March 15, 2017. Marathon Texas to Sanderson Texas 55 windy miles. 1216 miles from the Pacific. I crawl out of camp happy and it’s still dark. The moon lights up the desert like a city streetlight. The stars are unbelievably bright. It’s like I can reach up and touch them. A coyote howls in the distance hills and a local rooster signifies that dawn will arrive soon. I pack up the tent and sleeping bag and chow down some cold pizza left over from last night. My hunger is unrelentless. I ride into town and stuff my food bag for the long ride to Sanderson. There are no food or water stops on the way. These long distances between towns is something I’m beginning to get used to. I can carry a maximum of 4 liters of water. Water is a precious commodity in West Texas. As I leave town the sun pops over the horizon. It’s still in the low 30s and the temperature is expected to rise to 95° today. I have put on all my cold-weather gear to start this day. Within the first 10 miles I take it all off and slather myself with sunscreen. The sun is intense and brings the temperature from near freezing to 80 degrees in less than two hours. Not many people or cars out here today. Just me and horse and some roadrunners. I sing them the old cartoon song “road runner, the coyotes after You. Road Runner, if it catches you through”. They don’t seem to be amused. Entertainment is cheap out here. And I have become easily amused. I spot a group of wild boar just off the highway. They are huge and look dangerous. Once they see me they quickly run into the desert and disappear into a cloud dust. Horse goes in to Gallup mode as we climb Lemons Gap. It’s the only real climb of the day. A strong headwind greets us on the other side of the mountain. I catch up to another rider named Jerry snd we trade off pulling for each other. He is in his 70s and has legs of steel. We arrive in town, have lunch (number two for me) and then find a campsite at the local RV Park. A cold wind settles in the valley as I smile and crawl into camp happy. Life on the road was good today. I am grateful to have had someone to ride with most of the day. I hope you are feeling grateful for something or someone today. Cheers, Freebird