Just when I had written New Mexico off, she surprised me with one of the most beautiful days of the trip.
We decided to get up early today and beat the afternoon thunderstorms storms and heat. It was hot and arid yesterday with sporadic thunderstorms. We expected more of the same. And since our path was remote, we wanted to try to get through it and avoid a messy, rain plagued surface.
I sensed the finish, and was anxious to get there. Two more days of 255 miles and 125 miles.
We planned to leave around 5am, but it was still dark then. The days are shorter than they were when we left on June 22, and we are over 2000 miles farther south. We had to wait until 6am to get some light. We left at 6:45.
The cool morning air penetated our mesh jackets. It was brisk. First stop: Pie Town.
The residual effects of yesterday's rain made the dirt road a little slippery. You had to pay close attention and avoid the muddy parts.
It was only 70 miles to Pie Town. We were there by 8:30. We, of course, stopped and had some pie - freshly made that morning and still warm. Mmmmm.
We asked about the three options for gas: Quemado to the west; Datil to the east; and Old Horse Springs farther down the road off the 12. Datil was the recommendation from the locals - 22 miles down and the same back. I decided to empty the gas can into Doug's bike and then have him wait for me while I went for gas, since I had a bigger tank and range. Just as we were finishing our pie, the cook overheard our questions and asked what octane we took. Well, we take high octane but can run lower so I said I'll take whatever you have. So for $10 we got 2 gallons, and now had enough to get us the 185 miles to the next station in Silver City. Whew! That was a relief!
The route from Pie Town was surprisingly scenic. We went thru forests of huge Ponderosa Pines and high lush green valleys. There were small canyons with interesting rock formations and grand vistas around every corner. We saw elk herds and herds of proghorn antelope. The riding was fun with just the right amount of challenge. It might have been the most delightful section of the whole route. We kept close to the CD, and by the end of the day crossed it 11 times!
It was a long section, so I had to concentrate on the navigation and make no mistakes. It was remote country, and we saw little activity. We had limited fuel with little room for a mistake.
The Android app Maverick came in handy a couple of times. I have a gpx file of the route saved on my phone and when I bring it up the app shows me where I am relative to the route. It has saved me more than once and is a nice confirmation that I'm correctly on course.
Evidence of recent heavy rains was abundant. We got some pictures of the residual of a flash flood down one of the canyons. Scary stuff!
We stopped briefly at Rocky Canyon campground to snack and rest. While there, a thunderstorm caught us and we sought shelter in the outhouse. :-) It was brief and not too bad.
When we finally exited the wilderness and hit the paved 35, a euphoric rush came over me. We had made it! We had just completed the last bit of challenge. From here it will be smooth sailing to the finish in Antelope Wells.
We had a cushion on time, so decided to head off route to Gila Hot Springs and spend the night. We will descend the 45 miles to Silver City after visiting some ancient cave dwellings in the morning.
It was an excellent day! 45 miles to Silver City, and then 125 to the border Thursday morning. Dave will pick us up.
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