EIGHTY NINE MILES!!!

The B&B was in a canyon and we had some fairly loud and somewhat worrisome winds during the night, but woke up to crystal clear skies and chilly breezes.

After a wonderful breakfast (homemade bread, homemade preserves, eggs, cereal, etc.) we started out.  The first 9 miles or so we coasted downhill.  Then came about three miles of climbing and after that we started downhill toward the Rio Grand River valley.  No shoulders on this road, but there isn't much traffic and the road is in excellent condition.  We went speeding down and it was wonderful.

It is amazing what you can do with more than three gears, a shoulder that moves and lungs that breathe in AND out.  We were going in a generally east and south direction and the westerly tailwinds were a welcome boost.

Finally, we get the westerly winds..........just as we turn south.  At first they were probably 10-12mph with occasional gusts to 25 or so.  As the sun got higher the winds got stronger and the last 30 miles we were battling crosswinds of 22-25mph with gusts higher. In places it was difficult keeping the bikes in the right hand lane. 

The farther south we went, the stronger the winds got.  The air was brown with blowing sand.  That's what happens when you use all the water and scrape away all the vegetation. This looked like pictures of the dust bowl. 

Only in NM could you get a total body workout, an exfoliation and a tooth polishing at the same time.

BUT I MADE IT!!!!  ALL 89 MILES!!!  YAYYYYYY ME!!!!!

No pictures today - my hands were welded to the handlebars - but we saw cows, goats, a camel and lots and lots of sand.  The drivers were really watching out for us, giving us plenty of room - one family even gave a rider a lift to the hotel.  When I checked in, there was a man telling the desk clerk about what a hard drive he had had from TX, fighting the wind all the way.  I was thinking "you should try it on a bicycle."