Days 14 & 15 - Ecstasy, Agony and Ecstasy

Ted Yates
Sep 23, 2017
3 min read

Day 14 was a day off from riding and we had a chance to enjoy Silver City, New Mexico. It was nice waking up at 6:30 instead of the usual 4:30 or 5:00 to break camp and hit the road. I had a leisurely breakfast at the large grocery store near our RV Park and actually had a good cup of coffee while I worked on my post. Most of my day was spent working on my bike, going to the post office to get rid of the things I wasn't using and doing laundry. The most enjoyable part of the day was when I went to a little barber shop near our camp site. Danial the barber gave me a Mexican crew cut. That's what he called my new buzz. While "styling" my hair he played Mexican Cowboy music and showed me pictures of the many old cars he had restored. My time in his barber shop was just what the doctor had ordered. It was truly a throwback to a time gone by. I said goodbye to my new friend and his little poodle named, Diablo. Diablo (Devil) was the dog's nickname because he'd bite you if you tried to pet him. That night we had a team meeting where we Face Timed with an amazing person, Angela. She has MS and is virtually riding the ride with us. Using her one good arm she pumps a device much like an elliptical machine. For every mile we ride she pushes the device a number of times. I was overwhelmed by her positive demeanor and warm personality. She was a true inspiration for my climb the next day up and over Emory Pass. After the meeting Pat suggested that we all carbo load at the nearby Italian restaurant. Pasta was what we needed for the next day. Day 15 - The Agony and the Ecstasy.

I believe many of us lost a little sleep due to thinking about the 76 mile day that included the 3,000 ft climb over the infamous Emory Pass. Without a doubt it was a strenuous five hours of climbing. The pass was a serpentine through beautiful pines and gentle streams. Steep rock faces lined both sides of the road. The beauty helped to take our minds off of the burning in our thighs. Once at the top we were treated to a breathtaking view of the desert below. We stood and looked out in awe from 8,200 ft. knowing we had arrived at this point on bicycles and now we would get to descend some 30 miles to our destination.

The descent down the Rockies was terrifying at times as we twisted and turned down the mountain road at speeds exceeding 40 mph. Think of being on a roller coaster ride that lasted for over a half an hour and you would have an idea of what it was like for us. I had my Go Pro running most of the time and we relived the incredible ride down Emory Pass after dinner at our campsite on Pat's computer. We're staying in a State Park tonight and it's pretty bare bones. Once the sun went down we noticed many scorpions on the rock walled pavilions near our tents.