Right now I'm in Jackson Hole WY, I had to go off route to stop off at a bike shop for some emergency repairs. I'll get to that part later.
I crossed the Basin! Here's what I have to say about it: Its empty, its windy and its cold. Right before leaving Colorado, I stopped at this B&B place to refill my bottles. The owner told me she gets a lot of Great Divide Riders coming through this place, though they mostly come in July/August. She was very nice, gave me some carrots and some bread and we chatted a little about the trail. I told her I was headed towards the basin but was unsure whether or not I was going to cross it, since I didn't have a GPS. Then she told me "yea heading in there without a GPS isn't a good idea, the basin is really empty and you wouldn't want to get lost out there. All the riders who have come through the basin though have great stories about it, especially about the wind". Once I left Rawlins and headed into the basin without a GPS, I understood what she meant about the windy stories.
The wind DID NOT STOP. It started at right after sunrise, kept going throughout the day, took a break at sunset and then howled some more all night. The first night I slept there, the wind was so strong it blew down my tent, with me inside. I actually had to use all the stakes to re-pitch it and make sure it did not get blown down again. Trying to fall asleep that first night was something as I watched my tent being blown and battered by the wind; It held firm though. Furthermore, the wind blew in a eastward direction. Not good for me considering I was going west. I faced a headwind for a good 100 miles of the 140 mile crossing. When facing a headwind I managed an average of 6 mph, when the wind was at my back, I averaged 13 mph. Quite a difference. It was quite frustrating at times and the worst part is there is nothing you can do about it. Cursing at the wind out of sheer frustration, as I did many times didn't do anything. Pleading with it didn't work either. Nope, all I could do was pedal.
The first day I pedalled well though, I didn't get lost and covered nearly 80 miles. Saw 5 vehicules the entire day. Empty. The second day was a bit thougher as the temperature dropped to 40 and the rain started to fall. It made for one cold ride, but I was able to cover the last 40 miles to Atlantic city, where I finally encountered civilization and was able to warm up and recover (80+40=120; I covered the first 20 miles of the basin the day I left Rawlins, overall it took 2.5 days).
Furthermore, my worst fear came true. The bike broke down in the middle of nowhere. Somehow my tire ripped which caused the inner tube to leak out like a tumor. This happened when I was 30 miles from the nearest major road/city, not a good spot to be in. To fix it, i used some athletic tape I had in my first aid kit to bandage the tire so that the inner tube would have no chance of escaping. To my surprise it worked pretty well and lasted 100 miles till atlantic city where I was able to retape it. I ended up re-taping the tire every 50 miles or so until I got here to Jackson Hole, where I was able to buy a new tire and put a permanent fix to the problem.
This breakdown showed me something. Always carry duct tape. It allows for quick and efficient repairs.
I'm going to be headed up to Yellowstone later today and then back up into the mountains and forests of Montana within the next week. On the lighter side of things, I have less than 1000 miles to go till Canada.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Long Haul
Right now I'm in Rawlins WY. Interstate 80 passes right through here, meaning that if I wanted to, I could hitch a ride out east and wind up almost next to Basking Ridge. Tempting, but not for today. The scenery in WY is a lot different than that of Colorado. Lots of rolling hills covered with salt brushes and juniper trees. Overall very dull and desolate, not much surface water too which does pose a problem, but a manageable one at that.
Officially half way into the trip! This is my 21st day of riding. So far today I've been putting the pedal to the metal as I was able to cover 42 miles in slightly over 3 hours. Quite an impressive feat. I did have more downhill than uphill, so that definitly helped. Some of those downhills were pretty steep too, I was able to top out at 51 mph on one of them.
Upon leaving Rawlins later today I face a dilema: How to get to south pass city? The suggested route has me going through dirt roads in the great basin. The distance from rawlins to south pass is 140 miles through the great basin. The problem: 140 miles of nothing. No bike shops. No Traffic. No people & No water. In fact on the map they tell you to have at least 3 gallons of water before attempting this long haul (Thats 25 pounds!). The alternate would be to follow paved roads around the basin. Towns are still few and far between along the paved roads, but if something happens, its better to be on a paved road than in the middle of the basin. Decisions decisions...I'll visit the ranger office in town and see if I can get some detailed maps of the basin (the bike one isn't very detailed) If I can get the maps, I'm going through the basin. If I can't gets the maps, I'm going around.
Besides that, some more memorable experiences since Breckenridge.
1. Turns out the Great Divide Trail and the Transamerica trail (it goes ocean to ocean) share parts of the same road in Colorado. I met a few bikers doing the Transamerica. All older and all better equipped than myself. Some were really nice and some were somewhat arrogant and self righteous. I'm saying this because instead of trying to make conversation, they just rode straight on.
2. Had another snow episode in Northern Colorado going over the watershed divide at 9,500' near a town called Clark. I started hitting drifts at 8,500' which was not good since I had to crest at 9,500'. The drifts weren't nearly as high as the ones on Grayback Mtn, however, the snow was softer which meant a lot of times, I would take a step and wind up knee deep in snow. It took a good hour to make it the last mile to the summit and another half hour to make it down to where the road became snow-free again.
3. Yesterday my food was running pretty low, all I had left was a box of pop tarts and half a loaf of bread. Seeing that It would be at least a day and a half before I made it to Rawlins, I went off route to this town called Savery. It was supposed to have a general store; it didn't. Turns out the store closed a year ago (when the population is listed at 25 you wonder why). The town also had a western museum whose motto was "its worth the stop!". I went in the Museum, much more interested by the snacks they sold in the gift shop than by all the antique dolls and cowboy outfits it had on display. When the lady at the counter saw me, all pathetic looking with 2 bags of peanuts (thats all they had besides candy) she said, "you're one of those bikers aren't you?". I was. Then she said "well, don't waste your money on this, come with me I have something better for you. I always keep stuff on hand for you guys, because believe it or not, you're not the first biker to come through here looking for food". So she led me to a kitchen where she gave me some Ice tea, a box of triscuits and a block of cheese and said "you can have as much of this as you want". As tempted as I was to finish the whole box of triscuits, I didn't. I was so thankful for that lady's generosity that; I wound up buying the peanuts anyways.
Happy trails,
clem
Officially half way into the trip! This is my 21st day of riding. So far today I've been putting the pedal to the metal as I was able to cover 42 miles in slightly over 3 hours. Quite an impressive feat. I did have more downhill than uphill, so that definitly helped. Some of those downhills were pretty steep too, I was able to top out at 51 mph on one of them.
Upon leaving Rawlins later today I face a dilema: How to get to south pass city? The suggested route has me going through dirt roads in the great basin. The distance from rawlins to south pass is 140 miles through the great basin. The problem: 140 miles of nothing. No bike shops. No Traffic. No people & No water. In fact on the map they tell you to have at least 3 gallons of water before attempting this long haul (Thats 25 pounds!). The alternate would be to follow paved roads around the basin. Towns are still few and far between along the paved roads, but if something happens, its better to be on a paved road than in the middle of the basin. Decisions decisions...I'll visit the ranger office in town and see if I can get some detailed maps of the basin (the bike one isn't very detailed) If I can get the maps, I'm going through the basin. If I can't gets the maps, I'm going around.
Besides that, some more memorable experiences since Breckenridge.
1. Turns out the Great Divide Trail and the Transamerica trail (it goes ocean to ocean) share parts of the same road in Colorado. I met a few bikers doing the Transamerica. All older and all better equipped than myself. Some were really nice and some were somewhat arrogant and self righteous. I'm saying this because instead of trying to make conversation, they just rode straight on.
2. Had another snow episode in Northern Colorado going over the watershed divide at 9,500' near a town called Clark. I started hitting drifts at 8,500' which was not good since I had to crest at 9,500'. The drifts weren't nearly as high as the ones on Grayback Mtn, however, the snow was softer which meant a lot of times, I would take a step and wind up knee deep in snow. It took a good hour to make it the last mile to the summit and another half hour to make it down to where the road became snow-free again.
3. Yesterday my food was running pretty low, all I had left was a box of pop tarts and half a loaf of bread. Seeing that It would be at least a day and a half before I made it to Rawlins, I went off route to this town called Savery. It was supposed to have a general store; it didn't. Turns out the store closed a year ago (when the population is listed at 25 you wonder why). The town also had a western museum whose motto was "its worth the stop!". I went in the Museum, much more interested by the snacks they sold in the gift shop than by all the antique dolls and cowboy outfits it had on display. When the lady at the counter saw me, all pathetic looking with 2 bags of peanuts (thats all they had besides candy) she said, "you're one of those bikers aren't you?". I was. Then she said "well, don't waste your money on this, come with me I have something better for you. I always keep stuff on hand for you guys, because believe it or not, you're not the first biker to come through here looking for food". So she led me to a kitchen where she gave me some Ice tea, a box of triscuits and a block of cheese and said "you can have as much of this as you want". As tempted as I was to finish the whole box of triscuits, I didn't. I was so thankful for that lady's generosity that; I wound up buying the peanuts anyways.
Happy trails,
clem
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Don't get used to this
2 posts in a matter of days!--don't get used to this
I was planning on camping out again tonight; usually I can last 4-5 days camping without any amenities, but today was something different.
I woke up this morning right outside Hartsel. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm. As I got prepared to ride, I even stowed away the raincoat and put on some sunscreen. The sunny weather held out till about 2 pm. Then, the rain started falling--and it did not stop. Right when I got to Como (the only reason its considered a town is because it has a post office) it started raining. It rained the entire way up to Boreas pass; which was 12 miles and 1,500 ft elevation change. Though the temperature and the rain both fell the entire way up--and at the top the rain had turned into snow; the climb itself wasn't bad. It was long and gradual and the effort kept me warm. The descent into Breckenridge however was something else. Since gravity was doing the work for me, the only way to warm up was to put more clothes on; which I did. However the ubiquitous rain soaked pretty much everything I put on, because as I found out, nothing can be entirely waterproof. With my clothes soaked, the constant rain and the temperature staying around 38 degrees, the descent was anything but fun. When I finally pulled in to Breckenridge 10 miles and 45 minutes later, I was pretty cold to say the least. And the rain kept on falling. At that point the very idea of camping out made me even colder. I wanted a shower and I wanted to be dry...so I checked in the Fireside inn. A nice hostel in Breckenridge which only costs 28 a night, something to consider if you're ever in this part of the country. Right now it feels like heaven. And I'm saying that because, yes, the rain is still falling outside.
And now on to something other than complaining, and hopefully more entretaining.
Top 10 signs you're in Rural America
1.Almost everyone drives a pickup truck
2.Fishing, Hunting and ATV'ing are considered sports
3.No one goes camping without an RV
4.Roadsigns are routinely riddled with bullet holes
5.Every road you go on has beer bottles/cans on the side. If you can't spot any, you're clearly not looking hard enough.
6.Gas stations might as well be considered supermarkets.
7.To be considered a town, you must have a post office.
8.Cities are towns with traffic lights.
9.The main employers are Gas Stations, Wal-Mart & McDonalds.
10.There still is such a thing as public land.
Extra:
People generally have no reservations in helping you out
I was planning on camping out again tonight; usually I can last 4-5 days camping without any amenities, but today was something different.
I woke up this morning right outside Hartsel. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm. As I got prepared to ride, I even stowed away the raincoat and put on some sunscreen. The sunny weather held out till about 2 pm. Then, the rain started falling--and it did not stop. Right when I got to Como (the only reason its considered a town is because it has a post office) it started raining. It rained the entire way up to Boreas pass; which was 12 miles and 1,500 ft elevation change. Though the temperature and the rain both fell the entire way up--and at the top the rain had turned into snow; the climb itself wasn't bad. It was long and gradual and the effort kept me warm. The descent into Breckenridge however was something else. Since gravity was doing the work for me, the only way to warm up was to put more clothes on; which I did. However the ubiquitous rain soaked pretty much everything I put on, because as I found out, nothing can be entirely waterproof. With my clothes soaked, the constant rain and the temperature staying around 38 degrees, the descent was anything but fun. When I finally pulled in to Breckenridge 10 miles and 45 minutes later, I was pretty cold to say the least. And the rain kept on falling. At that point the very idea of camping out made me even colder. I wanted a shower and I wanted to be dry...so I checked in the Fireside inn. A nice hostel in Breckenridge which only costs 28 a night, something to consider if you're ever in this part of the country. Right now it feels like heaven. And I'm saying that because, yes, the rain is still falling outside.
And now on to something other than complaining, and hopefully more entretaining.
Top 10 signs you're in Rural America
1.Almost everyone drives a pickup truck
2.Fishing, Hunting and ATV'ing are considered sports
3.No one goes camping without an RV
4.Roadsigns are routinely riddled with bullet holes
5.Every road you go on has beer bottles/cans on the side. If you can't spot any, you're clearly not looking hard enough.
6.Gas stations might as well be considered supermarkets.
7.To be considered a town, you must have a post office.
8.Cities are towns with traffic lights.
9.The main employers are Gas Stations, Wal-Mart & McDonalds.
10.There still is such a thing as public land.
Extra:
People generally have no reservations in helping you out
Friday, May 29, 2009
Hardships and Difficulties
Right now I'm in Gunnison CO, this will be my 14th day of Riding. Its finally good sunny weather today; but this being Colorado it could all change in an instant as I've come to find out.
Since my last blog entry I've ran into many hardships, many more than I did in New Mexico.
Here's the list:
Rain-
Of all the days I've been in Colorado its rained nearly everday. The day will start off nice and sunny but by mid-afternoon, the storm clouds roll in and the rain starts pouring. Some days its just a light drizzle and I don't even bother to pull out the raincoat, other days its a total downpour so I have to put on all the rain gear. Usually I just ride through it and dry off pretty quickly when its over. Its really not that big a deal, its just annoying. What's really annoying is when it rains at night/morning and I have to pack a wet tent and sleeping bag in the morning; meaning that at night I will get to fall asleep in a nice damp tent and sleeping bag. Something that is never fun after 10 hours of riding.
Hail-
Being that I am at high altitude, I run into hail just as often as I run into rain. Hail is much the same thing at rain except it stings a little more once it hits you. Fortunatly (and this is to re-assure all the ladies out there) since I'm always wearing my helmet, its usually never a problem. I've only had to stop once so far because of the hail, all the other times I just ride straight on through
Mud-
This is probably the worst side effect of rain: Mud. Being that this trip is 90% on unpaved roads (aka dirt roads) some of them turn to a total mess when it rains. Most of the time they turn a little muddy and its not that big a deal. Its slows the bike down a little and my legs get nice a brown, but those are the only extent of it. However some roads become IMPASSABLE when muddy. One road had much a good 6-8 inches deep. Someone in a pickup truck told me to watch out for the road in a mile saying it was real muddy. I didn't know what to make of it as the road I was on was already muddy. When I got to the section he warned me about, I got to experience first hand how bad mud can be. Lets just leave it at this: In 2 hours I barely covered a mile.
Snow-
Trying to pass through Colorado high country in late may is not advisable. Many of those mountain roads don't open till late June at earliest, but being hard headed and stubborn I tried my luck at going over Grayback mountain anyways. The mountain itself is the highest point of the whole trip standing at 12,000'. I started out in a cold rain at 10,000' which by 11,000' had turned into a full on blizzard. Snowdrifts as high at 10 feet blocked of the road. I walked the bike for a good 5 hours in freezing, snowing weather to make it over Grayback mountain. Probably one of the most wreckless things I've ever done in my life as I was CLEARLY not equipped for alpine weather, but I made it none-the-less and was able to bike down to Del Norte in the morning. I'm glad everything worked out, but there was a point where I seriously doubted whether I would be able to make it.
Bike-
Had one flat tire on that day on Grayback Mountain. Fixed it in the middle of a snowstorm which led to nothing but cold hands and lots of frustration, fortunately it held and is still holding up pretty well. Also I had 2 spokes give out on me yesterday near Sargents which made the bike impossible to ride. Fortunately I was near a town on a main road and I was able to Hitch a ride with some Mexican day laborers to Gunnison where they have a bike shop. The bike was just fixed and its good and ready to ride.
Elevation-
It seems that everday I have to crest above 10,000'. Hard work on the lungs but they're getting used to it. I aslo rarely drop below 8,000' which makes nights really cold. So cold I have to sleep with multiple layers of Clothes on in my sleeping bag.
Hoping to make it to Wyoming in a week. Till then, I'll be eating lots of Pop Tarts, pedalling lots of miles, and hopefully staying out of trouble.
Since my last blog entry I've ran into many hardships, many more than I did in New Mexico.
Here's the list:
Rain-
Of all the days I've been in Colorado its rained nearly everday. The day will start off nice and sunny but by mid-afternoon, the storm clouds roll in and the rain starts pouring. Some days its just a light drizzle and I don't even bother to pull out the raincoat, other days its a total downpour so I have to put on all the rain gear. Usually I just ride through it and dry off pretty quickly when its over. Its really not that big a deal, its just annoying. What's really annoying is when it rains at night/morning and I have to pack a wet tent and sleeping bag in the morning; meaning that at night I will get to fall asleep in a nice damp tent and sleeping bag. Something that is never fun after 10 hours of riding.
Hail-
Being that I am at high altitude, I run into hail just as often as I run into rain. Hail is much the same thing at rain except it stings a little more once it hits you. Fortunatly (and this is to re-assure all the ladies out there) since I'm always wearing my helmet, its usually never a problem. I've only had to stop once so far because of the hail, all the other times I just ride straight on through
Mud-
This is probably the worst side effect of rain: Mud. Being that this trip is 90% on unpaved roads (aka dirt roads) some of them turn to a total mess when it rains. Most of the time they turn a little muddy and its not that big a deal. Its slows the bike down a little and my legs get nice a brown, but those are the only extent of it. However some roads become IMPASSABLE when muddy. One road had much a good 6-8 inches deep. Someone in a pickup truck told me to watch out for the road in a mile saying it was real muddy. I didn't know what to make of it as the road I was on was already muddy. When I got to the section he warned me about, I got to experience first hand how bad mud can be. Lets just leave it at this: In 2 hours I barely covered a mile.
Snow-
Trying to pass through Colorado high country in late may is not advisable. Many of those mountain roads don't open till late June at earliest, but being hard headed and stubborn I tried my luck at going over Grayback mountain anyways. The mountain itself is the highest point of the whole trip standing at 12,000'. I started out in a cold rain at 10,000' which by 11,000' had turned into a full on blizzard. Snowdrifts as high at 10 feet blocked of the road. I walked the bike for a good 5 hours in freezing, snowing weather to make it over Grayback mountain. Probably one of the most wreckless things I've ever done in my life as I was CLEARLY not equipped for alpine weather, but I made it none-the-less and was able to bike down to Del Norte in the morning. I'm glad everything worked out, but there was a point where I seriously doubted whether I would be able to make it.
Bike-
Had one flat tire on that day on Grayback Mountain. Fixed it in the middle of a snowstorm which led to nothing but cold hands and lots of frustration, fortunately it held and is still holding up pretty well. Also I had 2 spokes give out on me yesterday near Sargents which made the bike impossible to ride. Fortunately I was near a town on a main road and I was able to Hitch a ride with some Mexican day laborers to Gunnison where they have a bike shop. The bike was just fixed and its good and ready to ride.
Elevation-
It seems that everday I have to crest above 10,000'. Hard work on the lungs but they're getting used to it. I aslo rarely drop below 8,000' which makes nights really cold. So cold I have to sleep with multiple layers of Clothes on in my sleeping bag.
Hoping to make it to Wyoming in a week. Till then, I'll be eating lots of Pop Tarts, pedalling lots of miles, and hopefully staying out of trouble.
Friday, May 22, 2009
"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans"
That title sums it all up. I'm on day 7 of my adventure and I've been set back 100 miles. While I was busy keeping on/ahead of schedule, my bike had other plans. As it turns out I am the mercy of the bike--not the other way around. But I'll save that part for last, first a recap of the past week.
Day 1:
Newark-Houston
Houston-El paso
El paso-Deming NM
Lot of traveling, lot of sitting around. I was afraid Continental would lose my luggage including the bike, something which would have put me in a difficult spot, but somehow, I received all my luggage. Stayed at a motel in Deming and went to Walmart to buy some supplies. On my first day I managed to get a flat. After fixing the flat, I managed to blow out the valve of the inner tube while re-inflating the tire. Inner tubes left: 2
Day 2:
Demming NM-Somewhere outside Hanover NM~50 miles
Rode up 180 to Silver City to rejoin the divide trail. Lots of desert, very warm, road was pretty flat. I guzzled gatorade like it was my job because it was so hot. However by nightfall the storm clouds had moved in and I was forced to stop riding when the rain and thunder began. Setting up the tent under the pouring rain was anything but fun but I managed to do it relatively quickly considering it was my first time. Sleeping was something entirely different as 1.water was seeping in the bottom of the sleeping bag 2. I had to contort my body like a question mark as the tent was set up on an uneven rock. All in all, I got 5 hours of sleep
Day 3:
Somewhere outside Hanover NM-Diamond Creek~55 miles
Started riding on the trail today, its mostly dirt roads save for a few paved roads. Made a quick stop outside Nimbres in the morning and then entered Gila national forest where I saw a sign that said "No services next 120 miles" good thing I had filled up on water in Nimbres. I was a little unsure about my food supply and whether or not I would have enough for the next 120 miles but I soldiered on anyways. I got caught in a massive hailstorm that afternoon which rendered the roads muddy beyond belief. For a good hour I had no choice but the push the bike. It was impossible to get any traction let alone clip in the pedals as my shoes were covered with 2" of mud. Towards 4-5pm it got better as I reached an area that hadn't been hailed on, I was finally able to ride well again in the steep but scenic hills of rocky canyon, black canyon ending at the dried bed of Diamond creek (all the 'rivers' I pass are dry beds, making it impossible to get water, black canyon was the only exception) I set up camp under a clear sky and went to sleep at sunset
Day 4
Diamond Creek-Plains of San Augustin~60 miles
Some steep climbing in the morning. I was able to refill my bottles at some ranch in the morning. Towards the afternoon I left the dry pine forest and headed into a high mountain plateau, which was a long steady climb to 7,500'. The weather was good all day which was great, towards the evening I had a nice long descent in the Plains of San Augustin and was able to knock out 25 miles in a little more than 2 hours. It was a little strange leaving the mountains and descending into literal nothingness, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing in the plains. Big problem is food, by nightfall I only had 2,000 calories of oatmeal left, and judging I go through 5,000 a day, that would give me problems on day 5.
Day 5
Plains of San Augustin-Outside Pie Town~70 miles
I woke up knowing I had to make it to Pie Town, I seriously needed to buy some food. I was able to refill my bottles at a Ranch in the Plains in the morning, Climbed to about 8,200' by 1pm and then had a nice descent and flat roads to Pie Town. Pie Town, btw, is famous for it Pie and its Pie-o-Neer Cafe, which I was hoping I could stop at upon arriving. On my map, it did state that hours where limited but since I was planning on getting to Pie Town around 5 pm I thought to myself 'what respectable place closes by 5 pm' . Turns out the Cafe operates Thursday-Sunday from 8-3pm, sweet deal. I was able to find a general store outside the town where I refilled on food. With everything in Pie Town being closed, I refilled on water at the public park and rode on for another 20 miles before setting up camp.
Day 6
Pie Town NM-Grants NM~70 miles
Rode through nothingness all day, I must have stayed on county road 41 for about 40 miles, some sections seemed to go on forever. Rode 30 miles through el Malpeis national monument which was a little daunting since I did not have any reference point for 30 miles. I had no way of knowing whether or not I was on the right road, and if I did lose my way, I would have no way to seek help, get water or food. Its a little scary when you put it like that, but I rode on, re-assuring myself I was on the right path "Blind faith" I call it. Sure enough after 4 hours I came to the intersection I was supposed to. the Blind faith worked, at least this time. Upon nearing Grants I noticed my tires were getting a little soft, so I broke out the pump to re-pump the front one. After a sharp "POP" I realized that I had again blown the valve, inner tubes left:1. The back tire was a little flat too, but I decided 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' afraid I would pop that valve too. I rode down the Grant which was great, considering the last 15 miles were all downhill through a nice scenic Canyon. Camped out at an RV park which was great because I was able to take my first shower it 4 days. Before the shower I couldn't tell if my legs were brown from being tan or muddy. Turns out they were just muddy, mud makes excellent sunscreen.
Day 7
Grants NM-Somewhere NM~70 miles
Woke up with a flat backtire. Upon closer inspection, it had been punctured right near the valve; impossible to patch. Inner Tubes left: 0. This was not good. Not good at all. I can patch tires when they get flat; but if I get a blowout--what am I to do? I went to the Wal-Mart in town to check if they had any inner tubes. However my bike being a 29" mountain bike they didn't have any tubes that fit. When I got the bike, the guy at the store said "any specialty bike store will have 29" tubes". Great, this is New Mexico, I'm lucky if I can find a store to buy food and water, let alone specialty bike tires. Wal-Mart didn't have them, but I rode on anyways. Rode up into the hills of San Mateo and Crested at 9,200'. That was a 20 mile climb, and I started at about 6,600'. The 20 mile climb was also in the pouring rain, which I guess wasn't too bad because it was a lot more manageable that way. It was followed by a 10 mile descent which was really, really cold. After passing through the mountain, I once again rode through a plain of nothingness. Turns out the place was a surface coal mine. I realized this when I saw a sign that said "Danger, live Explosions, listen for the sirens". Now I know why on the map the put it bold, no tresspassing through this part of the trail. The plains were a little difficult to navigate, being that there were no signs on the dirt roads, I had to do this entirely on a sense of direction, and by pulling out the compass more that a few times. By nightfall I had a big worry, only 2.5 liters of water left (somedays I go through 5 liters), no civilization around and a questionable spring (one that might very well be dried up in 10 miles). With this in mind, I slept uneasily.
Day 8
Somewhere-Cuba NM~70 miles
Cuba-Albuquerque
I woke up and packed up camp by 7 am, with one goal in mind, find water ASAP. First I made sure I was on the right path on the map. Which I was. Then I rode as fast as possible towards Ojo Frio Spring which thankfully was flowing. The water was a little questionable but at least I could fill up. Filled up to capacity and rode towards Cuba. With no road signs I got lost, this wasn't a big problem as I found my way to a main road and then rode towards Cuba. It tacked on an extra 10 miles but that was the least of my problems. For the better part of the morning and the afternoon, I rode through a driving wind and a pouring rain. On slight downhills where I usually average 12-14 mph I was hitting 6 mph. Also, I had the constant feat, what happens if I get a blowout? there is no civilization anywhere, I can ride 40 miles easily, but 40 miles would take at least 1.5 days on foot. I arrived in Cuba at 4pm, it was still raining, ate a hot meal for the first time in a week and then decided against riding into the mountains without any spare inner tubes, so I tried my luck at hitchhiking, and before I knew it, this really nice family gave me a ride 70 miles down the road to Albuquerque where there is 1. civilization and 2. bike shops. It is 100 miles off route, but, I can't afford bike breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. I can only ride as long as my bike is in good condition, and for that reason, I had to take a detour to Albuquerque.
Things I've learned:
1. Fill up on water whenever you can. There has been several times I've been really worried about running out of water. There are rivers on the map, but 95% of them are dry, meaning its impossible to fill up. Thankfully the days where I've been near no civilization/water sources have been cold and overcast which means I didn't have to guzzle on water like I would if it was hot. I know I can function on an empty stomach, but funtioning without water is impossible. If I can't function when there is nothing else around, including cell reception...you can guess the rest.
2. Pop Tarts are life savers. Cheap, Full of Calories, easy to carry, not too bad tasting. What else could you want when you consume calories by the thousands. Cookies and Creme is the best flavor.
3. Gatorade energizes you 5x better than water. After a day of drinking only water I felt waaayyyy too drained. Gatorade works.
4. People are always willing to help. Whether it was one couple giving me a bottle of Ice Tea in Gila national forest when all I wanted was directions, to farmers offering me rides to the main road thinking I was lost to a family giving me a 80 mile ride to Albuquerque, people love to help. I haven't been turned down once when I went up to a house and asked if I could refill my bottles.
Till my next post
Happy Trails,
Clem
Day 1:
Newark-Houston
Houston-El paso
El paso-Deming NM
Lot of traveling, lot of sitting around. I was afraid Continental would lose my luggage including the bike, something which would have put me in a difficult spot, but somehow, I received all my luggage. Stayed at a motel in Deming and went to Walmart to buy some supplies. On my first day I managed to get a flat. After fixing the flat, I managed to blow out the valve of the inner tube while re-inflating the tire. Inner tubes left: 2
Day 2:
Demming NM-Somewhere outside Hanover NM~50 miles
Rode up 180 to Silver City to rejoin the divide trail. Lots of desert, very warm, road was pretty flat. I guzzled gatorade like it was my job because it was so hot. However by nightfall the storm clouds had moved in and I was forced to stop riding when the rain and thunder began. Setting up the tent under the pouring rain was anything but fun but I managed to do it relatively quickly considering it was my first time. Sleeping was something entirely different as 1.water was seeping in the bottom of the sleeping bag 2. I had to contort my body like a question mark as the tent was set up on an uneven rock. All in all, I got 5 hours of sleep
Day 3:
Somewhere outside Hanover NM-Diamond Creek~55 miles
Started riding on the trail today, its mostly dirt roads save for a few paved roads. Made a quick stop outside Nimbres in the morning and then entered Gila national forest where I saw a sign that said "No services next 120 miles" good thing I had filled up on water in Nimbres. I was a little unsure about my food supply and whether or not I would have enough for the next 120 miles but I soldiered on anyways. I got caught in a massive hailstorm that afternoon which rendered the roads muddy beyond belief. For a good hour I had no choice but the push the bike. It was impossible to get any traction let alone clip in the pedals as my shoes were covered with 2" of mud. Towards 4-5pm it got better as I reached an area that hadn't been hailed on, I was finally able to ride well again in the steep but scenic hills of rocky canyon, black canyon ending at the dried bed of Diamond creek (all the 'rivers' I pass are dry beds, making it impossible to get water, black canyon was the only exception) I set up camp under a clear sky and went to sleep at sunset
Day 4
Diamond Creek-Plains of San Augustin~60 miles
Some steep climbing in the morning. I was able to refill my bottles at some ranch in the morning. Towards the afternoon I left the dry pine forest and headed into a high mountain plateau, which was a long steady climb to 7,500'. The weather was good all day which was great, towards the evening I had a nice long descent in the Plains of San Augustin and was able to knock out 25 miles in a little more than 2 hours. It was a little strange leaving the mountains and descending into literal nothingness, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing in the plains. Big problem is food, by nightfall I only had 2,000 calories of oatmeal left, and judging I go through 5,000 a day, that would give me problems on day 5.
Day 5
Plains of San Augustin-Outside Pie Town~70 miles
I woke up knowing I had to make it to Pie Town, I seriously needed to buy some food. I was able to refill my bottles at a Ranch in the Plains in the morning, Climbed to about 8,200' by 1pm and then had a nice descent and flat roads to Pie Town. Pie Town, btw, is famous for it Pie and its Pie-o-Neer Cafe, which I was hoping I could stop at upon arriving. On my map, it did state that hours where limited but since I was planning on getting to Pie Town around 5 pm I thought to myself 'what respectable place closes by 5 pm' . Turns out the Cafe operates Thursday-Sunday from 8-3pm, sweet deal. I was able to find a general store outside the town where I refilled on food. With everything in Pie Town being closed, I refilled on water at the public park and rode on for another 20 miles before setting up camp.
Day 6
Pie Town NM-Grants NM~70 miles
Rode through nothingness all day, I must have stayed on county road 41 for about 40 miles, some sections seemed to go on forever. Rode 30 miles through el Malpeis national monument which was a little daunting since I did not have any reference point for 30 miles. I had no way of knowing whether or not I was on the right road, and if I did lose my way, I would have no way to seek help, get water or food. Its a little scary when you put it like that, but I rode on, re-assuring myself I was on the right path "Blind faith" I call it. Sure enough after 4 hours I came to the intersection I was supposed to. the Blind faith worked, at least this time. Upon nearing Grants I noticed my tires were getting a little soft, so I broke out the pump to re-pump the front one. After a sharp "POP" I realized that I had again blown the valve, inner tubes left:1. The back tire was a little flat too, but I decided 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' afraid I would pop that valve too. I rode down the Grant which was great, considering the last 15 miles were all downhill through a nice scenic Canyon. Camped out at an RV park which was great because I was able to take my first shower it 4 days. Before the shower I couldn't tell if my legs were brown from being tan or muddy. Turns out they were just muddy, mud makes excellent sunscreen.
Day 7
Grants NM-Somewhere NM~70 miles
Woke up with a flat backtire. Upon closer inspection, it had been punctured right near the valve; impossible to patch. Inner Tubes left: 0. This was not good. Not good at all. I can patch tires when they get flat; but if I get a blowout--what am I to do? I went to the Wal-Mart in town to check if they had any inner tubes. However my bike being a 29" mountain bike they didn't have any tubes that fit. When I got the bike, the guy at the store said "any specialty bike store will have 29" tubes". Great, this is New Mexico, I'm lucky if I can find a store to buy food and water, let alone specialty bike tires. Wal-Mart didn't have them, but I rode on anyways. Rode up into the hills of San Mateo and Crested at 9,200'. That was a 20 mile climb, and I started at about 6,600'. The 20 mile climb was also in the pouring rain, which I guess wasn't too bad because it was a lot more manageable that way. It was followed by a 10 mile descent which was really, really cold. After passing through the mountain, I once again rode through a plain of nothingness. Turns out the place was a surface coal mine. I realized this when I saw a sign that said "Danger, live Explosions, listen for the sirens". Now I know why on the map the put it bold, no tresspassing through this part of the trail. The plains were a little difficult to navigate, being that there were no signs on the dirt roads, I had to do this entirely on a sense of direction, and by pulling out the compass more that a few times. By nightfall I had a big worry, only 2.5 liters of water left (somedays I go through 5 liters), no civilization around and a questionable spring (one that might very well be dried up in 10 miles). With this in mind, I slept uneasily.
Day 8
Somewhere-Cuba NM~70 miles
Cuba-Albuquerque
I woke up and packed up camp by 7 am, with one goal in mind, find water ASAP. First I made sure I was on the right path on the map. Which I was. Then I rode as fast as possible towards Ojo Frio Spring which thankfully was flowing. The water was a little questionable but at least I could fill up. Filled up to capacity and rode towards Cuba. With no road signs I got lost, this wasn't a big problem as I found my way to a main road and then rode towards Cuba. It tacked on an extra 10 miles but that was the least of my problems. For the better part of the morning and the afternoon, I rode through a driving wind and a pouring rain. On slight downhills where I usually average 12-14 mph I was hitting 6 mph. Also, I had the constant feat, what happens if I get a blowout? there is no civilization anywhere, I can ride 40 miles easily, but 40 miles would take at least 1.5 days on foot. I arrived in Cuba at 4pm, it was still raining, ate a hot meal for the first time in a week and then decided against riding into the mountains without any spare inner tubes, so I tried my luck at hitchhiking, and before I knew it, this really nice family gave me a ride 70 miles down the road to Albuquerque where there is 1. civilization and 2. bike shops. It is 100 miles off route, but, I can't afford bike breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. I can only ride as long as my bike is in good condition, and for that reason, I had to take a detour to Albuquerque.
Things I've learned:
1. Fill up on water whenever you can. There has been several times I've been really worried about running out of water. There are rivers on the map, but 95% of them are dry, meaning its impossible to fill up. Thankfully the days where I've been near no civilization/water sources have been cold and overcast which means I didn't have to guzzle on water like I would if it was hot. I know I can function on an empty stomach, but funtioning without water is impossible. If I can't function when there is nothing else around, including cell reception...you can guess the rest.
2. Pop Tarts are life savers. Cheap, Full of Calories, easy to carry, not too bad tasting. What else could you want when you consume calories by the thousands. Cookies and Creme is the best flavor.
3. Gatorade energizes you 5x better than water. After a day of drinking only water I felt waaayyyy too drained. Gatorade works.
4. People are always willing to help. Whether it was one couple giving me a bottle of Ice Tea in Gila national forest when all I wanted was directions, to farmers offering me rides to the main road thinking I was lost to a family giving me a 80 mile ride to Albuquerque, people love to help. I haven't been turned down once when I went up to a house and asked if I could refill my bottles.
Till my next post
Happy Trails,
Clem
Thursday, May 14, 2009
An Interesting Turn of Events
My name is Clement...but most people refer to me as Clem (and other creative nicknames but thats another story for another time). I'm currently 19 years old and a student majoring in Chemistry, hence the clever title ChemClem. This Blog is going to be an attempt at keeping track of my adventures along the Great Divide Bike Trail; A trip that will take me through 4 states, 2 countries and over 2000 miles.
This trip spawned from a lifetime of biking, a book, a dream and an unpleasant yet informative talk with my Chemistry advisor. Indeed, an interesting turn of events.
I've always loved riding bikes. From my 8" neon green/yellow bike which I rode alongside (but more often behind) my dad in the french countryside, to my 29" super advanced mountain bike with which I hope discover the west, riding a bike has always been something I enjoyed. I first got the idea of riding across America after having read the book A memory of Running; a story of a man leading a life without meaning who one day decides to ride his bike across America. After having read that book, I started myself tinkering with the idea of doing the same thing; ride from coast to coast, sea to shining sea.
Unfortunately, I was never serious about it. I was never willing to set aside a summer for such an adventure. From a summer job in '07 to an internship in '08, life always got in the way. This summer it seemed life would get in the way again, as I had signed up for 12 weeks of classes (organic chemistry!!!) which would have lasted till august, and efectively would have taken away the better part of my summer. However taking orgo in the summer was something my advisor would clearly not approve of. After the meeting, my summer plans had been totally scrapped.
I would not be taking organic chemistry as I had planned. Instead, I was once again faced with a blank slate. I decided to take a math class during the 2nd summer session, in order to make progress on my major. This left the first 6 weeks of summer free to do whatever I wanted. The idea of biking across America resurfaced, but given the time I had and the distance it would take; the trip would be a bit of a stretch. But after looking on the Internet I came upon the Great Divide Trail. It seemed possible to do in 6 weeks. It had gotten great reviews from riders, and it overall seemed to be a great experience. It may not be biking across America, but its just as amazing. With that in mind my mind was set, and the rest is histroy.
Before I leave with parting words on the eve of this trip, I need to give credit where credit is due. Without the help and support of my parents, I don't think I realistically would have been able to do this. Mom and Dad, thank you for taking care of the bike, the plane tickets, everything else in between and most of all thanks for giving me this opportunity. I love you both.
That said, I don't know what awaits me, but I am eager to find out.
This trip spawned from a lifetime of biking, a book, a dream and an unpleasant yet informative talk with my Chemistry advisor. Indeed, an interesting turn of events.
I've always loved riding bikes. From my 8" neon green/yellow bike which I rode alongside (but more often behind) my dad in the french countryside, to my 29" super advanced mountain bike with which I hope discover the west, riding a bike has always been something I enjoyed. I first got the idea of riding across America after having read the book A memory of Running; a story of a man leading a life without meaning who one day decides to ride his bike across America. After having read that book, I started myself tinkering with the idea of doing the same thing; ride from coast to coast, sea to shining sea.
Unfortunately, I was never serious about it. I was never willing to set aside a summer for such an adventure. From a summer job in '07 to an internship in '08, life always got in the way. This summer it seemed life would get in the way again, as I had signed up for 12 weeks of classes (organic chemistry!!!) which would have lasted till august, and efectively would have taken away the better part of my summer. However taking orgo in the summer was something my advisor would clearly not approve of. After the meeting, my summer plans had been totally scrapped.
I would not be taking organic chemistry as I had planned. Instead, I was once again faced with a blank slate. I decided to take a math class during the 2nd summer session, in order to make progress on my major. This left the first 6 weeks of summer free to do whatever I wanted. The idea of biking across America resurfaced, but given the time I had and the distance it would take; the trip would be a bit of a stretch. But after looking on the Internet I came upon the Great Divide Trail. It seemed possible to do in 6 weeks. It had gotten great reviews from riders, and it overall seemed to be a great experience. It may not be biking across America, but its just as amazing. With that in mind my mind was set, and the rest is histroy.
Before I leave with parting words on the eve of this trip, I need to give credit where credit is due. Without the help and support of my parents, I don't think I realistically would have been able to do this. Mom and Dad, thank you for taking care of the bike, the plane tickets, everything else in between and most of all thanks for giving me this opportunity. I love you both.
That said, I don't know what awaits me, but I am eager to find out.
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