Monday, May 26, 2014

Antelope Wells (Mexican Border) to Silver City NM


Antelope Wells, the US Mexican border. We started on a 125 mile trip from here to Silver City, New Mexico.  The biggest surprise for us was the Border Station's water wasn't potable.  One of the Border Patrol hand filtered all of our water for us, but, if you plan on doing this bike ride, bring your own water.  Fortunately, the day was warm, and we had a tail wind -- wahoo!


Buffalo Crossing?  Here?


First night camp: Hatchet Mountains just past where the CDT crosses the road we were riding.


Blooming Cholla


Hachita was a tiny -- and I mean tiny -- town we went through on our second day.  According to Yogi and other sources this town has groceries, a bar and a PO.  We found nothing open but the post office.  The post master graciously gave us 10 small bottles of water that we transferred to our various larger bottles. 


Pancho Villa paid a visit to the area around Hachita.  Though Democrats, we wonder if Woodrow Wilson did the right thing entirely.  I think we will stop for every one of these road side signs on this trip.

Do you remember our post at the Monarch Crest Store in Colorado?  Probably not, but this place was very much the same, although this store did have some useful stuff.  Jay got some earbuds, and they kept a box for us for the rest of our ride to Silver City.  And if you want a ton of fireworks to light up in the desert, well, this is your place...


Camp on the Separ Rd.

Sunset the first night on the Separ road.


Yuccas and tire puncturing goat heads. In the morning we woke up to both of my fold-down panniers fallen off and Jay with a flat tire.  We finally got off at 9:45 am.  The ride on Separ road was really fun with short ups and quick downs along rolling terrain.  In the late afternoon we started to climb finally getting to the Continental Divide at about 6000 ft.



The Separ Road 30 miles of Sandy hills culminating in a 1200'climb to meet up with hwy 90

The cactus are in bloom! Awesome flowers


We camped on the Divide about 25 miles from Silver City and awoke to a beautiful sunrise.





This is a roadside flower that looks like a nettle and a poppy?

Tonight we are in Silver City with Bikers (not the self powered kind) in rooms all around us.  We are dreading the late night partying.  Ready after  Kevin's hard work for our next leg through the Gila to Pie Town!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Gossamer Gear for Bikepacking

Save 15% on Gossamer Gear Products> Use the coupon code MOAB

In a couple of weeks I will be starting a northbound Bike trip in New Mexico on the CDT.  It has been a bit of a journey figuring out how to make all that heavy bike gear work with my Lightweight gear.  And what could a backpacking company do for me.  Here's what I am using from Gossamer Gear on a bike packing journey.

First there is one of GGs newest packs.  An 8 oz daypack shaped like my favorite book bag in college.  It sports a pocket for a water reservoir, Side mesh packets deep enough for water bottles, Cool shoulder straps, and by cool I mean well ventilated and cool in styling.  It has both sternum straps and another clip down lower, these keep the pack in place even in that awkward biking position.  This is will carry my water and food while I am riding.
Use the coupon code MOAB and you can get a great pack like this for 15% off


Gossamer Gear also sells a ground cloth that weighs less than half a homemede Tyvek tarp. We will use the large size under our Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3.  
 Use the Coupon code MOAB to get 15% off

We are biking New Mexico which means getting water from stock tanks.  So we will be using the Sawyer water filtration system.
Sawyer Mini Filter

When the water is clear we will use Aqua Mira 


There is even more cool stuff on their website; but of course my absolute favorite Gossamer Gear Products 
Are my Mariposa Pack and my super Light Hiking Stick the LT3 all for 15% off if you use the coupn code MOAB