Travel

Tour Divide - There be Pie in that thar desert!

We made it to New Mexico! The last state to cross. It is still very windy with gusts up to 45mph and a seemingly constant headwind. The Spot Tracker gave up and had a red flashing light for the final stretch of Colorado. It seems everyone following thought I was either eaten by a cougar or had come off somewhere as it was saying I was static for 15 hours doing 15mph. A chat with Allan back at Keswick Bikes who had the error codes and it was working again.

 

The highest pass of the trip, Indiana Pass seemed surprisingly simple. The relatively smooth road surface obviously helped.

Riders have been receiving emails from the organisers that the trail from Highway 64 to the checkpoint at Abiquiu has forest fires and it’s being recommended we keep well out of it…so we’ve had to divert via Chama and Ghost Ranch on Highway 84. It’s allowed us to catch up some time which is good and will allow quicker progress to Cuba. We caught up with Ben Weaver, also Paul Anson and Mario Hamel. A peloton is forming!

There doesn’t seem to be any downtime now. We’re usually getting up at 4:30 ready to ride when it comes light, just after five. This means we get three hours riding before it gets quite hot! If we are wild camping, we usually stop just before it gets dark. If we find ourselves in town, we look for a motel, quickly find something to eat for the evening and supplies for the next day then maybe get five hours sleep.

My rear tyre is becoming quite bald now. Both tyres were new at the start of the trip. I hope it lasts. It is making for some exciting descending. Hope it lasts…!

The road to Grants was 130miles of steady up and downs, Still quite a forceful headwind.

Strangely, we passed a laundry, miles from any town, in the desert. It also had WiFi and tuna sandwiches!

Before Grants, we passed through the ghost town of Milan. Most shops were closed like this bike shop. When Kmb Googled, it appeared as if there were three bike shops.

 

The Gila wilderness, 200miles of desert is where we have to be super careful with water supplies. Pie Town is the last refuelling stop beforehand.mA few hundred metres out of this town is the Toaster House. Yes, usually it is someone’s house decorated with broken toasters but left open full of food to eat and also takeaway, beds if you want to stay the night or rest and tools for bike maintenance. Wow!

Pie town was obviously was full of pie shops and delicious pies. Pioneer gave two free pies to all Tour Divide riders.

Have a look here at the pie shop’s food…ohhh so delicious!
https://pieoneer.com/

 

 

 

Philippa’s blog created by KMB.

Written on July 6th, 2018 by Staff Minion