Samson and me (29 May)


Leaving New Mexico for one day in Texas and I had great plans: a brief visit to a nearby reservoir and then cycling about 20 miles from the second SAG stop to the border and back. But I have discovered on this trip how quickly plans must be changed. I think I should change the F in my middle name from Frances to Flexibility! The heavy truck traffic on the one lane highway and the strong headwinds already made me sceptical about my designs. And when I learned that there was an excellent hiking path along the reservoir, the decision was made: I'll hike today.
The Ute Lake Reservoir is the largest weir dam in the world outside of China. I learned that with a weir the water flows over the construction, while with a dam the water flows over a spillway. I was enjoying the quiet and the gentle breeze (a cousin of the nasty headwinds the group were suffering) when above me I spotted dog tails wagging away. Suddenly two enormous chocolate labradors came charging down the path barking at me. They scared the sh..., I was very frightened and shouted at them - in German, of all things! The owner came along quickly apologizing and saying that the dogs were really lovely lap pets. The guy was on his way to pick up his parents, who were visiting at the nearby campgrounds. On returning from my beautiful outing we met again and I made friends with Samson.

Samson and me

With perfect Steiner timing, I caught up with the gang at the photo op at the Texas border (see above). At dinner this evening everyone was quite subdued. 91 miles on dishearteningly straight roads, insistent headwinds and still 110 miles echoing in their legs from yesterday were reason enough to be just a little bit tired. When I asked Emil what he felt, he said he was so grateful to have a fantastic group of people to cycle with. They made the day enjoyable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Talking about important people (11 June) It's time to talk about someone who is very important to the well-being of the Cross Roads riders: Tom. From dawn until after dusk he and the rest of the staff are busy stocking the SAG vehicles, setting up SAG stops, making sure all rooms are ready as soon as possible, transporting duffle bags to said rooms, organizing dinners and completing a myriad of other tasks, all pretty much out of sight of the riders. And he does all this without losing his sense of humor! Today the riders had a long stint of over 100 mi. to ride. Pleasant temperatures  and a moderate headwind made riding quite enjoyable. I did my stint in the fitness room and pool, and then headed toward Springfield, where I intended to meet another very important person: Abraham Lincoln. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum has the most elaborate dioramas and technically advanced shows I have ever seen. One such exhibition is a Holatheater, of which there are onl...
Read more
Image
In the MOOd Singing in the Rain (28 June) The last 90 miles, only 90 miles of 3,404 miles,  just the last little teeny bit and through lovely countryside and three states...and it is pouring rain, relentlessly! Adi and Roz are observing their partners with some worry as we follow them along the narrow, winding roads to the SAGs. How are Navi and Adam (and Emil!) dealing with the weather and the oblivious and even aggressive Massachusetts drivers? We were relieved to see our guys and gal spiting the elements and finally arriving safely at the last of 46 different hotels. Unfortunately, our wonderful Ichi, who had doggedly completed every mile to within the last 10 before Burlington, fell and damaged his knee so badly that he could not  complete the ride. Ichi has become the darling of the group with his infectious smile and his ability to get lost at some point nearly every day, thus actually completing many more than the prescribed miles! Today's route passed by...
Read more
Image
Underway on the I-10(15May) With a certain amount of trepidation, the Cross Roads riders faced the challenges of the I-10 and the weather conditions of the high desert. What about the wind? How hot will it get? What about the conditions riding on the shoulder ... and what about those big trucks?! Well, the wind was kindly blowing from West to East, so everyone enjoyed a lovely tailwind, and the heat was manageable. The shoulder was - with the exception of about three miles - all right. BUT those three miles were really horrible, with great cracks, debris and potholes. Also there was a fair share of flat tires, but nothing to compare with that record 27 flats in one day! The biggest surprise was the great care with which the truck drivers passed the cyclists; often moving into the left lane to give them more room. As usual, the support was exemplary with tasty snacks, fresh fruit and plenty to drink at the SAG stops. An inventive method for keeping cool in the desert heat were ...
Read more