Today we rode from dispersed campground 22km before Cuba, New Mexico, US to Chaco Trading Post (GDMBR Chaco Alternate), New Mexico, US. Sunny weather with little clouds. Road conditions were perfect, only paved roads. Highlights of the day include the scenery change from the last forests and mountains to more desert and ‘flatter’.
Riding statistics: on Tuesday September 6, 2022, the 37th day on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route route, it took 08:46h (05:08h moving time), between 08:10 and 16:57, to cover 103 km (64 miles), including 654 m (2146 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 20 km/h (12 mph). During today's ride the average temperature was 31 °C (92 °F) with a minimum of 11 °C (52 °F) and a maximum of 47 °C (124 °F).
Totals: So far, it took 10 days, 21 hours, 58 minutes and 19 seconds of cycling time to cover 3793 km (2357 miles), including 45966 m (150814 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.8 km/h (9.2 mph).
Leaving our dispersed campsite
No alarm clock. We got up around 6:30am, made the bikes reading, ate some breakfast snacks, and continued our ride. We were glad we stopped yesterday, because there were still a couple of (steep) climbs between the campsite and the paved road. We had beautiful morning sun and the road quality had increased as well, so we made some good progress.
Cuba and Torreon
Still in the morning we reached Cuba. A very small town with some services (gas stations, grocery store, motel, etc.). Now that we saw Cuba, we were both glad we had to sleep in the forest instead of this town. We bought some groceries (food & water for next two days). After that we went to the gas station / Mc Donalds, to get some more, and sit down to study the map. We already decided that we would take an official alternate section. The main reason is that the original route will be impassable when there is rain. So, on the map it is included to choose the alternate if cycling late summer (because of the possible afternoon rain showers). The roads on the original section are of dried up clay. Some rain and it becomes impassable. Your bike will get stuck completely because if the sticky clay. You will need to clean up your bike and wait for the road to be dried up again. We cannot use such delays. Eventually it turned out others had made the same decision. After some more pancakes at Mc Donalds we continued our ride, on paved roads. Fortunately not much traffic, and almost every vehicle made lots of room while overtaking us. After 35 kilometer we reached Torreon, a small Native American settlement. But it had a modern gas station with a very good convenience store. We took a break and bought some refreshing snacks (iced coffee, ice-cream, soda) in this warm afternoon. Our break took over 2 hours. Mainly because we knew we only needed to ride 35 more kilometer. These 35km turned our to be hilly as well, so we still had some up- and downhills, but it was not comparable with previous days.
Chaco Trading Post
Eventually we reached to Chaco Trading Post. A gas station / convenience store / laundromat. It was there that we met Tom, and older guy riding by himself. At this Trading Post you can pitch your tent for free. We also did laundry. We ate a burrito we bought this morning (heated it up in a microwave oven at the Trading Post), and I also heated my Beef Terryaki Noodles. Desert was (again) an ice-cream. Just after doing laundry, Max & Jack arrived (we met them first at the Great Basin, and we also met again at the Retreat at the River. They find our pace fast, but somehow they have the same pace. We chatted with the four of us, enjoyed the sunset, and the lightning of a thunderstorm in the far distance. After that the musquitoes started to attack and everyone got into their tents.
Gallery
