45,936 feet climbed.
Whew, glad that one is over. We left out of Las Vegas around 7:15 at 37 degrees into a direct head wind. We stopped several times in the first 30 miles to get our clothing layering correct. We resorted to old tricks to stay warm. Lance put a plastic grocery bag around each foot inside his shoes, and I slipped on a pair of latex gloves under my regular gloves. Desperation trumps fashion every time.
By 10:00 it had warmed up to 47 and eventually topped out at 57, but the winds persisted and actually increased closer in to Tucumcari. It snowed today in the two most recent towns we stayed in, so a storm was chasing us all day as we rode on the boundary of the two pressure fronts.
The tarantulas were out in force today. We saw 5 of them crawling across the road, all going left to right. Not sure the migratory trigger, is there such things as a pied piper for spiders?
This was a day when the road went straight ahead to the horizon. The buttes never seemed to get closer, maybe because we were going so slowly, or maybe because they really were miles and miles away. I have to say, I don't ride these kinds of roads very often. Most of my riding is characterized by twists and turns, ascents and descents, and warm temps.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1223122404
https://www.relive.cc/view/1223122404
1 very strong wind.
1 very cold wind.
5 tarantulas.
1 blackberry cobbler.
Hotel: Econolodge, 1 of 5 stars (shabby and dreary, worst hotel of trip).
Restaurant: Del's Restaurant, 3 of 5 stars (more comfort food, just average).
(not so) Fashionable foot plasti-wear.
Furry little rascal.
Lance has some apparel that he owned in high school that comes out on ski trips occasionally, but I haven't seen the plastic bags before. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteDidn't Pops tell you it was a gamble riding from Vegas?
ReplyDeleteGood tip on the plastic bags. I hear that eating tarantulas are a good source of protein.
ReplyDelete