Safe Return Doubtful

60 miles (97 km) – Total so far: 1,990 miles (3,202 km)

I had two excellent La Cumbre Elevated IPAs last night with dinner at the High Country Saloon and left it a bit late cycling home. I was distracted by the extremely drunk man shouting at the band, and seeing how many last warnings he would get before being kicked out. It was 4. It meant I cycled back the mile to the campground in the dark, nit ideal without lights. Im South enough now for it to be dark at 8 pm, and there is very short twilight compared with north.

Today was the best and the worst of it accommodation wise. I expected Saturday night in a busy RV park over Labour Day weekend to be hard work, and it certainly was, even though it was free. People insist on taking their dogs with them when camping. Fortunately I have Martyn and Lindsay to look after mine, and I am sure he wouldn’t like being in a trailer behind me. The result of all these dogs on the site is of course mayhem; noise, fights and turds. This morning those problems weren’t limited to the dogs either. The toilets were all blocked, and unlike previous sites, there were lots of campers, all up early having been singing until 11. Car alarms going off at unsociable hours. I sound like a moaning old man, and indeed am one, but when in beautiful places, I do appreciate quiet.

I left too early for any of the breakfast cafes, but the supermarket was open for a quick visit. Overall today there was a loss of 500 metres, but still a fair bit of climbing.
The downhill section to the Chama valley was memorable though, through forests high up, then sandstone rock cliffs, to Rio Chama valley. In this stretch New Mexico establishes its own identity for scenery, quite spectacular.

I was aiming for Abiquiu, and other than my accommodation, I was not sure what was there. I am with a Warm Showers host tonight (a worldwide group of cyclists of which I am a member who offer each other fee accommodation when travelling). It is on the banks of the Rio Chama, about 2 miles off the road on a sand track, and delightful. The owner Benyamin is on crutches recovering from ankle surgery and I have been shown in by his daughter. This ‘casita’ is typically Mexican, and perfectly shaded from the now hot afternoon sun. The family live fifty metres or so away, and I will meet them all at dinner tonight. It is incredibly peaceful. Benyamin gets lots of guests like me as this is on the Great Divide route also. If you should be cycling the area, do not miss this opportunity.

Leaving the mayhem at Little Creel Campground just after 7

This guy had already passed me once, managed to get off the road this time.

Climbing up to the forests – some remarkable changes of scenery today

The hiighest point today, at 1380 metres, all downhill from here (apart from the uphill bits)

Went past this couple on one of the climbs – Canadians riding the Great Divide from Banff

This is a great downhill, this picture just as it starts to go through a canyon

Echo Amphitheatre.

Spectacular views all the way into Abiquiu

Storytime:

Bars in Austin

Austin Bars

The first of our Christmas road trips was a couple of years before New Orleans and Nigel planned a trip with Cameron and Annabelle to Austin. Compared to Houston the city is very different. There is a real culture of cafes and bars in the downtown, and music plays a key role, many famous musicians are from here. We had beers at the Ginger Man and the Driscoll in some off time, and visited the Texas Capitol building with the kids. No gay bars this time, but at the bar we got chatting to a few characters. One of the things that dates back to teenage years was not to give your real name at first to people you had just met. This originated if we ordered take-away food. We would use an alias in case we changed our minds and didn’t want the food. That never happened, so by the take away we would be known by those names; Trevor Jackson, Oscar and Stanley Owens, Dale Dom de Poopocks, John Stitch, etc. Also, we had established from many years before, not to talk ‘work’ in the pub. For that reason, we took on alternative employment if asked what we did, as on this occasion in Austin. Those roles ranged from lumberjack to chicken sexer, and from TV quiz master to weather forecaster, but the one that we used in the Ginger Man was golf course designers. If we had hoped to kill the conversation we failed, this was of interest to the whole bar it seemed, and a very sensitive issue due to proposed locations. We kept schtum and explained any proposed location was highly confidential. Nigel visited the gents and was worryingly followed by a smart dressed gent who passed him a business card and winked. Only later did he read it, Chase Thoroughgood, News Editor CNN, and written on it was “$$$$ to be the first to know”.