We were up again at 6 am Mountain St time, since Arizona doesn't observe daylight savings time.  That meant the sun was already peaking over the mountains, but we'd been warned that a shift change at the copper mine near Threeway would mean heavy traffic on the roads between 6 and 7.  So there was no need for a pre-dawn alarm.

We finished packing and about 7, said goodbye to Julian, the eastbound rider who camped with us last night.  Then headed down to the store to find breakfast.  We actually lingered as we stood and ate a microwaved burrito, juice, and a cup of coffee.  Mostly we were hesitant because the road we were to take snaked up the mountainside across from our camps it in much too plain a view.  It had certainly been on my mind as we fell asleep, and Julian reported that a sign in the downhill direction had advertised a 7% grade.  We weren't in much of a hurry to start.

But when the coffee was finished, and another run to the porta-john had been made there was no delaying.  The hill was everything advertised, and I imagine there were folks at the store who watched us start out ascent wondering how we would fair.  Well, we didn't ride up without stopping a few times, but we never had to push our bikes,  either.  The first four miles were the most difficult, then the grade eased slightly.  Barb said she noticed because her speed increased from 4.4 mph to 4.6. For me the lessened grade moved me from working above my aerobic threshhold to working just at it.  In any case, about an hour and a half after starting we reached the top of the pass.

The ride down the other side was a long gentle descent, only interrupted by stops to take photos of the amazing scenery, rock formations,  and wildflowers.   Unlike our descent yesterday,  the wrather was spectacular.

The descent was a total of 13 miles, during which we rarely had to either pedal or brake hard.   What a joy!

When we got to the bottom of the descent, the road turged to join US 70, and we rode the next 10 miles in the Gila River valley, with a nice tailwind.   We were living right.

We got into Safford about 11:30, and stopped at the tourist information Center to pick up maps, get directions to the bike shop, inquire about car rentals, and recommendations for lunch.

By noon we were at a local Mexican restaurant eating quesadillas and tacos, then we headed to the bike shop.  While I had a minor repair made and checked availability of a few replacement parts, Barb called and arranged for a rental car.

 By 3pm, we had left our bikes at the shop, and loaded our gear in the car and were driving towards Cochise AZ,  where Barb's friends Jim and Ruth Graham own a pistachio grove, vineuards, and winery.

We've enjoyed a delicious supper accompanied by a several selections of Golden Rule wines and fine conversation that lasted well past our normal bedtime of 8 pm.

We're spending a day off the bikes today at the winery, but will return to Safford later this afternoon and will be back on the route tomorrow.

Doing well and enjoying our adventure.

It was a more relaxed morning today, since the Last Chance Liquor and Pizza in Buckhorn, our only real option for breakfast didn't open until 8 am.  So the morning alarm was set for a genteel 6:30 instead of the normal 6 am.

We were packed and at the Last Chance at 8, after saying best wishes to Panama Bill.  The Last Chance appears to be a favorite of the local ranchers as a group of 6 of them gathered around the adjacent table for coffee and bacon&egg biscuits as we ate and had sub sandwiches made to take with us on our 43 mile serviceless ride.  Turns out that a few of the ranchers had Iowa conections, and so we had common ground for conversation.

We left the ranchers still working on issues of the day and were wished safe travel as we headed out the door and onto our bikes.

It was a morning of steady gradual climbing on US 180 for the first 9 miles, then we turned onto NM 78 for some more vigorous climbing over a series of ever higher ridges before desending into Mule Creek.  We stopped briefly there so Barb could mail a package to her grandsons, and then began climb to the pass at 6295 ft.

About halfway up, we crossed into AZ and stopped to our standard Stateline photos.

A few miles further,  we stopped briefly for lunch while the menacing clouds in the above photos seemed to move on or dissapate.

We continue a half hour later in brilliant sunshine, but as we approached the pass, clouds threatened, and we even had a brief rain shower less than a mile from the top.

When we finally reached the top the views were spectacular and we had just started to take photos, when a loud clap of nearby thunder stopped us an in our tracks.  There's almost nothing that has my respect as much as thunder and lightning high in the mountains, so after all that climbing we litreally had our eyes on the road, while rain and small hail fell, and we hastened down the mountainside without further stops for sightseeing.

By the time we were halfwaydowe the storms had begun to move off but the landscape had changed from dramatic stone cliffs, to just more high plains scrub, so we continued our ride to the days stopping point at Threeway,  AZ.

We're camped at a very pleasant area the USFS has set aside near there headquarters here.   We hurried to set up as thunderstorms again threatened, but passed north of us.

There are no restaurants in Threeway,  so we shopped at the local store, and came back to the campsite for a meal of chicken, cheese, and instant mashed potatoes.  May not sound like much, but to hungry cyclists,  it was great.

As we were finishing,  another east-bound cyclist rode into camp.  Julian started near Seattle,  and headed down the west coast to San Diego and is now heading for Florida.

Tomorrow we'll have a fairly short ride into Safford,  and will then take a day to visit Barb's friends, Jim and Ruth Graham in Wilcox AZ.

We had talked about the possibility of this visit in abstract terms for a quite a few months.  It's had to believe that we're actually on the verge of it happening.  We've ridden some 2400 miles, and have about 600 miles of the Adventure Cycling route left before we arrive in San Diego.

We're fine, hapay to be safely off the mountain, and ready to continue our adventure.

We woke again this morning to the 6 AM alarm.  Hallelujah! No flat tires this morning.  We got our bikes packed and went across the street to a local breakfast place recommended by a guy in the room adjacent to ours.  Breakfast was pretty standard fare.  We finished and started walking back to the room to get the bikes.

That's when the thunder first rolled.   Storms were a definite possibility in the afternoon, but hadn't been predicted in the morning.  So we turned on the weather channel.  Sure enough, A line of storms was moving through the area.  So we laid back down and rested for another hour until radar showed them clearly moving out.  So shortly after 9, we were finally on the road.

There's a fairly steep climb out of Silver City on Hwy 180, that takes you directly to the continental divide at 6230 ft.   We took photos on Barb's cell phone,  but we're in phone access twilight zone tonight and we can't get them on the blog.

After clearing the divide, we had a nice downhill ride for 10 miles, and then another 3 miles of relatively flat riding along a canyon, then began a slow ascent into Buckhorn.

We pulled into the Buckhorn RV park about 1:45, and immediately beGan setting up tents under a car port style canopy.  We got things pretty well unpacked and were relaxing on our sleeping pads, when the thunder rolled a few times and we got a pretty heavy downpour mixed with small hail for five minutes.   We were both relieved we'd made it in and were caught on the open road.

Supper tonight was at the Last Chance Liquor and Pizza, where despite the name, it was a package store with no alcohol served or consumed on the premises.  Still the pizza was good,  and we have a few pieces leftover for a snack later.

Just as I've been finishing up my blog another east-bound cyclist pulled in.  Bill is a retI red employeye of the Panama Canal,  still living in Panama.  We've spent some time discussing tours and directions trying to both give and receive information about what lis ahead.

Tomorrow will be a challenging climb from where we are now over a pass at 6295 ft.  But we have most of the day to complete it.

On a positive note, my Craftsman wrench may be a lucky charm after all.  No flat tires riding either yesterday or today.  Probably just needed a period of adjustment to know its proper role.

Feeling fine and lookino forward to tomorrow.

This morning started off normally enough.  The alarm went off at 6, and Barb got up to head to the restroom, while I laid in bed for a few moments seeking motivation.  Barb came out fully changed into her biking clothes, and turned on a light.  Ok, ok.  I grabbed my shorts and jersey and headed in to change.  On my way out, I stopped by my bike to see how my patched tubes were holding up.  BOTH TIRES WERE AS FLAT AS PANCAKES!!  Jerome 11, Barb 0.  Well at least we were somewhere convenient.  So I flipped the bike and did two inner tube patches before breakfast.  One was causesd by a very small thorn, the other by a tire wire.  My previous patches had at least held.

Then we headed down to breakfast.  True to form, breakfast at the Grand Inn was a delight.   Food was delicious and the staff was anxious to please.  Both Barb and I have noticed that it wasn't the physical building that made the Grand Inn so nice, it was the people who were always looking for ways to make our stay special.  No real cost involved, just great service.

At breakfast a pair of deputy sheriffs noted that we had about 40 miles to cover with services, save for a rest stop about half way, so on the way out of town we stopped at a Walmart to pick up sandwiches and gatorade to pack along.

The morning's ride was a long gradual uphill with a slight tailwind. The road surface was great, where we were riding on the shoulder whenever traffic warranted less so. But all in all pleasant riding.

We happened across another freshly dead rattlesnake along the road and Barb stopped to take a photo.  She has her horseshoe affixed to her rear rack in plain view and seems  in no danger of encountering a live one.

We finally crossed a river in NM with water flowing, quite a beautiful sight with the blue sky refleeting in the water.

At mile twenty, we came upon a charming rest stop that someone local has taken a great tongue-in-cheek interest in.  There was a blue 'lake' painted on a collection of rocks, complete with a NO FISHING  and NO SWIMMING signs.  Picnice tables were sheltered from both wind and sun.  Apparently the NM legislature is constantly tring to close the place, so there was a prominently displayed visitors book to sign in an effort to keep the place off the chopping block.  We sat and enjoyed our sandwiches along with quite a number of visitors.

The next twenty miles into Hurley were basically more of the same gradual climb. Fortunately the wind was in a favorable direction as it picked up.  We stopped at the Gateway Grill in Hurley for a piece of pecan pie, this time of the Mrs. Smith's variety that was hardly anything a Las Cruses pecan grower would claim.  Still it was sugar and calories and a place to sit for a spell.

The last fifteen miles were more of what we've come to expect of the mountains,  a series of fairly steep descents and climbs that had us in and out of our granny gears.

We arrived in Silver City about 3:30 and sat at a table at a convenience store to find housing.  Our prospective warmshowers hosts were unable to host us, and we couldn't find a contact  for a cyclists-only house.  So we used the tablet to find a reasonable, but nice hotel.  We've ended up at the Copper Manor hotel.   Adequate for our needs and clean.  The restaurant next door, The Red Barn, was convenient for supper and turned out to serve fine food, a good draft ale, and a generously  filled glass of house red.

So we're showered, full, and settling down for the evening with a load of tub laundry hanging in the room with hopes that it will be dry in the morning.

Please note there have been no further flats to report, something that pleases me immensely.  

Well, safe, and happy.

We left John and Donetta Demirjian's home early this morning following John's excellent directions out of town and onto I-10.


At John's suggestion, we stopped at Pancake Alley for breakfast.  Great service, and delicious, filling breakfasts.  Powered us for the next 40 miles of cycling.

The climb out of Las Cruces warmed us up without being exhausting, and then we spent the morning gradually climbing and descending long very gentle grades into a slight headwind.

It was a very pleasant morning of cool temps, surrounded by mountains, watching wildlife, wildflowers, and many passing trains.

Initially the surface of the road shoulders was fantastic, but as we progressed, they degraded, making stops to rest hands, butts, and feet necessary.   At one stop Barb took a photo of these wildflowers growing in a crack in the shoulder.  Not sure if she meant to emphasize the flowers or the crack.  Me, I'm trying to stay on the good side of New Mexico.

Speaking of staying on the good side of New Mexico, I thought I'd been handed a good luck charm of my own, when I found  Craftsman 3/4" wrench along the side of the road, and packed it into a pannier.  But I had another flat late in the day from another wire from a shredded tire. Jerome 9, Barb 0. But at least it was the front tire this time.  Guess I need to keep looking.

We stopped at Akela Flats for lunch. Good home cooking,  at a very reasonable price.  While we lingered over lunch, the headwinds began to pickup,  and we rode much of the last twenty miles into a stiff breeze.

But we persevered, and made it to the Grand Hotel in Deming about 4:30.  Can't say enough nice things about this hotel.  Very reasonably-priced, large clean rooms, and a staff that seems bent on making sure your stay is everything you hoped for.

We're leaving in the morning and heading for Silver City, a 53 mile ride with a gradual elevation gain of 1500 ft.  Hopefully with favorable winds.

Today we made good our depasture from Texas and are staying in Las Cruses NM at the warmshowers home of John and Donetta Demirjian.

We ate breakfast at the hotel in Anthony TX.   We both laughed when we saw the waffle iron in the shape of the state of Texas and took a photo so you too could appreciate it.  The raisin marked our position this morning.

We left the hotel and were shortly across the Rio Grande river, such as it is in this part of the state, and finally entering NM in earnest.  So we stopped to take photos at the border once again.

The trees you see in the background are pecans, and , much of today's ride was along and between pecan groves, sometimes large enough to form a canopy over the road.  Many of the fields were being flooded with irrigated water as the pecans are still ripening.  Neither of us realized the extent of the pecan crop here, but locals were constantly referring to the area as the pecan capital of the world.

About halfway through today's ride, cycling suddenly seemed difficult,  and I looked down to find my rear tire going flat.  I tried to simply pump some more air into it, and ride the 2 miles to the next small town, but it was not to be.  Score Jerome 7, Barb 0 since she picked up her lucky horseshoe.

After repairs, the riding was much easier and we got to Las Cruces near the campus of New Mexico State University about 11:30.  So we ducked into DG's Deli just before a crush of students and staff arrived.  Sandwiches and fruit cups were great and it was easy to understand the noontime crowd.

When we finished we rode the remaining half mile to John and Donetta's home.  John is a former touring cyclist who rode many times from southern California to his parents' home in Ohio, and back.   Though retired from riding he still takes a strong interest in touring cyclists and has hosted several groups of folks on the Southern Tiers route recently.

We unpacked our bikes and rode them down to the local bike shop. Barb replaced the rear tire on her bike, and I picked up a few new inner tubes.

Then we continued toward downtown Las Cruces were we found a bistro serving pecan pie.  Who could resist? On the way back to our warmshowers host, I suddenly felt that weird softness in my bike, and looked down to find my rear wheel flat again.  So one of the new inner tubes was immediately put to use.  Jerome 8, Barb 0.  I need to find a horseshoe.

As long as we're reporting scores, the final tally on Texas roads was Texans 11, Snakes 1.

We ate tonight at a Golden Corral, not somewhere I've been for a while, but tonight it really hit the spot.

We'll be up tomorrow morning, heading for Deming on I -10.   We have directions from John for getting out of Las Cruces,  complete with his recommendation for breakfast.

Happy and doing well, except for my preponderance of flats.

To paraphrase a dear Texas girl, "The sun is ris', the sun is set, yet here we is in Texas yet."

We really thought we'd be in New Mexico tonight and finally through the state of Texas.  But every time we thought we were about to leave the state, we found our way blocked by construction detours, as if Texas was reluctant to let us go.

At one point, we even dipped our toes into New Mexico when Barb spotted the NM Welcome sign.  So we pulled 50 yards into NM, stopped and took a few photos, then needed to return to Texas to follow our route north to Las Cruces.

Our relatively easy 50 mile day turned into a detour filled 61 miles.  Oh, and then there was the long climb out of downtown El Paso, that somehow got missed in the Adventure Cycling route profiles.

Still all things considered,  we're fine.

We'd gotten up this morning and packed, then headed over to La Estrella at 7 to have an early breakfast to find the place still dark.  So we headed across the street to the truckstop to grab breakfast tacos, coffee, and juice and brought it back to our room to eat.

Still we were on the road and riding at 7:45 in temperatures cool enough that both Barb and I had jackets on to start the day.  The approach into El Paso from the east is fairly flat, and we made good time covering the first 20 miles, when we had to make a decision about heading through downtown El Paso or taking  a longer bypass.  But one look at the amount of traffic on the bypass convinced us that downtown El Paso couldn't be that bad.

We were riding through the main road into downtown  in mid-morning,  and frankly had a pretty easy time of it.  We were in the heart of downtown by 11 and stopped at the PIke Place deli for sandwiches and a delicious spinach soup as we switched maps and looked at routes.

From downtown we climbed along Oregon street, and then Mesa Street for a 5 miles before descending again to the Rio Grande valley.  That's where we ran into our first road closure, with no indication of a detour.  Fortunately,  a local cyclist gave us approximate directions that only lead us up one dead end street, before we were able to walk our bikes on the shoulder into oncoming traffic for a few blocks to clear the construction zone.

Then our maps directed us onto an unnamed dirt road for a third of a mile to a local bike path.  Again local cyclists said we should follow Westside Drive, and that they were unfamiliar with any paved bike path in the area.  So we followed their suggestion until we again ran into a road closure 2 miles up the road.  Ugh!

Long story, short,  we picked our way among back roads with the help of local drivers and have found ourselves at a hotel in Anthony TX.   But we can see New Mexico from here and feel certain to make good our Texas departure tomorrow.

Feeling fine and ready for a good night's sleep.