Day 18 - September 27, 2017 - 46.52 miles, 3,563 feet ascent

Lordsburg, NM to Silver Springs, NM

Today was by far the most difficult riding day of this tour.   It was cold to start, at about 39 degrees, and we we expected rain.  We could see the clouds to the northeast, where we were headed.  But, to start the day off, we had 22 mph crosswinds, combined with a 1-2% grade (and sometimes more) for the first 24 miles.   We were making less than 5 mph forward advancement per hour.   At this rate, it might take us 10 hours to get to Silver City.

On a positive note, there was very little traffic on NM 90, and the shoulder was in better condition than the road.  There were still transverse cracks on the shoulder,  but they did not have the protruding ridges that makes riding on them extremely bumpy.  Good road surface, but oh, those winds!

After about 20 miles, I was so cold, I stopped to put on my rain pants.  I already had my rain jacket on, if only to serve as a windbreaker.  It was 58 degrees by this time, but who knows what the wind chill was.   We also seemed to have reached a summit, but it was not to be.  For the next 20 miles, there were rollers, taking us up, then down, but the "ups" were longer and higher.

I was riding with Joe, a 71 year old from Poughkeepsie, NY, and Tom R, from Fairfax, VA.  The three of us rode together uphill and against the wind for the first 24 miles, until we reached the Continental Divide.  After the obligatory photos, Joe took off like a slingshot, and dropped Tom and I.   Seems like rollers are Joe's strong suit.  

By this time, we had passed by more roadkill than we have on any segment so far.  Not only did we see the typical deer and coyote, but also two javalinas and a porcupine.  Not that we were counting, but it is kind of hard not to notice!

We left the road sign at the continental divide, and soon the rain came.  Soft at first, and barely noticeable; however, by the time we reached 36 miles, it was really coming down.  We came to a long descent where I actually had to stop partway down because I could not see.  Took my sunglasses off, and still couldn't see due to the rain hitting my eyes.  Glasses back on.  Glasses off again...  so it went.  

Just before the Silver City city limits, I stopped at the top of a roller to eat the remainder of my ham and cheese sandwich.  I was hungry, yet had only 5 more miles to our destination.  They say that if you wait to eat until you are hungry, while riding, it is too late - you are at risk of bonking or building up lactic acid in your muscles.  Neither happened to me, I was just hungry, and Tom soon caught up and did the same.

Soon, we came to the Motel 6, our destination, where we will spend the next two nights - a welcome rest day tomorrow,  after unloading g our wet bikes, showering, laundering, etc., I went to dinner at the Little Toad Brewery, a place popular with the local crowd.  Worked some different muscles, as it was a 1.5 mile walk each way.   

Time to rest!