(Sun, 3/9/25; 31 miles, 2263 feet of climb)
Today was a great day for biking — sunny and not too windy for a change! I have to admit, though, that I’m getting tired of cold air and long climbs. Tomorrow is my LAST DAY of CLIMBING!
When I woke up at the hotel in Silver City this morning, the outside air temperature was 30°F and the “feels like” was 22°. I decided to wait at least until it got above the 30s, which meant about 10 am (which would’ve been 9 am before the Daylight Savings shift last night).
——
After I wrote the update yesterday, I got a text message from Mountain Spirits RV Park in San Lorenzo, just before Emory Pass. Their restrooms are under renovation! So no showers, and not even bathrooms! Furthermore, they do not recommend tent camping “due to the harsh cold.”
That caused a bit of a panic for me. I do NOT want to have to ride from Silver City all the way over the pass! Climbing 7000 feet would do me in.
But she mentioned another RV park, Four Seasons, 9 miles north on Highway 35. That’s out of the way, but I called them out of desperation. Good news — not only are they open, they even have an INDOOR ROOM!! That’s easier any day, but is especially nice when the weather is below freezing. So Day 25 is looking better by the minute. I can handle another 9 miles if it’s not much uphill.
——
The climbing started right away this morning. I only rode 33 miles today, yet my 2263 feet of elevation was my fourth highest for the entire trip. (Foreshadowing — tomorrow will be #1.)
There weren’t any towns or gas stations to stop at, so I took a break at the Santa Rita Copper Mine. This is one of the oldest mines in North America, and is a huge operation. I took some drone videos and watched gigantic trucks crawling along makeshift roads.
——
When I got to San Lorenzo, I was wishing I didn’t have to go nine miles out of the way. But it will be worth it to sleep indoors tonight — the low is now forecast at 28°F.
I was cranking along on the spur up the Mimbre valley on Highway 35 toward Four Seasons, and all of a sudden saw an “OPEN” sign on what looked like a new restaurant! Google Maps didn’t show any restaurants that were open today.
Being my only food stop of the day, I walked in and had the most amazing buffet. It was a mixture of American, Mexican, and my favorite, CAJUN! I was in heaven. Supper tonight won’t be trail mix after all. Even the soup was outstanding — crawfish corn bisque. And salad, and cheesecake for dessert.
——
After lunch/supper, it was still sunny and it actually got warm enough for me to ride in shorts and T-shirt for the first time in days. I took some more drone videos of Bear Canyon Reservoir and biking on the road just before the resort.
My heart sank when I saw a CLOSED sign on the door at Four Seasons. But the owner came over right away and got me checked in.
This place is a nostalgic throwback to the way people used to travel — everyone gets their own bedroom, and a half bathroom is down the hall, along with a kitchen where you can cook your own food if you want. I couldn’t even think of food after that buffet, but this might work well for oatmeal and coffee tomorrow morning.
I had to carry my bike up a long outside staircase, but it wasn’t too bad once I took off the panniers. The men’s room on the main floor had a couple of great showers, and they even supply the towels and shampoo. This is WAY better than camping.
I am still just so excited that I get to sleep INDOORS tonight! It gets cold fast at these elevations as soon as the sun goes down.
——
As I was walking back up the stairs after my shower, Tamra, the owner’s wife, called me over to introduce me to the neighbor she was talking to over the fence.
It was Alisha, the owner of the OLUV restaurant I ate at six miles down the canyon! That’s when I found out she and her husband are both from Louisiana. Hence the excellent crawfish soup and Cajun dishes.
I got a little interview with Alisha about her restaurant. For anyone biking the Southern Tier, this is right on your way if you’re doing the Gila Hot Springs optional loop. Even if you’re not, it’s less than four miles from the junction in San Lorenzo and is definitely worth it.
Alisha also gave me some advice about Emory Pass: Watch out for the cows! They are free range up there and they often stand right on the road.
Nothing like flying downhill on a hairpin turn, rock wall on one side and sheer drop-off on the other, and suddenly seeing a 1000-pound mammal in your path. I plan to make judicious use of my brakes tomorrow on the downhill.
——
I’m going to bed early tonight, excited that I have only ONE MORE DAY of climbing in this trip. And a little nervous about Emory Pass, to be honest.
But the weather looks great — sunny and 61°! At least here in Mimbres…it’ll probably be a little cooler 2300 feet higher at the top of the pass.
But it definitely could be much worse, like the snowstorm two days ago, or the predicted HIGH of 35° only four days from now.
—————————————————-
TRANSLATIONS/BACKGROUND: “CANTBIRD” = CA-AZ-NM-TX Bike Ride, my own nickname for the 1000 miles on the western half of the Southern Tier Bicycle Route, from San Diego to El Paso, using maps from ACA (Adventure Cycling Association). (I did the 1500-mile eastern half in March 2024, which I called GUMBIRD [Gulf of Mexico Bike Ride].)
—————————————————-
LINKS:
Old-fashioned BLOG if you have friends who don’t use Facebook:
“Old Scouter” Facebook page if you want to follow big adventures with more pictures and video clips (but not unrelated personal posts):
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066334039590
“Old Scouter” YouTube page (when I get time to edit after the trip):