Tl:Dr; late start to a long day, land speed record for Team Tailwind
Slept out cowboy style last night under a shed awning. Quilt & liner worked great. Slow start to the day. I sewed up the hole I ripped in my shirt, it looks like it was fixed by a blind person. My Heart rate variability is off, a sign of stress. Duh. Very windy this morning, not looking forward to riding in it.
There are 3 possible destinations:
* Pietown – 15 miles away
* TLC ranch – ~30 miles away
* Grants ~ 102 miles away.
Some options in between (there always are) but no services after TLC to Grants. Grants is a big town, and the end of the first section so I’d like to get there. But I am not feeling great this morning, so I’ll shoot for TLC and then see.
Pietown
Tiny. 3 churches? I might be a bit dizzy, but I really could not find toaster house on my own, but find it I did.
Toaster house is another CDT rest station. Rustic house _filled_ with support: food, shower, water, mattresses, comfort and just a lot of good feelings. Among the many many things I found, coffee was not one of them.
Off to Gathering Place – cafe. My stomach is still a bit upset but I’d feel dumb not getting some food. But I’m anxious to go – the wind is strong from the south, maybe I *could* make it to Grants. 80 miles – long day. I need a bit more camp food to be comfortable. And lip balm.
TLC Ranch
Well, I was maybe too optimistic – I thought TLC would be more. It wasn’t. Water, outhouse, camping. I left.
Onwards towards Grants
So, it’s pretty much _perfect_ conditions: sunny, and very very windy. It seems a shame to miss these conditions, and riding back to Pietown would have been extremely hard. So, onwards.
While the conditions were near ideal. The roads were about as far from ideal as possible. Washboard surface with sand and loose gravel. But having the wind at your back makes getting over obstacles relatively straightforward. As long as you don’t lose control of the steering or run over something huge, you’ll just keep going. But it’s not very pleasant. I was able to keep things moving at faster than 10 mph and then as I got farther north over 15. I eventually hit the pavement where there is a choice to be made, either. Follow the 2023 route or the 2024 route. It’s a bit confusing to pick the right one in the heat of the moment, but my tour divide 2024 map said take the highway and I really did not want to spend more time on the dirt roads.
I was able to make over 20 mph on the freeway with the tailwind. At times the bike was exceedingly difficult to control, sidewinds were making it very difficult to steer. Predictably and I had to ride tipped into the wind. But when it was directly behind me it was amazing.
Just like heading into Silver City, there was a weird prank like detour through a camp and over a barbed wire fence.
But, all in all smooth sailing.
And very, very tired. Rough shape. We will see what the morning brings,but the smart money is on rest day.
G’nite
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