Departure: Fabens, TX Finish: Van Horn, TX Distance: 100.3 miles
Elevation gain: 2,276 feet
Winds: Headwinds all day. 6-8 mph at the departure. 19 mph at the finish.
Weather: Overcast. Departed with 42 degrees. Arrived with 56 degrees.
On bike duration: 7 hrs, 47 minutes.
Average speed: 12.8 mph
Total Accumulated Miles: 984.1
As we departed Fabens, we encountered many miles of Pecan Groves. I swear the whole world’s supply of Pecans must have a Fabens stamp on them.
After Fabens however, there were only two towns on the entire route - Fort Hancock and Sierra Blanca. For hours we rolled on, surrounded by uninhabited sage brush, in a chill wind. There was not enough vegetation to sustain any kind of ranching. No cattle, or farming to speak of. The overcast cloud base was at about 5,000’. The peaks of the scattered, distant buttes were occluded by the clouds. Several times I spotted some fresh snow on the peaks, when the clouds parted. It was chilly.
Most days, I have started the ride with my cold weather jacket, and shed it as the temperatures rise by lunchtime. Today, I kept it the whole time.
The wind was once again the challenge of the day. It wasn’t as strong as yesterday, but we had twice the mileage to accomplish. The good news is that the entire group worked together, in a pace line for the first time. Most of the riders have no experience coordinating an organized group and have been timid to get very close to each other - close enough to draft. But, we discussed some techniques at dinner in Tucson and tried them out today. The ability to avoid the headwind by drafting behind the leader made a huge difference in preserving energy to cover the 100 miles.
Several times we came upon the remnants of villages and farmsteads. There were hollowed out ruins of gas stations with adobe structures that still stand, but windows, doors and roofs haven’t survived. The road we traveled was once the main highway, but these structures were abandoned at some point after Interstate 10 was completed in Texas in 1968.
For many miles, that old road has been relegated to the frontage road along I-10. The traffic - 10 yards away from us - was constant, and very noisy. The pavement is grooved concrete. The tires for both cars & trucks create an unpleasant whine on that surface, to the extent that it occurred to me the freeway noise was almost as exhausting as the wind and the hills. Nevertheless, one pedal stroke after another and we all made it, happy, tired, and hungry.
Tonight we are in the Hotel El Capitan - in Van Horn. It’s a delightful oasis with a huge comfortable bed and a very good restaurant (pecan crusted salmon was perfect).
Your hotel looks very nice. We never go that way so I'm not ever likely to be there.
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