Day 13-14. 23 Miles
Well we woke to heavy smoke and strong winds with advisories to stay inside. We couldn't see the hills that would be our climb today so we checked if our room was available for another night and we settled in for another day of plugging in, swimming and hanging out. 2 full rest days....
We woke the next morning and started to ride and rode a hard earned 23 miles and 2500 feet of elevation. The smoke was gone from our area and the winds had died. It was great to be back in the mountains as we bedded down just shy of 9000 feet. The smell of the pines and the shade where welcome break from the blazing sun and dry dusty road. Not worrying about cactus and thorns was a relief as we rest, ride, or just live life. Near our camp we had fresh spring water, which was a treat to all of us a city water was starting to wear on us, and the water we find on the "road" is often not the most appealing. With clean air and tried bodies and we slept well.
Day 15, May 28th 37 miles
Well it was a beautiful morning, with cool temps and fresh mountain air. We are all grateful for the all the cold weather clothes we've been hauling thru the desert. We load up and climb a few hundred feet to our new high point of over 9000 feet then start the long down hill. We climb we drop and the drop went too fast for our liking. What had taken us a day to climb we dropped in a matter of hours. During our drop we had our first flat tire, nice gravel roads and we get a flat. I peel Wiley's front tire off find the leak, slap on a patch and we are off. Down and down and we find our selves back in the desert on dusty rough roads. Now the scenery was beautiful on the drop, but back in the flats looking at where we had been and where we had togo was a little depressing. We continued on in the sun as we crossed the dry flat lands looking for the little bits of shade for breaks and for lunch. After breaking for lunch I discover the second flat of the trip. The valve stem on my front tire has torn out of the tube, when it happened I don't know but after lunch my tire is super flat and the tube won't hold air. I slap in a spare and we ride.. a couple hours later Wiley's front tire is flat again, so off comes the tire and in goes a spare. the spare won't hold air, so a second spare goes in, and it won't hold air either. with closer inspection both have developed multiple holes. We guess that they have developed the holes rattling around in the panniers or handle bar bags as they held Ia before the trip and now they have up to ten holes in them. I put the original tube back in the bike, pump it up and figure it will get us to camp. We climb in and out of Arroyo's all day and after 37 miles make camp in one with a little water sitting in pools. I pull Wiley's tire and find that the patch on the one thorn hole we've had is leaking so I pull it off and try it again, this patch too will fail and I will pump Wiley's tire up a few times a day until I have enough water again to search the whole tube for leaks.
In Cuba I use the hotel sink to discover that this patch also leaks and finally get a bomber patch to hold.
Day 16 43 miles
We wake and ride, dropping and climbing out of arroyos. Luckily the weather is dry or the road would be impassible, we ride thur the ruts of the last rain storm and they are deep, you can see where the local ranchers have chained up their trucks to make progress thru the mud/clay. We count our blessings for the dry weather and ride. The scenery is changing and it looks and feels like the canyon lands, it is beautiful. The day is filled with rocketing down, and then the grind and hike a bike up and out of the every increasing depth of the arroyos. Mid morning we meet our third bikers. We stopped and admired his speed and ability to climb with only his bike and bikepacking gear. (He had no panniers, no trailer and only a small frame bag, a small bag attached to his seat and handle bars.) He was trying to ride the New Mexico section in a week, he was headed south and we shared our info on water, and routes. He was missing home, his young kids and the cherry harvest, we encouraged him to ride with his kids next time and we parted ways a few minutes later both thinking of the descents we had experienced and that the other would have to climb. We rode on and the scenery soon changed to a more boring scene and we decided we had enough. By late afternoon, we were parched and disappointed in the fact water supplies that were dry and we were looking at having a dry camp that night. As we turned onto another dirt road we meet a couple of locals who where going out on a "hunt" who gave us a gallon of ice water which was enjoyed by all.
As the evening drew near we decided to stop in what little shade we could find and cook dinner then move on again. With a lack of shade and water we knew if we made camp while the sun was still up we would be miserable, and thirsty so we might as well ride.
Wiley had started to hurt but didn't share with us how bad it was, (saddle sore) and after dinner he never sat down on his seat but stood and cranked and refused to let us tend to him. Wiley was a trooper and we put down more miles of the grind thru the flat basin/desert. As the sun started to drop we set up the tents, played doctor and fell into our sleeping bags.
Day 17 18 Miles
Well because of the long day before we have a short run to our next "town". A place to buy food, hydrate, and go out for a meal. The roads are brutal at times and today is no different, the dust or sand can be inches deep and at any moment your front end can wash out and down you go, and it happened again this morning within feet of mounting up for the days ride. A hard way to start the day, we ride in the cool of the morning, hoping to beat the heat as we are down to our lowest water supply of the trip and we only have water bottle at this time, no water packs and no extra water on our racks. At one point we cross a cattle guard, who would every think a cattle guard would be considered smooth riding (we are at this time) and we find two bear pelts drying in the sun. Not big bears by northwest standards but two mid sized black bear pelts. Not a house for miles, or any trees of mention but two pelts, a little weird....
By noon we have dropped to pavement, and ridden a smooth and blissful 10 miles into Cuba NM where we check into a hotel take much needed showers and go out for lunch.
On our last bike trip showers were taken on a more frequent basis, as we camped in city parks, campgrounds and water was plentiful, doing this ride is a different beast, and we are missing being able to wipe off the road dust. I spend the day cleaning and lubing the bikes, fixing Wiley's tire and ordering up some tubes to meet us up the road n Abiquiu NM.
Day 18 12 Miles
We make it a slow morning, internet access in Cuba the day before had been down but was again working so we get a little online stuff done, breakfast out and off we go. We know it's going to be a day of climbing and the climb started at the edge of town, up and up. It's a steady grade that is paved and it's a treat not to be rattled. Maya shows us again what a athlete she is with rarely dropping out of her middle chain ring and grinding her way up, where, the rest of us "mortals" find ourselves mixing the ride with short stretches of hiking. We climb into the trees and running water and we are thrilled to be back in the "mountains". We make camp next to running water and find a soccer ball waiting for our evening entertainment. It feels good to be camping in the trees again with green grass all around. We are well over 9000 feet and feeling good.
Day 19 30 Miles
We wake in the mountains we love, and start to climb a little more and peak out at 10,200 feet and then start the down, we rattle down the roads feeling good and refreshed. We drop a couple thousand feet and meet a couple more southbound "bike packers" out for a few days who warn of us the upcoming climb. A good but short conversation as we were on the move thinking of the upcoming climb and finding water as the terrain seemed to be drying up. (their comments). We climbed thru the afternoon, back up to over 10000 feet. The climb was tough, parts of the "road" were gnarly. A 4x4 dream run. Boulders, rocks, ruts and steep, not sure I'd want to ride down it on a loaded bike, much less hike a bike up. At one point Maya dropped her panniers(her elbows were hurting from the steep push up hill) and she mounted up and showed us ll how it was done by cranking up a steep and gnarly pitch. Up and up, push ride, hike, rest...
Mid afternoon a rider came down the hill towards us with nothing but his clothes and a water bottle and a map. Riding a full suspension bike he was rattling down the hill, and as we greeted him he rode right by with a comment of"behind schedule, got go" Not the greeting interaction we'd expect in the middle of no where but we think we were such an odd sight that he was a little in shock, at the difficulty of the route and the fact of seeing the four of us hike a bike up that particular steep pitch. He had miles to go before he would find shelter, unless he had a sag wagon that was following a different route as most 4x4's would be stopped dead by these rocky pitches.
We climbed the "first" summit of 10,200 and then dropped a couple hundred feet to a small stream and camp. Tucking in next to the creek we squeezed the tents into the only flat spot since the dry summit.
Day 20 37 miles
After a close call last night, (Wiley got sick, luckily outside of the tent) We wake up to settled stomachs. We drop and drop and then climb back to over 10,200 feet the "Second" summit. We start the decent which by the end of the day will total more than 4000 feet. We have learned not to dream of anything being easy and the decent isn't easy. It's brutal with ruts, rocks, slabs, sand, and dust. We rattle down riding the brakes and weaving around the obstacles. I curse all the bike "experts" who said we didn't want or need front suspension on 29"bikes. For the first time we all wish for full suspension bikes as we bounce, lock brakes and stand on our pedals in an attempt to smooth out the ride. Wiley leads the way and at one point his front end washes out in a a deep pile of sand and dust and he goes down hard coating half his body in dust. Ina does a running dismount a little bit later leaving her bike on it side as she ran down the road.
We have done our share of climbing and descending on the trip and this is the first time I am grateful that I am descending and not climbing. I'll admit I wish it was all descending, but as for swapping climbs for descents I wouldn't trade this one. This would be a brutal climb and by days end I think on what it would have taken for us to climb the 4000 + feet that we have just descended. I see the advantage of "bikepacking" and living without comforts and traveling light and fast and today it all makes sense. With a light bike with full or partial suspension both directions would be more enjoyable and faster. Traveling with the kids, or any group comforts are a needed thing. Riding alone or with one other you can push on, sleep under a bush, or "rough it" for a few days as you crank it out. As a family with an 11 year old we are limited to what is possible, so we have tents, a stove, a water filter, and plenty clothing to keep warm or dry in camp or on a bike. I know that Maya could do the mileage of big days, and could crank farther than we have, but we travel as a family, a quicker pace with less gear will have to wait for future years.
We finish our day by pulling into the Abiquiu Inn, a fancy "resort" which only has a room with one bed but we take it anyways and retire to a plush room with hot water, lot's of shampoo, lotion, and a sense of peace, everyone is thrilled despite the lack of cell coverage and limited internet.