The Northeast of the Southwest

We stayed one night in Des Moines, New Mexico, a village of 157 people. New Mexico was absolutely mesmerizing, and it was my first time being in an arid desert climate. I was an awe by the landscape, and it made up for the less than thrilling scenery in Texas.

roadside ribcages. cactus flowers. arid plains. cattle ranches. high altitude. shallow breathing. tollgate canyon. coal trains. huge sky. capulin volcano. new mexico. elk, antelope. jackrabbits, snakes. wild squash. tumbleweeds. sierra grande. waning moon.

Today I started out at the beginning of the pack. For the first 10 miles leaving our host site, there was a descent into a canyon. This meant spectacular views of New Mexico at sunrise, but also seeing a lot of wild animals as I was the first cyclist to journey down these roads. I’m not really sure what it was that I loved so much. 

I stopped at the next turn to chalk an arrow, and gave passing cyclists high fives. Everyone was so pumped for these amazing views and nice conditions, while the heat and wind were still low. 

We then crossed into “colorful” Colorado.

The twelve mile stretch into the first lunch stop (let’s face it – first lunch at 8:30am is really just second breakfast) allowed me to really crank it, and I cruised at 20mph the whole way. Although the wind has been miserable, but I guess it’s making me a faster cyclist in the long run. The lunch stop was at a trading post.

The rest of the 75 mile day was steady rolling hills in the desert. Some people said they didn’t enjoy the ride, but I continued to be in awe of the desert, mountains, and wildlife.

A desert is a place where life is very condensed. The roots of living things hold on to that last tear of water and the flower hoards its moisture by only appearing in early morning and late afternoon. Life in the desert is small but brilliant and most of what occurs goes on underground. This is like the lives of many women. The desert is not lush like a forest or a jungle. It is very intense and mysterious in its life forms. Many of us have lived desert lives: very small on the surface, and enormous under the ground. - Clarissa Pinkola Estés

The second lunch stop was at a Seed and Feed agriculture shop. I jumped in the pool for three seconds and was totally mentally and physically refreshed for the rest of the ride. I was so excited to see a pool in the middle of the desert that I forgot my phone in my back pocket (again).

We surpassed the 2,000 mile mark! 

Our host site in Trinidad, Colorado has a waterslide.