Day 14: Albuquerque to Santa Fe, NM

https://give.michaeljfox.org/barbarasbigride

Today's Ride

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/121644263

The Stats

67 Miles

4,813 ft. climbing (against the wind and rain much of the way, including some sneaky hills during the last 10 miles!)

Top elevation: About 6800 ft.

Challenges: Avoiding hypothermia

Miles Completed: 935

Miles to Go: 2,461   

States Visited: 3 of 15

Feet Climbed: 39,143

The Ride

The "Whew" Ride (meaning "Wasn’t sure I was going to make it through this one, but -- spoiler alert --  I did")!

Felt like it was Opposite Day from yesterday (and not in the good way that benefitted George Constanza when he decides to "do the opposite" of what he usually does!). Though I should probably save the Wizard of Oz references for the many days in Kansas, it was uphill, and upwind, and rain, oh my. And falling temps, and two flats, and more hills, oh my oh my oh my. Are we having fun yet???

We left Albuquerque in relatively mild temps (high 50's) with just a light drizzle. But within just a few miles, as we were on the frontage road adjacent to the I-40 (at least we weren't on it!), the winds kicked up in our faces and the skies opened up into a steady downpour. The roads got slick and I was crawling at a 5-10 mph pace (slow even by my standards). Compared to yesterday, when the miles just ticked off with ease, every 0.1 mile was a soggy slog.

A gas station mini mart around 22 miles was a much needed respite for a warmup, since the temps had dropped to about 45 degrees, and felt much colder given the winds, bare legs, and already damp upper body! I seriously began questioning how I was going to make it with literally white fingertips and shivers which made it hard to keep the wheel steady enough to cycle in a straight line. 

The SAG at 32 miles was the ultimate salvation and made me truly appreciate the meaning of a "supported ride." The truck with our luggage was waiting and available, allowing us to add extra layers. For me, that meant another layer on top, leggings, and full-fingered gloves. Changing in the cabin of the truck also gave me a chance to stop the shivers and allow me to feel my fingers and toes again. 

Wet and soggy, happy to see the truck with our extra layers!

Fueled with a bit of banana, I head out once again, knowing I was almost halfway there. (Somehow, crossing the halfway threshold, where "Miles to Go" reads less then "Miles Ridden" on my Garmin, has become a major mental crossroads for me, whatever the back half of the ride may bring. And it has nothing to do with that other Partridge Family hit, "I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way...") 

And so, the road turned to rollers, with smooth pavement, and somewhat brightening skies on the horizon. It was almost turning pleasant, or at least less painful. The shame of it all is that this would have been a spectacularly beautiful and fun ride, climbs and all, in different conditions. But I guess that's all part of the adventure, right? We just can't control the weather -- it's a gravity issue. 

With drier and slightly warmer conditions, I stopped briefly in the town of Madrid (pronounced MAH-drid), a colorful artsy village where I even snapped a few photos, though I missed some good ones on the way into town. 

Colorful Madrid

I stopped for just long enough to fuel and talk with some Aussies who saw us riding over the pass. They were making their way by car from SF to NYC. But I resisted the temptation to linger or stop for lunch or a beer, as we were warned that it was still another 25 miles to the hotel, with still more climbing ahead. But at least by then I felt the end was in sight. 

With the skies clearing a bit, I even enjoyed some vistas, peppered by some cool mobile sculptures.

I was finally feeling like, "I got this." Then there was flat #1. Thanks to Lisa and Lee for stopping, and then Gary (one of the support crew), to assist (though I DO know how to change a tire, it's easier with some assistance!). A few miles later, flat #2, where I pulled out some more pesky wires from my tire. Gary to the rescue again, as my patience was being tried. But Gary was my ride angel, helping to pull me the rest of the way in. He even managed to snap some action photos of me that day. For the record, the hand gesture is our own inside joke -- once he heard at orientation that my goal was to ride EFI (every you-know-what inch), he promised that's what he'd do whenever I thought about asking for a ride -- so no disrespect intended! 

Rest Day Escape

By shortly after 3, I was the last rider to finally roll into the Courtyard Marriott....and in as much time as it took for my Uber to arrive, I rolled out in a flash to Bishop's Lodge. Bathrobes, and bartenders, and Ben....OH MY!

x

Thanks to Ben for making the long, arduous, flight-cancelled, and flight-delayed journey to meet me. (And thanks to the folks at Bishop's Lodge for laundering my very soggy and smelly bike clothes from the day's ride!) It sure beats having to fight for an open machine at the guest laundry!

A delicious dinner was the perfect end to a less than perfect ride!

Most delicious hearts of palm ever!

There's very yummy grilled fish under all this salad!

A 2011 Volnay topped off the day!

Hazelnut ice cream gets 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦 rating!

Employee of the Day

Gary Nix, one of the support crew for Crossroads, was my hero and angel throughout the day (see above). From flats to pulls, his humor and encouragement helped get me over the finish line today (and several others!). Sadly, we learned today that Gary will be leaving the tour. He will be sorely missed.