Day 20 - Half Way Done!

Departure: Ingram, TX      Finish:  Fredericksburg, TX       

Distance:    40.4 miles

Elevation gain:  1,627 feet 

Winds: S at 15-20mph.

Weather:  Overcast. Cool. Departed at 52 degrees. Arrived with 70 degrees.

On bike duration:   2 hrs, 55 minutes. 

Average speed: 13.7 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  1,491.9

We left The Pacific three weeks ago today. Almost 1,500 miles done. The days are starting to run together. I am beginning to realize how valuable this journal will be to me - a decade from now. I’m having almost as much fun writing as I am riding.

Today’s ride was short, but it offered significant hills. I’m told that the “Hill Country” ends for us on Tuesday. Between mile 10.5 and mile 11 we were lured onto a rapidly rising ranch road with an unobstructed, straight up view of the hill crest 1/2 mile up. At one point my computer registered 14%. It had a sustained gradient of 12% to 13%. So, large part of today’s elevation gain was in that half mile.

For about 7 miles, we had a bucolic wander on a well-paved, vacant farm road that was not much wider than a bike path. There were several “cattle guards” in the road with no fences on the roadside. So, we came across several herds of free-range cattle and a large herd of Big Horn Sheep. We had to dodge a large number of misplaced cow patties.

We passed by a beautiful building (photo below) while we were on the Morris Ranch Road. It didn't have any signage or brand on its gate. I looked it up. It's called the Morris Ranch Schoolhouse. It was built in 1893 as a school for the children of the ranch owners and ranch hands. Eventually, the Morris family moved on, but the school remained in operation until 1962. In 1980, it was purchased and eventually refurbished. It is now a bed & breakfast / event center.

We finished with a tailwind heading into Fredericksburg. We rode past the airport where I once was part of a Mooney Aircraft exhibition - at The Hangar Hotel, WWII themed lodge.

I was invited to give a presentation at a Save One Life gathering. It was great to meet the Lone Star group and learn more about their effort for people with hemophilia. It’s a very close group of people who have been touched by a dangerous, and largely ignored disease. Save One Life is a very worthy organization.

Valerie arrived! She’ll be with us until we depart Austin, Wednesday morning. I’m very thankful she could make the trip.

Staying the next two nights at the Inn on Barrons Creek. It’s a very nice place, with a spa (that is closed today and tomorrow).