TREES!
Yesterday's rest day was spent roaming around old Santa Fe and eating really good food.
Today: Santa Fe to Las Vegas, NM: 72 miles, 3,800 feet of climb
Over the last 3 days we have been on the old Route 66, which now follows the Santa Fe Trail. We really enjoy the 2 lane road, great surface with hardly any traffic on it.
Today seemed like 3 different rides of ~24 miles each.
The first 25 miles was a bunch of climbs and descents culminating in going over the Glorieta Pass at 7,528 feet.
The 6 of us tend to ride together a lot each day. Our 4 riding companions are extraordinary athletes, funny, and are great story tellers. They are humble, so it took a while for us to learn of their significant adventures.
The British couple have ridden across Europe, Africa, and SE Asia. The ride across Europe was 2,500 miles in 25 days. He subtlety added "it snowed a number of the days through Germany". They also do walking safaris. Great stories. My favorite had encounters with a number of animals further up the food chain than us and ended with the wife sharing "and the guide forgot his gun that day".
The two gentlemen are from SW Ohio, and had been doing adventures together for 3 decades. A quick list: multiple Ironman finishes, 70+ marathons, 50 mile ultramarathons, climbing peaks (e.g. Denali).The last time they rode Ride Across Indiana (RAIN), they did the 160 miles in 8 hours.
Our second 24 mile ride was rollers into a headwind. Linda took off and we finally saw her again at the 50 mile rest stop.
The third ride was a lot of up and down with a nice tailwind.
We are staying in a hotel built in 1862, The Plaza Hotel. They have filmed a number of films in the hotel and in town. Portions of a personal favorite: "No Country for Old Men" were filmed here.
On this trip we have 2 physicians, 2 nurses, and 2 pharmacists. During downtime someone shares some interesting medical info. Today's info: at sea level the oxygen level is 21%: for the last week we have been at altitudes between 5,000 and 7,000 feet where the oxygen level is at 15%. We all look forward to the flat lands.
Tomorrow's ride is 109 miles with 2,800 feet of climb, so we will be in bed by 8.
I almost forgot. Each of the last 2 days Linda has hit 40+ mph on the descents. She pulled into a restaurant on Friday after a long, windy and a bit bumpy descent and one of our colleagues said "I thought I smelled brakes"
Today: Santa Fe to Las Vegas, NM: 72 miles, 3,800 feet of climb
Over the last 3 days we have been on the old Route 66, which now follows the Santa Fe Trail. We really enjoy the 2 lane road, great surface with hardly any traffic on it.
Today seemed like 3 different rides of ~24 miles each.
The first 25 miles was a bunch of climbs and descents culminating in going over the Glorieta Pass at 7,528 feet.
The British couple have ridden across Europe, Africa, and SE Asia. The ride across Europe was 2,500 miles in 25 days. He subtlety added "it snowed a number of the days through Germany". They also do walking safaris. Great stories. My favorite had encounters with a number of animals further up the food chain than us and ended with the wife sharing "and the guide forgot his gun that day".
The two gentlemen are from SW Ohio, and had been doing adventures together for 3 decades. A quick list: multiple Ironman finishes, 70+ marathons, 50 mile ultramarathons, climbing peaks (e.g. Denali).The last time they rode Ride Across Indiana (RAIN), they did the 160 miles in 8 hours.
Our second 24 mile ride was rollers into a headwind. Linda took off and we finally saw her again at the 50 mile rest stop.
The third ride was a lot of up and down with a nice tailwind.
We are staying in a hotel built in 1862, The Plaza Hotel. They have filmed a number of films in the hotel and in town. Portions of a personal favorite: "No Country for Old Men" were filmed here.
On this trip we have 2 physicians, 2 nurses, and 2 pharmacists. During downtime someone shares some interesting medical info. Today's info: at sea level the oxygen level is 21%: for the last week we have been at altitudes between 5,000 and 7,000 feet where the oxygen level is at 15%. We all look forward to the flat lands.
Tomorrow's ride is 109 miles with 2,800 feet of climb, so we will be in bed by 8.
I almost forgot. Each of the last 2 days Linda has hit 40+ mph on the descents. She pulled into a restaurant on Friday after a long, windy and a bit bumpy descent and one of our colleagues said "I thought I smelled brakes"
Sooo good! I'm practically there with you, braving the rain and hills and cold. Except I'm not :-) Thanks for the stories.
ReplyDeleteSteve and Jan