Days 11-12: Climbing High and Crashing Hard
Today’s ride was a wild mix of climbs, spills, and surprises!
We rolled out of Cuba early yesterday to beat the headwinds. The first ten miles were paved, which felt like a luxury until we hit the steep climb. Nine miles of climbing to 10,300 feet in the Santa Fe National Forest left us breathless - Both by the spectacular views and gasping for air. Then, the wind kicked up, testing our stamina as the day wore on as we rode across undulating hills.
Drained after almost 11 hours of pedalling, we turned off the road and set up camp at 10,300 ft altitude. The flapping tent and buzzing insects and howling wind limited our sleep,
Still tired but eager to reach Abiquiu for hot food, cold drinks and a comfy bed, we got off to an early start. The downhill trajectory of the 30 miles to Abiquiu, misled us into thinking it would be an easy ride.
What followed was the roughest, gnarliest stretch of off road track we’ve encountered on the GDMBR. The terrain was lined with fine sand and large rocks, much of it with deep tire grooves and arroyo washouts, In the span of just five miles, I crashed three times. Lynette wiped out too, sprawled with her face planted in the sand.
The mileage yesterday and today was intense—75 miles of heat, dust, and drama. We finally made it into Abiquiu, dusty and exhausted but grateful to have avoided serious injury and be served a delish meal and checked into a comfy room at the very nice Abiquiu Inn.
