Well, we get started on a very cold morning. You will notice we have more layers on than ever before. And after an entire 6 1/2 minutes, Kit gets yet another flat! GRRRR. Bill catches up with us after getting us sandwiches and ice at the store and so Kit is able to us the floor pump rather than one of the CO2 cartridges. Thank goodness we got 8 spare tubes yesterday, we may need each and every one of them. Once fixed we are going again, travelling through some farm land and being passed by gigantic gas field trucks. This entire area is called the San Juan Basin and it is rich in natural gas. The economy in this area is driven entirely by the extraction of natural gas and almost 80% of the vehicles that pass us attest to that. Soon after Blanco we begin to climb into Gobernador
Canyon. It has wonderful rock structures that surround us on both sides, all dotted with Pinon pines and junipers. The road is lined as usual with chamisa in bloom with bright yellow bushy flowers. We climb and climb
Canyon. It has wonderful rock structures that surround us on both sides, all dotted with Pinon pines and junipers. The road is lined as usual with chamisa in bloom with bright yellow bushy flowers. We climb and climb
through the canyon and while it is steep, it just doesn't seem that bad until a big semi comes barreling by us. Our hosts the night before had warned us about the dangers of the big trucks and no shoulder and so we are very watchful. At one point Martha yells out "Bail out" and we both get off our bikes and let a huge rig go by as we stand as far to the side of the road as we can.There is a guard rail and steep drop off that prevents us from really getting off the road. It does get our heart rate up! But eventually the heavy traffic leaves us, going north across the Navajo Lake Dam, while we continue our eastward route on highway 64. Now we can enjoy
the beautiful scenery a lot more. Bill, ever our photographer, positions himself to catch us with the canyon in the background. Once out of the canyon it is rollers but they are gentle and we are feeling good. But we do start getting hungry and wonder when we will see the van and Bill with our sandwich. At the top of a crest, there he is. We enjoy yet another lunch sitting in our camp chairs and really getting a rest. This was at about mile 38 so we have are a little more than half way and have the steepest climb behind us. After a little rest we head off continuing to climb with an occasional welcome down hill. The vegetation changes from primarily pinon and juniper to Gambel oaks and lodge pole pines. It is all so beautiful and the Gambel oaks as well as the cottonwoods are turning to fall colors making a wonderful soft color difference against the hardness of the rocks all around us.
the beautiful scenery a lot more. Bill, ever our photographer, positions himself to catch us with the canyon in the background. Once out of the canyon it is rollers but they are gentle and we are feeling good. But we do start getting hungry and wonder when we will see the van and Bill with our sandwich. At the top of a crest, there he is. We enjoy yet another lunch sitting in our camp chairs and really getting a rest. This was at about mile 38 so we have are a little more than half way and have the steepest climb behind us. After a little rest we head off continuing to climb with an occasional welcome down hill. The vegetation changes from primarily pinon and juniper to Gambel oaks and lodge pole pines. It is all so beautiful and the Gambel oaks as well as the cottonwoods are turning to fall colors making a wonderful soft color difference against the hardness of the rocks all around us.
We breeze down the hill into Dulce and roll through the uncrowded streets to our hotel there. The Best Western is the only hotel in Dulce but it is actually quite nice and prices reasonable as we are on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation now. The hotel also has a casino but it is full, not so much with gamblers as with hunters. It is elk season and 80% of the patron are dressed in Cabela's type hunting cloths.
As always, Martha and Kit go straight for a shower. Afterwards it is a little snack and resting. Finally about 7 pm we head down for a very big dinner. We had been on the road for a little more than 7 hours. Our riding time was 5 hours during which we covered 71 miles with a total elevation gain of 5304 ft. We are getting stronger all the time! It is exciting to be getting so close to home.
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