Days 9-10: Windswept and Tent-Set by the Mini-Mart
A long day on the bike with unexpected storms and a mini-mart camp.
We rolled out of Grants, NM, anticipating the burn of a long day ahead. The plan was to tackle a hefty 124 miles over the next two days, and serious headwinds hampered our progress.
The first 20 miles were a battle against headwinds, then the winds shifted and blew at our backs. We sailed through barren brush ridden Navajo reservation lands, marveling at spectacular sandstone outcroppings towering from the horizon and the ruins of Pueblo Pintado, symbolic remains of the advanced ancestry of the Navajo Nation.
As the temperature began to rise, thunderstorm cells blew over us. Mother Nature again intervened. The heavy rainfall and breeze converged to cool us off. Refreshed we notched up our cadence to rack up over 90 miles - a record span for us.
The locals we encountered along the way were incredibly friendly. The Pueblo Pintada Tribal Chief even chatted us up, explaining the Navajo government and upcoming presidential election. Reading the Navajo paper today, we saw he is Navajo Nation presidential candidate.
As twilight fell, we found a mini-mart to set up our tent, as camping on the reservation was off the table. While we appreciated the convenient flush toilet, running water and refreshments at the mini mart, it was not an ideal campsite. Barking dogs and the constant hum of passing cars made sleep nearly impossible. If I had a dollar for every time I woke up to a dog barking...
The next day we pulled into Cuba for brunch. The green chile stew, eggs, bacon etc were all divine. Resting up today for a grueling climb tomorrow up and over 10,000 feet from our current 6884 feet in Cuba, NM. I hope I’m acclimated enough to the altitude to avoid altitude sickness which has plagued me on past legs above around 8000 feet.
