This morning we had a leisurely hot breakfast in the Quality
Inn. It was good to not be huddled
around a picnic table selecting food from a pile of items. At 7 AM , the group met to discuss the ending point
of today’s ride. We will be staying at a
church in Fort Hancock
This entry is being posted in El Paso ,
and will be completed some time in the future.
Stay tuned to see how the day went and to see pictures and a map. This will most likely not be completed until tomorrow.
The first 35 miles of today’s ride were about as good as it
gets! No wind, no climbs, nice
roads. The first 10 miles were spent
getting out of El Paso . Unlike yesterday, this turned out to be a
joy. Light traffic, good shoulders, and
what seemed like a steady downhill.
Whether or not it's actually is immaterial, it is how it felt that
counts. The transition from riding
through the city to riding through farm land was abrupt. Ride up to a traffic light, city; ride
through the light, country farm land. Today
we saw more of what we have been seeing the last few days. We had the cotton fields, the pecan groves,
and fields of chili peppers. Cotton wins
as the most plentiful crop today, followed by pecan trees and then chili
peppers plants.
The time went by quickly as the miles clicked by, making for
a very enjoyable ride. The last 10 or so
miles, well, trying to be positive let’s just say we were anxious to get to the
church. A slight head wind developed,
making the smooth sailing a little more of an effort and at the county line,
the road surface changed from smooth asphalt to a gravel asphalt mix, greatly
increasing rolling resistance. And then
there is the heat factor. Stopped to
take pictures of the county line lake and to apply more sun screen, Joe glanced
down at the small mercury thermometer Tom has strapped to his rear rack. It registered 110 degrees. At a subsequent short stop, this time in the
shade, his thermometer showed a temperature of just 90 degrees, which matched
what was forecast. Riding in the sun
makes a tremendous difference.
Dinner was at Angie’s, a very nice local restaurant about 2
miles from the church. A bike caravan
started at the church and proceeded to dinner. We all had a meal fit to power
us through tomorrow’s ride, one which will be more miles than today and have a
few thousand feet of climbing. Some wish
to get out early so as to avoid as much mid-day heat as possible.
Many have chosen to sleep in the church proper. The pews are cushioned and just as
comfortable as our camping mattresses.
Others are sleeping in the meeting room connected to the church.
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