Today we rode from Beaverhead Work Center, New Mexico, US to Silver City, New Mexico, US. Sunny weather with some clouds. Road conditions included New Mexico gravel roads and paved roads. Highlights of the day include our evening ride into Silver City.

Riding statistics: on Saturday, September 10, 2022, day 41 on the route, it took 13:15h (10:38h moving time), between 07:26 and 20:42, to cover 135 km (84 miles), including 2352 m (7717 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 13 km/h (8 mph), while reaching a maximum speed of 48 km/h (30 mph). During this ride the average temperature was 25 °C (77 °F) with a minimum of 7 °C (45 °F) and a maximum of 39 °C (102 °F).

Totals: So far, it took 12 days, 9 hours, 57 minutes, and 2 seconds of cycling time to cover 4337 km (2695 miles), including 51390 m (168611 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.9 km/h (9.2 mph).

For this morning we had set our alarms at 6am again. Sunrise would be at 7am. We got ourselves and the bikes ready. While Anna was folding up her tent, a spider fell out. She was convinced it was a black widow. We took a photo so we could identify it better, and yes, it turned out she was correct. We ate some more snacks and filled up all water bottles and bladders, because we could use all we can carry. After that we left the Beaverhead Work Center. We would try to make it to Silver City today. We’re looking forward to do laundry and take a shower.

We were again in a beautiful scenery while cycling between the hills/canyons and through the forests. We noticed that in New Mexico most forests are spacious and light. This comes from all the wildfires and rain earlier this year. The fires cleaned up everything on the ground. That, combined with the above average amount of rain, provided perfect conditions for new low vegetation. On several occasions we have been told that New Mexico is greener than ever. (back home that was really clear when I compared our photos with for example Google Maps images).

In some of the valleys we cycled through this morning, we again saw results of flash floods. In the lower parts roads have been swept away. Most of these unpaved roads have been repaired (quick fixes), so we were able to cycle most of them. We had to be careful and pay attention to where we would ride. This, combined with short steep up- and down-hills, made it challenging and time consuming.

After noon, the scenery started to change. We came out of the forests, and the mountains changed into hills. For about an hour we rode on top of the hills. We had distant views in both left and right directions (when not blocked by vegetation). This also meant we were exposed, while thunderstorms were developing. Fortunately, we had a great downhill and were back on a paved road before the thunderstorms caught up. We did see huge storms in the distance where we previously had been.

We had to follow that paved road for about 10km (6 miles) for getting to Lake Roberts. There was not much traffic, and we enjoyed the ride to Lake Roberts. The area around the lake was really nice, red rocks, forests, the water, etc. When we arrived at the general store, it was already late afternoon, and we were a bit disappointed. The general store only had a few items (which tasted awful, only sugar). It was for sale by the owner, and it did not look like it would get a better selection of products any time soon. Maybe the end of the summer season could have been a reason as well. We started to feel our legs and realized we still had 48km (30 miles), including two climbs, to get to Silver City.

A little outside Lake Roberts we had to start the first climb. The distance if the climb was 14km (8.5 miles) with an elevation gain of 500m (1640ft). Fortunately, it was a paved road, and enjoyed the scenery, the late afternoon weather, and the quiet road. While we enjoyed the sunrise, we entered a forest again. During this time of the day, we saw more wildlife. It did not take long before it got dark. We both had our reflective vests on, and both turned on our rear and front lights. Making sure that any traffic was able to see us clearly. The whole trip we did not want to ride in the dark because of the bad roads. This time we specifically choose to ride in the dark, because of the road condition, expected amount of traffic, and the services in Silver City.

It was already pitch dark when we arrived in Pinos Altos, a small community 13km (8 miles) before Silver City. We could not see much of it, but it showed to be a nice location to spend a little time. We cycled on without stopping and entered a wide road with a very big shoulder. This road would bring us to Silver City, after a downhill of 10km (6 miles). The occasional traffic was very polite and really made room for us. Meanwhile, two thunderstorms started to develop in the distance. One on our right, and one behind Silver City. We saw the beautiful lightning and heard the thunder, fortunately, it was still far away.

After that great downhill we arrived in Silver City. We checked our phones to select a motel and get directions. We checked in at the Quality Inn, got ourselves thoroughly cleaned, did laundry, and ordered a pizza from the nearby Dominos (no delivery due to staff shortage, I had to pick it up myself, via the drive-through). Meanwhile it had started to rain, so hopefully no impact for the dirt roads tomorrow. Although arriving late, and riding in the dark, we enjoyed it all. It was a long day, but well worth the effort. After checking our bike computers, we found out that today included the most elevation gain in a single day during the entire ride.

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