March 17, 2017. Langley Texas to Del Rio Texas 60 miles. 1336 miles from the Pacific.
A great day to be on the bike. I saddled up Horse long before dawn trying once again outsmart West Texas headwinds. Turns out it didn’t take a break even at night. So onward i must go. I meet up with Per (pronounced P-air) that I met a couple a days ago. He is from Norway and in his middle 60s. Former helicopter pilot and all-around great guy. To get in shape for the ride across the southern tier he a told me that he rode across part of Australia. And I thought a couple hours in the gym every day for eight weeks was impressive. Per has an awesome headlight and I have a good tail light so we make a good team. One advantage of Climbing these hills in the dark is that you can’t see how big they are. Coming down hill is a bit on the hairy-scary. All that is soon forgotten as we ride into an amazing sunrise. Bright Colors of every shade of orange and yellow lit up the Horizon. The day stays cool as clouds moved in and we get a sprinkle here and there. We cross the Pecos River just before lunch. Judge Roy Bean and the law or lawlessness west of the Pecos
Is famous around here. We take several rest stops and try to pace ourselves against this wind. It seems better than yesterday-less gusty but still a force to be reckoned. We make it to Comstock just as the only lunch café in town opens. The food is delicious. I haven’t had a good meal since El Paso. We fill our bellies and our food containers and then turn south and then east over the Amistad national recreation area bridge. It is the damned up a Pacos River where it meets the Rio Grande. We arrive in Del Rio after 10 hours on the bikes. I am feeling tired but not exhausted like yesterday. I get a room at the local motel 6 and find a pasta buffet within walking distance. I stuff myself until my belly looks pregnant. I am so grateful to meet my new friend Per and share stories as we rode together. I hope you had a chance to meet A new friend today. Happy Saint Patty’s Day to everyone. And Remember that Irish saying “don’t ruin a good story with the truth” ? Cheers, Freebird

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

March 13, 2017. Rest day in Marfa Texas . 1104 miles from the Pacific. I caught up on some rest, did some laundry, walked around town, and gave horse some much-needed maintenance. Currently in my tent preparing for a cold night in West Texas.

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March 11, 2017. Fort Hancock Texas to Vanhorn Texas 73 miles. 1029 miles from the Pacific. Another great day to be on the bike. The long ride today over Texas mountain and I hot sunshine took it’s toll on my energy. My face and arms are now 50 shades of red even with massive amounts of sunscreen. Road with a couple of guys that are from Maine and Vermont most of the day and we are camping together tonight at the local RV park. It’s nice to have folks to ride with. I am ready to hit the tent so this will be short. Cheers Freebird

March 8, 2017. Las Cruces Mexico to El Paso Texas 49 miles. 903 miles from the Pacific. And a great day to be on the bike pedaling through the desert. I awoke at my warm showers Host to the smell of pecan pancakes. Two other bikers were also staying here for the night. Las Cruces is a nice town. I was thinking “I could live here” as a pedaled my way past the purple mountain majesty on my way to El Paso. I ride past Vineyards, pecan orchard’s, and old Spanish churches as I follow the waterless Rio Grande south. Then into the city of El Paso which was a little hair-raising and scary. Evidently they don’t believe in bike paths or bike lanes. Everyone drives a big pick up trucks or SUV’s. I haven’t seen a Prius since I left New Mexico. After lunch horse and I make our way to Fablab El Paso where we spend the afternoon talking Fabulousness which is one of my passions. I hope you got a chance to spend time with your passion today as well. Cheers
Freebird