March 27: Van Horn to Fort Davis, TX

Carol told us at map meeting that today’s route was long and hard – she wasn’t kidding.

Because of the distance, 89 miles, we got an early start, just as the sun was rising in Van Horn.

The first 20 miles we rode on the shoulder of I-10, some downhill, not too much traffic and good surface. Our first sag stop was at an exit of the interstate. The trucks used it for support as well. Note the yummy arrangement of sag food and Moira checking our tires for wires and thorns. My average speed at this point was 14 mph.

Back onto the interstate for another 18 miles, before exiting to head toward Fort Davis. It was then that we discovered Texas chip seal pavement and some climbing began.

The winds on this road seemed to come from many directions, sometimes at our nose, other times across the bike, though nowhere near as strong as the previous 2 days. Note that the road is rising into the hills

At mile 48, we found the van and trailer to provide lunch – no resources along this road. Average speed now down to 12.7 mph.

It is fascinating to me to find ranch signs so far from the highway. I wonder about the isolation – how do they shop for food? Do they work each day?

Many of the cyclists decided to quit at lunch, knowing there were hard uphills ahead. The van was quite full. And there were many miles to go.

The climbing was hard, sometimes over 10%. When the computer read 3.0 mph, I took to walking. I was focused on the ride, not on the photos. Did stop to snap a picture of these cacti growing from the rocks.

The top of the climb was at the Observatory, about 6,000 feet. I hope to take a tour on our rest day.

Ten more miles to the Lodge, much of it downhill. Even with the chip seal, I was able to ride at over 30 mph for part of the descent. The scenery changed as we entered the Limpia Canyon.

At last, a sign for the Davis Mountain State Park and the Indian Lodge, another mile back from the road.

I was so tired I walked the final climb to the Lodge entrance. Luckily, my room was just off the main parking lot. Though this is the ‘new’ section (built in the 60s), it has wonderfully historic furnishings.

Dinner was in the Black Bear Restaurant, a yummy buffet, prepared by Chef Connie, shown here with our Chef Linda. Needless to say, I was exhausted, but triumphant in meeting the challenges of the day.

My roommate is Carla Souza, from Brazil. She is one of the sag drivers, and also provides wonderful massages. She has one son who is a competitive sailor. I call her Bandita because she frequently wears a kerchief to protect from cold morning air or dust.

Total 89 miles, ending average 10.3.
GPS readings indicated almost 5,000 feet of climb for the day.