Day 10: Hillsboro, NM to Anthony (El Paso), TX

Distance: 108.1 mi (174.0 km)
Cumulative Distance: 848.1 (1,364.9 km)
Average Speed: 18.7 (30.1 kph)
Climb: 3,732 ft ( 1,138 m)
Cumulative Climb: 52,000 (15,850 m)
Flats: 1
Cumulative Flats: 6

Goodbye New Mexico, Hello Texas

Following a healthy breakfast in a café in the historic little village of Hillsboro, we departed on our ride in sunny but chilly conditions. After an early climb out of the valley, it was a slightly downhill ride all the way to Texas.

We took advantage of the good riding conditions to average 18.7 mph for the full ride. As you can see from the stats above, the ride was over 170 km at an average speed of over 30 kph. That's not Tour de France stuff, but bad for a bunch of old -----! Daily average so far is 85 miles.

About halfway thru the ride we experienced our sixth flat - Gaby again (she now has three and we each have one apiece). There is a more farming and animals in the fertile valley west of Las Cruces. Don't know what these horeses were finding to eat - looks like sand - but when Lee tried to entice them with the end of his Clif bar, they weren't interested.

The scenery today was less spectacular then it was in the mountains. Toward Las Cruces we rode thru endless pecan orchards and a picture is included.

Lunch was at a park just West of Las Cruces. We arrived at the park before Gaby, who was driving at the time and was charged with picking up bread and cheese. She got lost looking for the park so we had a nice rest while she looked for it. This experience confirmed what we already suspected, based on a previously unreported incident in Mesa, that Gaby is a bit directionally challenged. In Mesa she had so much trouble trying to find the motel that she resorted to hiring a taxi (for $40) to lead her to the motel!

Here's Dave waiting for Gaby today.

We finished the ride in Anthony, Texas, just West of El Paso - barely past the New Mexico border. Tomorrow we begin a long and challenging trip across this giant state and are hoping that the good fortune we have enjoyed so far with the weather will continue!