Tour Divide - Day 19

I was up just on daybreak, packing up as quickly and quietly as I could. That stupid Rottweiler had barked every time I moved during the night. This was due to my Thermarest mat that sounded like a scrunched crisps bag each time I moved and being a considerate person I was trying not to incite it again. In hindsight maybe I should have stomped around on the concrete in my cleats and woken them all up.

But I didn't.
I rolled out of the camp ground silently and turned left, onto the road to Mexico. I would have quite a bit of sealed road riding this morning before hitting the dirt to Pie Town. First up though was passing through El Malpais National Monument with it's huge escarpments towering over the road on the eastern side and an ancient lava flow on the western side.

On the left.......

On the right, lava flow!

It was nice and cool again this morning and I munched some Sweet and Salty bars as well as a bag of nuts but my main aim for breakfast was Pie Town, some 80km (50mi) away. I had plenty of water as I was carrying a full load out of Grants last night and I wasn't aware of any before Pie Town.

The road was deserted and I pedalled along in silence marvelling at the two opposing landforms, both so completely different from one another.

Cresting a small rise I could see off into the distance and there was not much inspiration in the view. Miles and miles of nothing that I would have to cover in the next few hours. Miles and miles before pie!

I hit the Pie Town turn off in the still of early morning and it actually looked very pretty, in a isolated, outback kind of way. A lonely road sign, a cattle grid and a dirt road disappearing into the distance. 

Very Australian bush-like.

The road was quite washboarded and I guess putting a positive spin on it, constantly choosing a new line gave me something to occupy my mind.

But soon the road started climbing low hills and a slight headwind kicked in. This now occupied my mind as I crawled up the climbs. I just had no energy.

Cresting a climb I noticed two riders coming toward me. We stopped and chatted for 5 minutes. The
young couple were from the Czech Republic and had ridden from South America. The guy was very
interested in my frame and rear hub setup, noting that you can run a miriad of options on the BNT.
Mr Muru, if a BNT frame goes to the Czech Republic any time soon I will only take a small commission!

We wished each other the best of luck then parted ways. The hills became steeper and higher the closer I got to Pie Town and I was reduced to walking some most again.

Pie Town eventually materialised and I came to a crossroads. The route went straight and there were building on route and one to the left, up the hill. I wasn't sure where the pie shop was but hoped it was on route. One hundred metres along route and it was obvious that there were no shops this way so I backtracked and turned onto the sealed road, climbing the hill. A quarter mile on the right I came to the Pie Town Cafe'.

I was so shagged and pissed off at this mornings effort. As I rode into the cafe I saw a guy sitting outside taking pictures of me. I grumbled to myself about Blue Dot stalkers as I was in no mood to talk by now. I went to the other side of the entrance hallway, sat down and muttered
a"fuck this stupid fucking race" half under my breath, throwing my gloves down as I flopped down on the bench.

This is about when I noticed that the cafe' window was open and a couple were sitting at the table inside. Shit! Then, to confirm what a tool I was this morning, the guy taking photos came around the corner and said "Hi Dave". How did he know who I was? I must have had a confused look on my face as he said "its me, Josh Kato".

Josh! I didn't recognise him, standing there with no helmet on his head. And what was he doing standing there looking so fresh and clean?! Hadn't he just won the Tour Divide a few days ago? My mood instantly lifted as I congratulated him, then bombarded him with questions about his race. I was in awe of his achievement and confounded at how fresh he looked compared to my utter decrepitude.

After 5 minutes I excused myself as I had a date with some pie! I walked into the cafe' to be met with another "Hi Dave"! Bloody hell, everyone knew who I was. There is no hiding on the divide.

I was a bit flustered at my very minor celebrity status but managed to order bacon and eggs, eventually. I downed this so quickly that I think I caught them by surprise. Asking what sort of pie they had, the woman began to list the menu (what I can only imagine is an extensive list) but I stopped her a the first one, Apple, saying I would have that! I downed this in the time it took the young girl serving me to walk back behind the counter. Next! And next was a triple berry pie, all loaded up with ice cream again which I dispatched in quick time.

The pie was great and making it even better was the fact that the Salsa guys had given all of us a special stem top cap back in Banff. "Present this in Pie Town for two free slices of pie" they had told us. True to their word, upon showing my orange top cap I was asked to fill in my name and pie consumption habits on a form that would be sent to Salsa Bikes. Thank you Salsa and The Pie Town Cafe for this very generous gift. This half starved racer appreciated it very much!

Awesome Eddie Clark Media photo

Feeling human again I ordered a sandwich to go, apologised to the couple sitting near the open window for my exasperation earlier and wandered outside into the now warm day.

Josh was still there and suggested the store up the road for a food restock if I needed it. I did need it
but thought I would push my boundaries a bit and not carry too much weight. I wish I had someone there to give me an upper cut and remind me that it would be two full days before the next resupply.

Josh said he was going back to the Toaster House. I chatted to the English couple from near the open window. I eventually rolled out to check out the Toaster House. The house is iconic and I wandered in to find Josh sitting on the deck. He pointed me to the fridge and a huge box of energy bars that he had bought with him from a bike shop that he visited after the race.

I chatted to Josh for a while and he explained that he had finished the race so far ahead of time that his wife was not due to pick him up for a week so he had hired a car and driven back to Pie Town to hang out and cheer on other riders. I thought that was pretty cool. Josh is a first rate guy and I was very happy to sit, chatting with him but the race was calling me after just 10 minutes.

Slinging my heavy backpack on again and I must admit I was dreading the next section of trail. There was nothing between me and the Beaverhead Workstation as far as resupply goes and I had already heard that the soda machine at Beaverhead was busted. Soda was THE only luxury between here and Silver City, 296km away.........

What could I do? There were two racers approaching Pie Town and I had run out of excuses to linger. I rode out into the white hot vastness of New Mexico. 

The road was being repaired for quite a ways and as a result was loose and very dusty. my chain complained at the second rate lube I was forced to use and so out of a sense of sanity I stopped to lubricate it and rest my legs in the shade of a scrawny little tree.

I was cursing the soft road but as I would note about 2 weeks later, Billy and Lina Rice were much less fortunate as heavy rains turned it to peanut butter and they were forced to return to Pie Town. Soul crushing!

I pedalled on and on, passing the roadworks crew, passing some old ruins and seemingly, not getting anywhere.

I tried to set goals that I could strive to acheive. The deserted Mangas Work Centre was my next goal. When I reached the area it was marked with a sign and little else. I moved off the road and sat beneath a Ponderosa Pine, digging out the sandwich I had taken away from the Pie Town Cafe. I unwrapped it, salivating at the thought of eating it,,,,,and it was toasted.......even though I said "don't toast it please"............ Should I eat a cold meat sandwich that has been heated then cooled, then stored in a 100F frame bag? Screw it, I was starving and the sandwich lost the battle.

CDT Trailhead

I was feeling very tired now. As tired as I had felt the day I left Wamsutter in the southern Basin. At least I was in a forest and sitting on pine needles under a shady tree today. So I set my alarm for 30 minutes and closed my eyes. I was finding it very hard to go on.

My alarm pinged away in what seemd like no time at all. I hauled myself up and climbed on the bike, wondering if the two riders that were approaching Pie Town when I left had passed me while I snoozed behind my tree.

I grovelled over Divide Crossing #24 and got to enjoy some downhill for a while. I stayed off the brakes even though they may have been warranted at times. I simply did not want to convert my efforts into brake dust any more.

I finally came to the 12, where the route went right, along the sealed road then left, onto the dirt and into the Gila (pronounced Hila). Four little letters that I would come to loath the sound of. 

During my time riding with Andres back on Day 2 and 3 we had discussed the mythical church where Matt Lee is seen sitting on the porch of a church in the "Ride The Divide" movie, chatting about life. This church has the only water between Pie Town and the Beaverhead Workcentre. I didn't trust it to be true so had carried 6 litres from Pie Town but now I saw the church and after a short search around, found the tap that dispensed clear, clean water!

I filled up then hosed myself down to cool off. I sat on the porch (there was no rocking chair) and snacked away in the shade, feeling well pleased with myself. I then saw a horrible sight. Two riders were at the left turn, just across the ways! I waved, hoping to attract them over to the water but they just continued on along the route! I quickly loaded my bags up and let myself out of the church grounds to chase the pair who had now disappeared over the next hill which was a few miles away. It always amazed me how quickly riders got away from me even when they were grovelling along themselves.

I caught up to these two riders soon enough though and it turned out to be Dave McInerney and Alice Drobna. I hadn't met Dave before but he turned out to be another Aussie and better still, another country boy from New South Wales but living in Canada now! It was nice to see Alice as well. The last time I had seen her was at Flagg Ranch, waaay back on Day 9.

Even though I had been caught I was really happy for the company. I found, as always when riding with others that I lifted and it felt effortless to pedal along and chat away. I was even riding in the marbles in the middle of the road, so as not to draft either of them and still be able to chat easily.

We met some NoBo riders who were in awe of Alice and her single speed effort so far. I was as well to be honest. If she was hurting in any way she wasn't showing it. I was feeling pretty weak and over the next 20km or so Dave told his race story so far. It consisted of mechanical failures and physical failures. His knees had pretty much rebelled mid race and Vitamin I was his good friend now. This made me consider how I had overcome my Achilles problem early on and really, had nothing much to complain about other than a bruised bum and slightly sore hands.

After a while I noticed that we were sort of riding on top of each other, which was probably my fault for trying to stay close, without drafting, to chat.

I was sort of in a position to coast away when we crested a rise and I did so to make some room. I pedalled smoothly and easily for a while and when I looked back Dave and Alice were nowhere to be seen!

I quickly checked my GPS to make sure that I hadn't taken a wrong turn but all was ok. I was on route. I figured I had either annoyed them with my puppy-dog-like excitement after being alone for so long or they had just stopped to eat/adjust or stretch as you do on The Divide. Either way, they looked strong and I knew they would catch me sooner or later.

The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon when I came to this sign.

30 miles?!
30 miles isn't like 30km. I was finally getting my head around these statute distances and reading them for what they really were. Earlier in the race it was easy to see a distance, convert it to metric but on some deeper level, not really understand the measure. Some deeply inbuilt mechanism kept taking it back to kilometres and I was constantly dismayed at how long it took to do 20 or 30 or 40 US distance units.

I still had plenty of water and with just 48 kilometres to go I stopped to empty the two Platypus bladders that I was carrying in my backpack. It felt great to get the backpack off again and I was glad I had chosen not to rely on a backpack for the entire ride.

But now, in the late afternoon I understood that this was another 48 kilometres. I took the left turn and enjoyed having the sun at my back as shadows lengthened and the road undulated up and down. After a while I came to a lodge that was dispersed on either side of the road. I looked for any obvious signs of life or more importantly, a reception area but it looked deserted. To add insult to disappointment a sign proudly proclaimed that I was still at elevation.

The trees began to thin out until I found myself crossing wide, rolling, treeless plains. At least they were fairly level! I passed a group of three NoBo tourers setting up camp in a small basin on the north side of the road. They had a fire going and I almost jammed the brakes on to join them. Almost. I knew if I did I would sit up until late, chatting all things Divide when I needed sleep. No, I kept powering onward, toward the Beaverhead Workstation.

Night fell and the almost full moon was shining down on me. I began climbing and winding my way along the side of a lake or swamp. It was hard to tell despite the moonlight. There must have been some water around as I saw all sorts of animals in the glow of my headlight. Skunks shuffled off the trail and in my biggest encounter, four huge elk/deer with massive antlers galloped onto the road just as my circle of light got to them. Being only about 30 metres away it gave me a huge fright and got the blood pumping, as if the last 220km hadn't done that already today!

The Beaverhead finally rolled into sight and I climbed the short distance up to the ranger station. The soda machine was indeed dead, but just next to it was a water pump. Glorious water!

I set up my tent on the edge of the helipad, fairly certain there would not be any arrivals between 9:30pm and my intended departure time of 5:30am. I had completed my set up and was just washing the dirt off my face and legs when Alice and Dave rolled in. They were in great spirits as they enjoyed riding in the cool night air. We were soon all sitting on the front step of the ranger station, in the dark, eating what food we had. My tin of pineapple pieces finally met it's end and it tasted bloody good but I think the Subway that Alice and Dave had carried the 280km from Grants this morning would have been much better for the legs. In hindsight, I really should have stayed in a hotel in Grants, rested well then got on the road at 1 or 2am as these guys had done. They had a better strategy than myself today but I couldn't stop myself from feeling the need to push on last night.

Still, I had covered almost 250km (155mi) for the day and I ONLY had about 135km (83mi) to Silver City tomorrow, where I would restock and rest before the final push to the border. 

I would be there before lunch. The Gila would be easy........

Cheers.

Tour Divide - Day 18

I slept in until 5:30am this morning. 

When my alarm went off  I just lay there for a few minutes, thinking how comfortable this was. I knew I had to get up but I was tired, very tired. But this was a race and lazing around in Cuba wasn't in the program so I jumped up and started packing all of my dry, clean gear onto my bike. 

I had plenty of snacks for today's easy ride to Grants but I did need to backtrack to the gas station for some new Spot batteries. I then cruised down to the diner for a proper breakfast of bacon and eggs all washed down with the de'riguer bucket of ordinary coffee and an orange juice.

The place was almost empty except for three divide tourers who were just finishing their breakfast. One of them came over to chat and asked if I was a racer. I replied that I was just two thirds of a racer now as I had noticed last night that I had lost some serious weight in the last few days. He replied that he was in awe of us guys because we were racing the divide. I replied that I was in awe of the tourers as I cast a glance at his heavily loaded bike. The slower you go, the more you have to carry, making touring a tough endeavour as well. Anyway, we exchanged gen on trail conditions north and south and I pitied these guys having to climb the Polvadeara Mesa and in hindsight, I reckon they might have pitied me my day ahead on the road.

I rolled out of town with the rising sun at my back and a spring in my step. My route notes indicated 200km (124 mi) to Grants with only 1000ft of climbing, all on a sealed road which made me very happy. I was buzzing along at 33 km/h and I had to keep telling myself to take it easy.

The cool morning air and clear skies were very welcome after yesterday afternoon's thunderstorm-fest. The countryside looked like something out of an old western movie with different coloured strata on the hillsides.

I was passing quite a few tourers heading north this morning and we exchanges friendly waves. One guy shouted out "the store is excellent" as we passed. I was only aware of the one store at Torreon, so guessed that was what he was talking about.

The wide open spaces and lack of trees hinted at how hot today might become but for the moment it was cool and I was making great time.

I can't believe how thin I had become!

The Torreon store soon loomed into view. I didn't really need anything but I decided to stop anyway, just to take a break. I wandered around and only bought an ice cream as it was starting to warm up.

There wasn't a sign to say where I was so I asked the girl behind the counter if this was in fact the Torreon store. She replied that it was and asked me where I was from. "Australia", I replied. She had a blank look on her face. "Near New Zealand" I added. Still a blank look. She didn't know where either was. That was cool as I didn't know where I was......

I pedalled onward, passing a few buildings where I saw this interesting sign on each gate. Talk about micro management by the local law!

This area was the "Reservation" that I had read other racers describe in their blogs. While I had heard many disturbing things, today in the hard light of day there was nothing to be worried about apart from the heat. I did see some random people walking around in the middle of nowhere but they all waved as I pedaled past.

Yes, this was "only" 200km but I was noticing that there was more than 1000ft of climbing. I had done 1000ft in the first 50 kilometres so I began to grumble on each climb now about the extra hills (looking at my notes now I see they indicate 4100ft climbing-yes, I was tired). I was in New Mexico proper and it was hot an open.

I was powering this ride with small bags of nuts that can be bought from gas stations for between 50c to $1 each. I couldn't even begin to estimate how many I ate during the race but it would have been a small mountain!

I began passing through mining country and I was glad of the shade that this overpass provided, once I made it there! It was like a mirage on the horizon that took forever to actually arrive but when it did I took a short break under it's shade..

The next few hours consisted of looong straights and more confounded climbs. I again had nothing left in the legs so I was happy to get off and walk parts of the climbs. In hindsight I realise that everyone else must have been hurting badly as well because I was waiting for people to pass me at any moment, yet no one had. I felt like I was absolutely crawling along.

I crawled past what looked like old mining country. These turned out to be old uranium mines. These were where the US mined it's uranium from the 1950s and had been closed for years now but there was still quite a bit of activity as contractors worked to clean up the countryside.

There really isn't anything else to say about this section of the divide. There was nothing really worth photographing and by the 100 mile mark I really wanted today's ride to be over with. I ran out of water about 10 miles out of Milan/Grants (Milan/Grants is a dual town setup) and was surprised at how thirsty I was now. 

To rub salt into my thirst wound I had to wait for 5 minutes at the boom gates on the railway line just outside of Milan as two freight trains roared past. At least the waiting cars waved me on once the boom gate was raised and I set my sights on the Love's Truck Stop, the first stop in Milan.

I pulled in, bought a chocolate milk, downed it in the blink of an eye then proceeded to buy my usual turkey sandwich, Gatorade, water and ice cream.....to start with! 

As I sat out the front of the Love's in the heat I was deafened by the horrible music being piped out of the speakers in the forecourt. I wasn't sure if it was to keep young people from loitering there or if the speakers were just worn out and distorting the music. Either way, I couldn't stand it any more and decided to press on, looking for a diner or proper supermarket. 

As I passed over the tracks and so from Milan into Grants, I noticed that the town looked a little more affluent. Milan was characterised by the multiple Payday Loan Shops and Pawn Brokers whereas Grants looked a little more normal. I soon found the post office and packed some maps and all of my arm/leg warmers and full finger gloves into a parcel back home. I don't think there was much weight saving here but there was considerable bulk gone.

I asked the clerk if there was a supermarket nearby to which she replied that there was a Walmart "just down the road". This "just down the road" description was one that was treated with great skepticism by riders as the person giving the directions always had a car in mind, not a bicycle, powered by a cyclist who had ridden 200km in 38C heat.

Ten minutes down the road I crossed over the Interstate to a newer section of town and saw a Walgreens. Close enough I thought and proceeded inside. I am not sure what a Walgreens is meant to be but it looks like 20% supermarket, 70% chemist/pharmacy and the other 10% I dunno. Anyway I filled up on water, juice, Coke and more Coke. I quadrupled my Coke intake for the Divide at this stop.

I sat outside the store, even though it was bloody hot as I was getting funny looks inside. I knew I looked like shit and quite probably smelt like it as well but I needed some chain lube as I had used the last of my Ride Mechanic Bike Mix last night in Cuba to cure a very sick chain. Now, it was squealing like crazy and doing my head in. I sat pondering what might work as an improvised chain lube from the Walgreens pharmacy and whether I should go back in when I decided to just Google "Walmart". The search came back saying there was one just across the way! I jammed all of the water into my bike bags and backpack and squeaked my way over to Walmart.

Entering the store I was almost floored by the coolness of the airconditioning! It felt sooo good! The first thing I saw were these huge punnets of strawberries for $2. $2! They would have been $10 back home! I grabbed one punnet then went to find some chain lube. They had White Lightning lube so I bought one, dragged my bike into the foyer of the store and lubed the chain in the cool. I was feeling pretty cooked so I just sat, answering a few texts and eating strawberries. I didn't want to go back outside.

Eventually, I am stuffed with strawberries and decide that I must press on. It is too early to get a room despite common sense suggesting that I do so. To cool off and get a good nights rest then get going again in the cool of early morning made good sense. But I wasn't listening to myself. Backtracking to the route (past several motels) I am grateful that the race follows the paved El Malpais alternate as there are lots of thunderstorms around now and I don't want to be on dirt road if it is going to rain.

I feel the sun biting the back of my already sunburnt legs as I slowly pedal out of town. I have a few drops of rain splat on me and am surprised as I would estimate that the nearest storm is at least 20 miles away! I use the rain as an excuse to stop into a Subway at the truck stop on the Interstate about 10km out of Grants and grab a huge red Mineral Water. I find a seat in a comfy chair, leaving my bike unlocked around the corner, out of sight. I really don't care if someone takes it right now. I notice I have cell service and make my one and only call in to MTB Cast. I have tried to call-in a few times before but the pay phones have all been broken and I have had almost zero cell service on the divide.

I make my call then head out to find my bike still leaning against the wall. Damnit! Time to pedal on again. I cross the overpass over the Interstate as trucks whizz past below me. Anything over 15mph looks jet-like to me now.

I decide that my target for tonight is the campground 27 kilometres outside Grants in El Malpais National Monument. I am half way there already and it is still hot so I am not looking forward to camping.

I roll into the campground to find a huge Rottweiler bounding toward me. It barks viciously and the owner says accusingly "he doesn't know what you are, on a bike". Well, for fuck's sake, it isn't my place to educate him but I will if he comes within range. I am hot, tired, hungry and now angry. The dumb shits should probably have this land shark on a leash in a public campground but somehow it is my fault?

Stopping at the first sheltered park table the rain started to splat down again. I was also being eaten alive by midges or sand flies or something similar that likes the taste of divide rider. I decided to set my tent up under the shelter, tying it to the bench seat and posts of the shelter. This I did in record time so as to escape the biting bugs. 

So I sat in my tent, eating the remaining strawberries, reading my map and coming to the realisation that I hadn't really planned out what supplies I would need for this next section of the race. I had been really frazzled from the sun in Grants and despite great facilities, my limited stock of supplies was questionable at best. I mean, what the hell was I doing with a can of pineapple pieces? How heavy was that?!

 Looking at my map I could now see that after Pie Town, which was 80km down the road, the next resupply was in Silver City, some 296km (194mi) of dirt away. Shit. How did I overlook that during planning or even going over my route notes during today's ride?

It was still light, still hot and I was still hungry as I dozed off to sleep. I would be up at first light tomorrow to beat the heat but I was thinking that I really should have stayed in Grants, got a comfortable air conditioned room and a good rest then started riding at 1am........oh well, too late now..........

Cheers.