(January 26)

Day 32 - Anthony to Las Cruces NM

A Fork in the Road

I marveled at how each pair of trees seemed to reach out their branches to the tree on the other side...like a man and woman reaching out to hold hands to take comfort from each other.

Not a rest day, but not a high-mileage day either. A mix.

Up and out of the horse ranch bunkhouse before dawn, I traveled "backwards" to Anthony about 2 miles to gain the benefits of McDonald's Sausage Burritos (which I like) and WiFi. I spent some time there as I knew I didn't want to get to Las Cruces too early as the bike shop didn't open until 9:30.
Turns out I should not have been worried about that because I got ANOTHER flat on my front tire just as I entered Las Cruces. With no spare tubes left I rode in to the shop the last few miles hoping I didn't get any other flats or I'd have been walking my bike there.

In the shop I purchased two "thorn resistant" tubes. I'd never even heard of "thorn resistant" tubes before a few days ago in Alpine TX, but I knew that's what I wanted for my bike tires! And, let me tell you, they are HEAVY DUTY. I've never seen innertubes this thick. I was going to get three new spares, but the boxes they came in were so large and heavy, I opted for two as I didn't think I had room in the trailer for three!

So now both of my tires are fitted with the new thorn-resistant tubes (which I also had them fill up with sealant JUST IN CASE) and my two older, thinner tubes are my spares. But you KNOW what I'm hoping for is to remain flat free the entire rest of the way, right?

The rest of my Las Cruces day was mundane: laundry, a trip to find a replacement backpacking dinner to backfill the one I had last night and a search for sushi. The sushi was good, the laundromat pretty cheap and clean and I found the dinner I needed at a WalMart 1 mile away. Good times!
But tomorrow is where things get real and I have a HUGE decision to make.

NORTH ALONG THE ESTABLISHED Southern Tier Route: It is supposed to be REALLY cold (like down in the 20s) for at least the next two nights. And, those are two nights where I just MIGHT need to camp depending on all the usual factors (flats, wind, how tired my legs are, etc.). Plus, I'm not at all sure I can climb my rig up to Emory Pass. I'm pretty deeply afraid of the climbing up there  in terms of my ability to make it up and over. The climbing, the lack of services and the length of the route mean it will be at least 4...maybe 5...days before I get to Lordsburg. Gorgeous scenery. The couple from the UK I met said Silver City was their absolutely favorite place on the entire route.

WEST TO DEMING: Not the established Southern Tier route at all. I'll get to Lordsburg in 2 days vs. 4 or 5. No major climbs. No camping in 20 degree weather at night. No gorgeous scenery. No Silver City.

At this point in time I really have no idea what I'll do in the morning. It will be like Groundhog Day except this time, it won't be the arrival of spring, but the amount of wimpitude I display. Because, make no mistake, giving up and heading to Deming is a cowardly move. I won't KNOW whether or not I could have made the climb. On the other hand, I also KNOW my limits of discomfort are well below waking up before dawn in my tent when it is 25 degrees outside.

Decisions, decisions!