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Crossing the Rockies, breaking 1000 miles, new friends, Texas: Day 15-20


Day 15

(46 miles; 3845 ft gain, sorry no map ☹️)

I was super excited for the morning because at 7 AM, the Lordsburg KOA kitchen was serving free pancakes with coffee and hot chocolate, and they even made Casey a vegan rice & maple syrup bowl. This caused us to have a late start for biking, but it was worth it!

As we were packing up, we met Tammy, a loud and energetic woman who laughed a lot and who gifted us electrolyte powder and coffee. Her husband was hiking the Camino in Spain, so she was traveling with her dog in their Airstream camper. Another awesome and independent woman!

For being a 46 mile day, it was one of the most challenging, with never-ending hills and a headwind that we fought against as we entered Silver City, NM. Our muscles were exhausted by the end of it. On the plus side, we were able to see the changing landscape as we climbed in elevation through the Gila (pronounced Hela) National Forest: shrubby desert converted into forest, and the vegetation became denser with trees. It almost reminded me of Pennsylvania or Upstate New York.

Upon entering Silver City, we immediately navigated to the Gila bike shop to get Casey a new chain. Marshall and Dave arrived later and bought puncture proof tires (for Marshall), and Dave got his derailleur fixed (the spring broke). We parted ways with them because they were not planning to take a rest day, and we were unsure of when we would see them again. On a positive note, JJ, Casey’s partner, arrived after driving 12 hours from Colorado to meet us for a few days.

Silver City was pretty cute. There were awesome wall murals and local shops selling ice cream and pizza. JJ, Casey, and I got smoothies at Birdwell’s and then amazing veggie burgers at the restaurant Adobe Springs.

With a newly acquired car, we took the opportunity to drive out of the way to Cherry Creek campground, which was north of Silver City, but we would be driving back to the bike shop, continuing the bike tour where we left off after our rest day.


Day 16- Rest Day

(0 miles, 0 ft gain)

Cherry Creek was a proper forested campground where we spent two nights (Day 15 and 16), eating, relaxing, stretching, taking walks, scouting for climbable boulders, and playing cards. It was freezing both nights as the temperatures dipped below 40, and I was regretting my light sleeping bag. Casey and JJ opted to sleep in the car both nights while I was in my tent.


Day 17

(57.28 miles; 5166 ft gain, Strava map)

Needing to thaw out from the freezing morning, we drove back to town to go to the Tranquil Buzz coffee shop, a very cool, rustic, log cabin-like shop in Silver City with odd trinkets, musical instruments, and themes surrounding Buddhism and chakras. We didn’t regret our slow morning or late start because the coffee shop and caffeine uplifted our spirits! I was also procrastinating the hard uphill to come.

We were warned about the difficulty going over the Rockies (it would be the highest elevation of the whole trip), so we were both nervous. However, this day turned out to be one of the best days yet! Yes, the uphill lasted for a while, but it was at a manageable grade that we could maintain without stopping much. The time passed quickly as Casey and I chatted about life and listened to music. Also, the windiness through the forest and the speedy downhills that zigzagged through all the switchbacks was so gorgeous and exciting that it made us giddy!

Before we knew it, we made it to Emory Pass, the tallest point along the whole Southern Tier Route. We met Janet, a woman who was from Truth or Consequences and who was out for the day to seek mental health. She was thrilled to chat with us and take our photo at the summit. We parted ways and had the epic 3,000+ ft descent the whole way back down the mountain.

We quickly made it to Kingston and then to Hillsboro. Hillsboro has no cell service, a post office, winery, antique store, and a cafe. The buildings are all light pastel colors, some buildings had peeling paint, and there was neat iron artwork throughout the town. Upon first entering, it seemed like a town that most people just pass through. A worker at the cafe told us that we could camp out in the park a few blocks down the road. “It’s New Mexico, of course you can sleep there.” However, there were already guests there: two horses were roaming and eating the little grass that was present. That’s when we met David and Parker who were sitting nearby watching us.

David is a 60+ year old rugged, skinny man with a cowboy hat who owns the horses and who is proudly democrat, showcasing political bumper stickers and yard signs. He is from west Florida, but he also lived in South America. Apparently, Hillsboro suited his lifestyle, so he stayed. Besides being a cool dude, he also worked in environmental conservation, and he helped reintroduce the Mexican wolf population.

Parker is a 29 year old, flannel wearing, hilarious, tangled hair nomad who had been on the road since he was 19 and who builds tiny houses in upstate New York. He teases everyone and gets teased back; it’s obvious the town loves him. Parker was the most inspirational person for me in Hillsboro (and on the trip so far) as he described his nomadic lifestyle. He owns very little, but he has rich relationships and a damn good outlook on experiencing life. Shortly after our introductions, he left in his old beater truck to pick up a lot of beer, inviting us to get drunk that night.

We later met Corde, a 23 year old, named after someone in a John Wayne show. “Cord with an e on the end, you know, to keep it classy.” He owns cattle and helps run his grandmother Sue’s antique store. He grew up in Hillsboro, and he says Yes Sir and Yes ma’am like he has been saying it his whole life.

It was so easy to talk to everyone, and we felt welcomed immediately. All of us played horseshoes that evening: Parker and I won against Casey and Corde for the first game, 21 to 1. JJ and Corde played against David and Parker, and the game was so close: 16 to 15 with JJ and Corde in the lead before it got too dark to see. JJ turned out to be a horseshoe throwing prodigy. There was a lot of heckling, but that just added to the fun.

At some point in the evening, there were almost a dozen people socializing in the park and just about nearly as many dogs. It was great to be part of the camaraderie. Periodically, someone would drive by and shout obscenities; apparently it is known that more democrat-leaning folks hang out in this park. From my experience though, no one pushed their ideologies, some people disagreed, but, importantly, everyone was good friends. It’s unfortunate to see such blind hatred by passerbys.

It was getting late, and I was preparing to be cold again in my 60 degree bag, but Parker proposed a swap: his 40 degree for my 60 degree. I couldn’t say no to the upgrade in warmth and to acquiring a memorable item from my time in Hillsboro.


Day 18

(62.6 miles; 1062 ft gain, Strava map)

We didn’t start biking until noon because we were invited to stay for the pickin’ circle, a casual musical circle that they have in the park on Saturdays. People come from all around with guitars, mandolins, fiddles, banjos, etc. to play together, and we didn’t want to miss it, even if it meant biking late into the evening. And we absolutely loved it! Everyone took a turn leading a song, and the music ranged from Johnny Cash to some lesser known local artists. Parker lead a beautiful song called “Cruel Winds of Oklahoma” written by his friend. Casey and I took the chance to just absorb everything we were experiencing, being full and happy in the moment. We were very sad to be leaving Hillsboro and our new friends, and JJ would be soon leaving us too.


As we were leaving, Parker noted to us, “Just remember, it’s about the journey not the destination”, and that stayed in my mind as we left. Casey and I were both emotionally overwhelmed at the happiness and the goodbyes but hopeful we would have another Hillsboro in our future.


The route leaving Hillsboro wasn’t anything special. We had a steady climb that was manageable and then a short descent with a scenic landscape of the desert. We were slammed by a headwind as we headed south which made biking challenging, even on the easiest gear. We fought against the afternoon heat but refused to be regretful for leaving late.


By 6 PM, we arrived at Radium Springs and slipped into the Blue Moon Bar for some beer and nachos, delighted to also have caught a live band performing classic country tunes. We stood out in our dirty biking clothes while everyone else was dressed in makeup and beautiful Southwestern attire. Men wore cowboy hats and flannel, women were in fringe. There was a stage for dancing in front of the band, confidently and heavily used by couples of all ages.


As it got dark, the bar owner permitted us to sleep in the field behind the bar, allowing us to still hear the band perform while being tucked away from the action. They sang “Amarillo by Morning” by George Strait, and as I admired the stars on the dirt ground in an open field by the train tracks with all my belongings strapped to my bicycle, I personally felt the lines “I ain’t got a dime, but what I got is mine; I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free”.


Day 19

(61 miles; 731 ft gain, Strava map)

It was a non-eventful day. We passed through Las Cruses in the morning and stopped at the grocery store to buy too much food, as usual. Afterward, we opted to take the alternate route up and over El Paso instead of through it; we disliked the sprawl of Phoenix and wanted to avoid that kind of biking again.

We passed by cotton fields and a lot of pecan orchards that were flooded with water. It didn’t really appear to be a sustainable farming option in the desert.

But, we arrived in Texas! Shortly over the border, we headed towards the Fire Department and local Methodist Church where we scored an outdoor outlet and a faucet! Our stealthy camping spot marked 1,000 miles completed!


Day 20

(66 miles, 517 ft gain, Strava map)

The wind through the night was intense, and it lasted for a good part of the morning. This was one of the very few nights that Casey had a terrible sleep. Luckily, most of the wind during the day was a tailwind, making the ride breezy and quick.

We continued navigating around El Paso and made the dumb mistake of quickly crossing a median to get to the other side of the road. A sizzling sound from my front tire revealed at least 30 goat‘s head thorns protruding from each of our wheels, as if we decked out our wheels in rhinestones; however, only my front tire, an Armadillo brand tire, was impaled (Marathon Plus tires are the best!) We spent a lot of time fishing the thorns out and fixing the wheel before we could continue.


The rest of the day was also uneventful as we cruised down the flat, dry Texan roads. There wasn’t much to see, and we stayed on the same road segment for many miles.

We arrived at Fort Hancock and finally took a shower after many days. There wasn’t laundry, so we washed our clothes in the bathtub till the water could almost run clear. While waiting for Casey’s parents, Carrie and John, to arrive from New York, we starting watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and I’m excited to finish it!


Carrie brought her famous vegan lasagna to which John said to Casey about her portion size, “You can’t eat all that!” It was gone in about 5 minutes.

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.—Secret Life of Walter Mitty





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