ride. There wasn’t much in the way of scenery for much of the ride the exception being the Amistad Reservoir which has the US/Mexican border running through the middle of the lake. The reservoir was very picturesque. We’re camped at the Buzzard’s Roost RV Park which is about 3 miles west of Del Rio. Keith, who assists around the park, helped us out a lot by first driving us to a Super Walmart for groceries (by way of the nearby Dairy Queen for milk shakes and ice cream) then driving us to a Chinese buffet for dinner. Keith is originally from SW Minnesota and travels around in his van buying and selling various types of wood for woodworkers, etc. Tomorrow we’re off for a 74 mile ride to just past Montell, TX.

Amistad Reservior looking back over the bridge we crossed.

October 15 - Sanderson to Seminole Canyon SP

October 15 - Saturday; Sanderson to Seminole Canyon SP, TX; 83 miles.
Last night's stay in Sanderson was pretty uncomfortable. We had our choice of places to set up tents; one next to an active rail road track and the other just a few feet from the highway. We chose the site by the highway. The truck traffic all night was noisy and so close we could feel the ground shake. No one got a very good night's sleep.

Today’s ride was another “character builder”. Many more like this one and maybe I’ll have character, HA! I didn’t eat much for breakfast nor did I pack much for lunch both of which would come back to bite me by the end of the day. I thought there would be some service options at 20 and 60 miles than there turned out to be. I rode 21 miles to Dryden with nice cool temperatures, a few medium sized hills but then generally flat. The map shows Dryden as having a café which turned out to be a very small general store with high prices and little for variety. The ride from Dryden to Langtree was 40 miles with no services and consisted of a seemingly endless descent and climb of canyons some of which were fairly long climbs. You can usually tell that if the descent is fun the climb out will make up for it! 15-25 mph headwinds started around 11:30 am and continued for the remainder of the day. I had to take the loop into Langtree, TX. “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” starring Paul Newman is one of my favorite all-time movies. The museum is 1.5 miles off of US90 and I passed a small, but open, convenience store as I started the loop but figured there must be something in the town itself. The museum was free and the State of Texas has preserved the Jersey Lilly and the opera house in their original locations and pretty much just as they were in 1935 when they took responsibility for the museum. The judge built the opera house for Lilly Langtree to perform in some day but she never came during the judge’s life and only came through on the train less than a year after his death. More legend than truth I’m sure but it made for a great and very funny movie and part of Texas history. I asked at the desk if there was another place to buy refreshments but they said the only one open was the one I’d already passed. I didn’t want to backtrack 1.5 miles so I filled up my two water bottles and headed back to US90 on the loop and on my way for the last 21 miles of the day’s ride. I knew I had enough water for the trip but didn’t realize that I really needed more food. I met up with Gary about 8 miles from the end of the ride as we passed through a picnic area that the others did not stop at since you had to ride up a hill off US90 to get to it. Gary gave me some vanilla wafers that got me through the ride. I crossed the Pecos River a few miles from the campground. This may be the only river I’ve seen in 1,000 miles that actually had substantial flowing water. The rest were dry except for the Rio Grande which was only a trickle. The Pecos must be the first real river that dumps into the Rio Grande.  I arrived at the campground at 6:30 pm, pitched my tent in the dirt and showered. I was carrying all of the group’s dinner fixins and Dan, who arrived hours earlier (he’s the strongest rider I’ve ever seen and on a recumbent no less!) was gracious enough to get it started. I’m now clean, well fed and ready for some “tunes” to fall asleep by. Tomorrow we reach the end of the Southern Tier Section 3 in Del Rio 42 miles away.

The Jersey Lilly in Langtree, TX

Pecos River

October 13 and 14 - Fort Davis to Marathon to Sanderson, TX

October 13 - Thursday; Fort Davis to Marathon, TX; 56 miles.
It was another cold morning start from Ft. Davis at 8:00 am. The early morning scenery was great with the near-full moon still visible in the morning sky. The 24 mile ride to Alpine was generally downhill with no wind. About half way I met another cyclist climbing towards Ft. Davis. At first I thought he was a local rider out for a morning ride. He was riding an older mountain style bike and I did not see any gear. As I got near I could see a medium sized backpack on his shoulders. I pulled over onto his side of the road to talk to him. i didn't get his name but he said he had started in Connecticut, was homeless, had no family and was just riding and avoiding large towns. I shook his hand and wished him luck then went on my way. Several minutes down the road I wished I had stayed a little longer to get a better understanding of his story and situation. He must have had but the meagerest of belongings in his backpack and did not appear to have much in the way of resources to support his riding.

Alpine is a nice sized town for these parts; about 6,000 compared to Ft. Davis for example which has 1,200 and Marathon at 400. It is home to Sul Ross State University. I had breakfast and visited a local bicycle shop before heading out for the final 32 miles to Marathon.. There are no services between the two towns. It was about noon and the wind had picked up considerably while I was "piddling" in Alpine. Though the grade was generally down hill, the 10-25 mph headwind made the riding a bit tough at times. I still made Marathon before 3:00 pm. Marathon is hosting the Marathon2Marathon this Saturday and I saw starting lines painted on the road for the 1/2 marathon, 10k and 5k. Either I missed the marathon starting line or it is an out-and-back route. After cleaning up and sharing a load of laundry with Gary we walked into town for pizza. I was in my tent by around 8:15 pm.



Full moon in morning sky outside Ft. Davis, Tx.

West Texas landscape.

Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Tx.

Marathon 2 Marathon banner on fence outside the RV park.

October 14 - Friday; Marathon to Sanderson, TX; 55 miles.
I slept really well last night and woke up late; 6:45 am. At least I thought I was late (we're usually up by 6:15 am) - but no one else was up yet. We left the RV park about 8:00 am and restaurant in town for breakfast. I also stopped at a grocery store to get an extra Gatorade. There were no services between Marathon and Sanderson. I left the restaurant first and about 2 miles out of town figured out that I'd forgotten to pay. I called Ray who was still there and he paid then I paid him back when we arrived in Sanderson. Today's ride was nice. It was not as cold to start as in days past so I didn't have to wear all of my cold weather gear. The cycling was down hill nearly all day long. There was a road-side picnic area at 20 miles where Dan, RJ, Gary and I relaxed for quite a while. There was another at 45 miles where Gary, RJ and I relaxed for a really long time. The remainder of the group arrived at this picnic area as we were pulling out for the last 10 miles to town. We found the RV park and set up tents then walked to Dairy King for milk shakes. They closed at 2:00 pm but will reopen at 5:00 pm. We will likely eat dinner there tonight. The next order of business is purchasings groceries for b'fst, lunch and dinner tomorrow night and b'fst and lunch the following day. There do not appear to be any grocery stores between Sanderson and Del Rio so we'll have to carry quite a bit of food for the 81 mile ride tomorrow.

October 8 to 12 - Radium Springs, NM to El Paso to Ft. Hancock to Van Horn to Ft. Davis, TX

October 8 - Saturday; Leasburg State Park (Radium Springs, NM) to El Paso, TX; 62 miles.
It got pretty cold last night. Someones thermometer read 37 F. I wore 2 shirts to bed and had my sleeping bag liner in and was still a little cold. My sleeping bag is a 40 F down bag that packs really small but was marginal last night. I started today's ride with all my cold-weather/rain gear except for my rain shoe covers. My feet got cold during the first hour or so of riding so I wish I'd put them on too. It was 16.5 miles to "The Bean", a local bicyclist hangout in Mozilla, NM which is just past Las Cruces. Being Saturday morning the place was very busy with local cyclists and some who had ridden from El Paso for a morning round trip. The ride from Las Cruces to El Paso went through huge groves of pecan trees; mile after mile and as far off the road as you could see. I arrived at the El Paso hostel in downtown El Paso about 2:45 pm. City traffic was intense at times because of the sheer volume of cars/trucks, though most all were courteous and gave me plenty of room - no close calls. Once we all arrived and got cleaned up we did laundry. For dinner we walked a couple of blocks to a Chinese restaurant. When we got back I checked out college football scores on ESPN then turned in.

Heading into Las Cruces, NM

October 9 - Sunday; El Paso to Fort Hancock, TX; 55 miles.
The El Paso Hostel stay was fine though not my preferred type of accommodations. Everyone assembled in the lobby in the morning and we were off to an 8:00 am ride through the rest of El Paso. We traveled as a group today at a relaxed pace as we only had 55 miles to cover. We stopped at a Mexican restaurant that had a breakfast buffet on the way out of town. The weather today was perfect; upper 50s to begin with then lower 70s by mid-afternoon. I only wore my jacket for a couple of hours in the morning. The road to Fort Hancock was great too; wide and flat. We stayed at a church across from the high school which opened up for us to take showers though they they only had cold water! It was Gary and my turn to cook so we headed for what had been described as the better of two local markets. It seems every time it is our turn the only market available is a food/hardware/auto supply place with very limited food. We ended up with ham sandwiches, chips and cooked a single box of mac-n-cheese we had left over from another meal. One of the church members brought us a cake for desert. The accomodations were nothing fancy - but it worked. From the windows looking south you cold see a border crossing and town in Mexico. We found out later that there are kids now in the Fort Hancock schools who used to live in the Mexican town just across the border but who came over after a drug cartel took over the town. Reportedly these kids saw some attocious things.

October 10 - Monday; Fort Hancock to Van Horn, TX; 75 miles.
I didn't sleep well on the floor of the church. The dust must have affected my sinuses and I was "stopped up" all night. I finally took a Benedryl which put me to sleep. Anyway, the ride today can only be described as "mind and body numbing"!! I left Fort Hancock at 8:00 am which was just before sunrise, but light enough to ride safely. The only stop available for the day was a restaurant in Sierra Blanca, 40 miles into the day's ride. There was a mild uphill grade for most of the day with about a 10 mph headwind - just enough to make the going tough. After Sierra Blanca was a 22 miles stretch that was STRAIGHT, UPHILL, next to I-10 and with the headwind. I could see the mountains in the distance and was headed for an interchange onto I-10. It just seemed like I was never going to get there!!! For the most part I only saw the road 4' in front of my bike for about 2-1/5 hours. The last 5 miles into Van Horn were on I-10 and downhill with a little tailwind - so the ride ended pleasantly which is always good mentally. RJ and I stopped at a DQ on the way into town for milk shakes - REWARD!!. We stayed at a KOA with very nice facilities and a great spot for pitching tents. We had dinner at the small KOA cafe. I had fried catfish which was surprisingly good. There were photos on the wall outside the cafe one of which was of a 97 pound rattle snake!!! The thing was huge!

Early morning sillouette while riding out of Fort Hancock, TX

October 11 - Tuesday; Van Horn to Fort Davis, TX; 91 miles!!!!!
I didn't sleep particularly well again last night. A pair of roosters began crowing at about 4:00 am! It was a nice night for camping; cool but not cold and nearly a full moon. We ate a quick breakfast at the KOA campground cafe where they were gracious enough to let us in 15 minutes before they normally open. With 91 miles to cover and only about 11 hours of sunlight we were trying to get out as soon after it was light enough to travel. We left the KOA at 8:00 am. The first stop was a Pilot truck stop near the KOA to stock up on supplies for the long day's ride. The map showed the only facility available for resupply was where we were supposed to get back on I-10 21 miles down the road. Given that some of the facilities on the map have been closed, no one wanted to risk it not being open so we stocked up for the day. From Van Horn we road the I-10 frontage road for 21 miles. It turned out the truck stop/restaurant were open. Some had a second breakfast but several of us just got an extra Gatorade and snacks then hit the road again. The next stretch was on I-10 for 17 miles. The emergency lane was wide and free of the debris we has seen on early stretches of interstate highways. The traffic was also very light making for a pretty enjoyable ride. We got off I-10 at the Kent exit. Nothing is still in business at Kent. We had a snack then started climbing from 3,800' to 6,300' on a gradual grade with a slight headwind. Occasionally the headwind would gust and cause you to almost stop. It was a grind from the 38 mile mark to the 61 mile mark. Then the grade steepened and there were a series of ups and downs, both steep. I'm like RJ, one you climb you hate to give anything back, especially after you've already ridden 60+ miles. I passed the UT McDonald Observatory at about mile 75 but it was already 5:00 pm so the visitor's center was closed. From the observatory it was mostly down hill the next 16 miles to Fort Davis - well deserved after about 4,000' of total climbing and 10 hours in the saddle. I arrived at the Stone Village Motel at about 6:30 pm and everyone was there by about 6:45 pm. Today's ride was a character builder for sure!

Scenery at the top of the climbing near McDonald Observatory.

October 12 - Wednesday; Fort Davis, TX; Layover Day; 0 miles.
Today is a layover day in Fort Davis. It has been 6 days since the last one in Silver City, NM and will be another 9 until the next one in Austin, TX. It is 12:30 pm and I've done my laundry and after the blog will perform bike maintenance and begin packing up for tomorrow's ride. From Fort Davis it is pretty much down hill to Del Rio (1,000') and the end of the ST Section 3.

October 6 and 7 - Silver City to Kingston to Leasburg Dam SP, NM

October 6 - Thursday; Silver City to Kingston, NM; 50 miles.
I got off to a bit of a late start; 7:25 am. It was 43 degrees at the beginning of the ride so I wore my cold-weather gear; skull cap, glove liners, arm and leg warmers and rain jacket. There were some significant "rollers" from Silver City until around San Lorenzo where we started the major portion of the climb to Emory Pass. There was a serious down hill just before San Lorenzo where I hit 48 mph before breaking due to gusty winds. I stopped at the Santa Rita Mine for a photo. About 9:00 was when the wind really picked up. There were gusts to around 40 mph from the SW so it was mostly at my back for the climb to the pass. At times it was pushing me up the hill. The climb was 14 miles and about 2,700' with mixed grade and only a few really steep sections. RJ and I reached the pass (8,228') at the same time with Adrian soon to follow. We took each others photos then rode the short climb to the Emory Pass vista where we took a few more photos. The view east from the vista was spectacular looking down into the valley and mountains on the other side. At the vista parking lot we met and talked with a man from Durango, CO who was getting ready to start a 5-day solo hike into the wilderness area. He had planned to hike around Durango but snow had already fallen there. After the vista was an 8 mile SWEET winding downhill to Kingston. We camped at the Black Range Lodge, a B&B. Early in the climb, RJ and I did our good samaritan deed for the day by changing a woman's right front tire that had a huge hole in the sidewall. I'm not sure what she hit, but it did a number on the tire. Thanks again to Adrian's friends Frank and Eileen who stashed water for us at mile marker 17 on NM152 and again at Emory Pass. They left these the day before on their return trip to Denver. They had also stopped at the Lodge and left us bags of candy!

Fred reaches Emory Pass!!

Fred and RJ at the Emory Pass Vista

October 7 - Friday; Kingston to Leasburg Dam State Park (near Radium Springs); 70 miles.
We had breakfast at the lodge and did not get started until 8:00 am. It was cold again so I had on all the gear I started with yesterday plus my rain pants for wind protection. I knew the first part was down hill and that I would not get warmed up any time soon. The first 26 miles to Caballo (on I-25) were very sweet downhill with a gusty tail wind. We then turned south and had some significant headwind until the route changed direction to the SE. After that it was mainly a crosswind. Others in the group who were about 1/2 hour behind me got rained on but I managed to stay ahead of the rain. I had lunch at Sparky's BBQ and Shakes. Great food. The line was out the door from the time I arrived at 12:30 pm and was still out the door when I left at 1:45 pm. It must be the place to eat in Hatch. I'm at the Hatch public library and have 21 miles to go to Radium Springs. [Later] Once we arrived at Leasburg SP we pitched our tents in the gravel. Everyone that is except Dan and Gary who decided to sleep in their bags on the concrete picnic table areas. It sprinkled off and on while we were trying to cook dinner and there were several rainbows. One of the previous ACA ST tour guides who lives in the area brought us pie and candy. She provided some very good information on sections of the trip yet to come. Tomorrow we ride into Las Cruses and on to El Paso, TX.

Lunch at Sparky's in Hatch, NM

Double rainbow at Leasburg SP near Radium Springs, NM.

October 1 to 5 - Globe to Safford to 3-Way, AZ to Buckhorn to Silver City, NM

October 1 - Saturday; Globe to Safford, AZ: 80 miles.
After photos at Larry and Susan Hansen's we were off to an early sunrise start; 6:20 am. The first 20 miles were a SWEET gradual decent to Peridot. After a short break at a convenience store, we were off for a 25 miles ride to Bylas where we took another break. From just east of Globe to near Geronimo we rode through San Carlos Apache Reservation. We took another break at a relatively new convenience store in Bylas. Bob from Illinois was there but that is the last we saw of him as he began a more direct route than the ACA maps. The terrain from Peridot to near Bylas had some large rollers but finally flattened out. We fought a 20 - 25 mph head wind from Peridot until the last hour of riding ~ 50 miles - BRUTAL!! We stopped again for a short break in Fort Thomas. Camp Thomas is where the US government relocated Geronimo and his tribe of Apaches. After the short break we continued on to Pima. There were signs along the road for Taylor Freeze (used to be a Tastee Freeze franchise). We stopped again in Pima - great chocolate shake; really refreshing after 70 miles. Then it was back on the road for the last 10 miles to Safford where we are stayin at Sunrise Village RV Park. We were supposed to camp but instead slept inside the recreation room. Everyone was too tired to go looking for groceries to cook so we ordered Pizza Hut salads and pizza. Headwinds aside, it was a beautiful days ride through some remote and scenic country.

Larry and Susan Hansen - Our gracious hosts in Globe, AZ

Camp Thomas near Giromino, AZ

October 2 - Sunday; Safford to Three Way, AZ: 36 miles.

The first 10 miles from Safford to US 191 were flat. US191 had a gentle grade to begin but the grade increased after another 10 miles with a nice hard climb up Tollhouse Canyon to an unnamed pass then downhill to Three Way. We arrived by 10:30 am and bought refreshments at the only small local market before proceeding 2.5 miles off route on AZ75 to Ponderosa Campground. No one was there to check in with so we went another 1/2 mile down the road to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. We returned to the campground at 1:00 pm and the host showed us around. After pitching tents we headed for the showers. While I was in the shower the skies opened up with a flat out down pour - with hail. I waited 20 minutes for the rain to stop so I could get back to the tent area but it just kept pouring. Finally I took one of the shower curtains and used it as a poncho to make it back to a porch attached to an abandoned double-wide trailer where we all stayed until the rain finally stopped; about 1.5 hours after it began. The cooks headed for another local marked just up the road to get dinner/breakfast/lunch supplies. They almost made it back before it began to pour again. We ate sandwiches and chips with headlamps then headed for our tents. My Big Agnes Seedhouse II kept me dry through the night. It rained until about 11:00 pm.

View from US191 looking to the mountain pass we would climb

Decent into Three Way

At Three Way, AZ

October 3 - Monday; Three Way, AZ to Buckhorn, NM; 48 miles.
After packing up my wet tent and clothes from yesterday that did not dry overnight we were off to a 6:30 am start. There was a pretty major climb beginning only a few miles out of Three Way to an unnamed pass at 6,300' (from 3,500') then rollers from the pass to about 9 miles from Buckhorn where it was a gently downhill. Climbing the pass was pretty tough. I could see the switchbacks from miles away so knew what was in store. The grade was pretty steep but I took it one turn at a time and eventually made it to the top. Once at the top I stopped for refreshments before heading just down the road to Buckhorn RV Park for the night. The scenery changed drastically after the pass from desert with cactus to pine forest and shortly thereafter we crossed into New Mexico. Again the scenery was spectacular all day. On today's ride we finally met up with Grant and Shirley from Chico, CA who are also riding the ST. Grant had trashed his rear derailleur about 7 miles out of Buckhorn and they caught a ride to Silver City for repairs.

Looking back down at the switchbacks from near the pass.

October 4 - Tuesday; Buckhorn to Silver City, NM; 39 miles.
It rained through the night in Buckhorn. Not hard, just a constant light rain. It quit long enough for me to pack my gear, eat breakfast and get down the road a few miles. It was a cool and damp enough that I started wearing all my rain gear but took off the pants about 7 miles down the road. They don't breath very well and I was warmed up by then. There were low clouds and mist and light rain all day except for the last few miles climbing to the Continental Divide where it poured cold rain. The rain stopped just before we reached the divide and after photos (RJ, Adrian and I arrived together) we were on the decent into Silver City. I stopped at a small bike shop just off the route into town that had a great tech that cleaned and adjusted my drive train - all for $10. I then made my way to the Silver City RV Park - very nice. I was hanging my tent to dry when another rainstorm passed through. I decided to quickly assemble the tent. I later had to take it down as Ray (our leader) decided to upgrade us to a cabin for the night. This was a great decision as it continued to rain through the afternoon and evening. We were met by friends of Adrian, Frank and Eileen (sp?) from Denver who had cycled with Adrian in the UK last summer. Frank and Eileen purchased steak, baked potatoes and corn on the cob for us. How extremely gracious and special thanks to Dan from our group who cooked the steaks! Great job Dan. There was also had apple pie and ice cream for desert. Super meal - and it was Gary and my turn to cook (there'll be a payback down the road I'm sure - right RJ?). Frank and Eileen rode the ST in Spring 2008 with ACA.

At the Continental Divide just west of Silver City, NM.

October 5 - Wednesday; Layover day in Silver City.
We were all able to sleep in this morning. After a shower I did laundry. Ray picked up a van from Enterprise for a trip to the Gila cliff dwellings for anyone who wanted to go. RJ, Gary and I opted out. I wanted to get the blog updated and get my gear dried out. We all went to breakfast at 9:15 am then RJ, Gary and I headed to the library. Most libraries have a 60 minute limit but here they were gracious enough to allow me more time to get caught up.

Tomorrow we go over Emory pass; the highest point on the ST route at 8,228'. I'll need all the rest I can get today to get up the pass. Emory is the end of the mountain passes. It will level for quite a few days and we'll be riding at about 4,000' to El Paso, TX which is the end of the ST Section II. Then we'll be 3 weeks getting across Texas with Hill Country to test our endurance again.