Great Divide Ride

9.19.2012
Start: I-10 / 46 junction
End: Antelope Wells, NM / MEXICO!
Today’s miles: 65
Total miles: 2755
Splats: 0
Divide crossings: 1; 32 total
Wildlife: tarantula, fox

This is it. The last day. My parents dropped me off where I stopped yesterday and I started riding. It’d be 65 flat, paved miles to the border. It seemed to take forever for me to get to the mountains that had been looming in the distance. When I finally got there, I was still nowhere near close to being done. I stared at the white line on the road and kept pedaling; I’ve gotten pretty decent at that by this point.

Something on the road caught my eye and I hopped off the muni to investigate. It was a tarantula! I dug out my camera and tried to get some shots from its level. The tarantula was either attracted to the camera or possibly it wanted to eat me. Either way, it chased me around as I tried to take its picture.

Fourteen miles from the border, I started riding like I was drunk. I didn’t want to accept it, but I knew what it meant – flat tire. I’d suffered multiple thorn punctures in my tire and decided that I’d had enough; I was ready to quit the ride right there. Fortunately, riding to my parents car at the border was the shortest evacuation route so I had no choice but to swap out the tube and ride on.

I was a little dismayed to see closed gates and ‘restricted area’ signs at the border crossing as I rode up. The flat had set me back and I arrived about 20 minutes after the crossing closed for the day. I ducked under the gate to seek Mexico anyway; stopping 100 yds from the goal after 88 days and 2755 miles was not an option! I went past the closed inspection station up to a second gate. Went under that one and took a step into Mexico as the Mexican guards with big guns looked on with amusement.

I MADE IT!

While my parents waited for me to arrive, they had plenty of time to chat with Tim at customs. We visited him in his nearby house where I tagged his wall and was treated to ice cream and a cold coke!

The riding is over, thank goodness, but stay tuned for more updates, gear reviews, pictures and videos!

9.17.2012
Start: Road to Sapillo Campground
End: Silver City
Today’s miles: 32.2
Total miles: 2629.6
Splats: 0
Divide crossings: 1; 30 total
Wildlife:

Wandered around Silver City with my parents this morning while waiting for my part to arrive. I got the call around noon and we rushed off to get it installed and to get me back on the route.

Today’s thirty some miles were all on pavement. There was a big climb, but the riding went by quickly as my parents leapfrogged me in their car. Every few miles, I’d round a bend to see their camera lenses aimed at me.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet, but I’ve come to accept my new trail name, Butterfeet, as I’ve been dubbed by the Queen Bee. Supposedly, I trip over things a lot. Today, as I crossed a busy intersection on foot, my feet tangled multiple times. I may now actually be more graceful riding a unicycle than walking.

9.15.2012
Start: near Ghost Lake
End: Black Canyon
Today’s miles: 59.2
Total miles: 2570.8
Splats: 0
Divide crossings: 3; 27 total
Wildlife:

Who would’ve guessed that New Mexico would be the coldest, greenest, and most flowered state (and perhaps one of the wettest). I stayed nice and toasty in my sleeping bag as ice formed in my water bottles last night. I was awake, once again, well before dawn to try to get a start as soon as it was light enough to see. It was cold, but I was finally feeling hardened to it; about time…

I couldn’t believe how green everything was today. I mean, I expected to be riding through 100 degree deserts through here, not 30 degree green grasslands and pine forests. To make things even more spectacular, wildflowers were blooming everywhere, adding yellows and purples to the mix. For much of the day, the forest floor and hillsides were blanketed in a carpet of little yellow flowers. I feel pretty lucky to be reaping the rewards of the rains earlier in the week. Some locals said they haven’t seen it this pretty up here in many years, if ever.

The miles went by rather easily today, a nice change. I was on track to do close to 70 miles, but ran into some issues about 55 miles in. Let’s just say that currently my seat and handlebars are half held on with duct tape. I feel quite vulnerable sitting atop this thing. Will have to keep a close eye on it tomorrow; I do not want the seat to fall off while I’m riding. It’s about 60 miles to town from here. I’m hoping to at least make it I the pavement where I may end up hitching into town where a new seat base should be waiting. My patents / rescue team should also be arriving there tomorrow!