PAC Tour Ruidoso to Roswell, NM (9)

Today       97 miles    3,300 feet of climbing         8:06 elapsed time  50-104 degrees
So far   1,032           49,400                               3 20:01

Today we left our hotel and climbed the last hills we rode down the afternoon before.  It took some effort in the unwarmedup cool of the morning.  Then as we got four miles out of Ruidoso we started descending the tough climb we had made the day before.  It was really enjoyable to follow that route and experience that road in a downhill fashion.  And guess what!  I rode with Lon Haldeman today!  Of course you all recognize Lon as the great RAAM ( Race Across AMerica) rider who runs PAC Tours with his wife Susan Notrangelo (Another great RAAM rider).  Seriously, both have ridden across the country and finished first in multiple divisions (Fastest Male, Mixed Tandem, Fastest Female, Men's Tandem) and set records for the races. Its really neat to have a world class rider ride up behind you and carry on a typical rider to rider conversation.  These two are what make this expedition possible.  A bicycle tour moves on its stomach.  We're well feed, nourished physically and in spirit (A little encouragement at the right moment is a great motivator to keep the wheels turning.), and have maps, directions and clean places to sleep every night, and places nearby to eat dinner.  After you've ridden all day having the hotel ready and eating options identified is great support.

When we reached Capitan at mile 14, we turned onto route 246 and rolled and rolled and rolled for about 80 miles until we reached the outskirts of Roswell.  This is a quiet country road that meandered through the countryside with some slow rollers and large ranches on either side of the road.  There was almost no traffic.  A farm pickup truck would pass by every ten minutes or so.  There was one semi on the road all day - a cattle truck, of course.  We rode through prong-horned antelope country but didn't see any.  As we went along the brush in the pasture grew thicker and more lush.  Then more miles down the road the brush diminished and finally was absent from the pastures.  Even the cacti wouldn't compete with the grass.  If I had the time, I'd go back to school in Geology so I would understand the terrain I am passing through.

We expected this to be a "recovery" day, low mileage and limited climbing.  And it was that.  However 50 miles into the ride, the wind kicked up, slowed us down and made the ride significantly more difficult.  Nonetheless, it was a great day to be on the bike.  Riding along the country road was a great venue for our group. 

We toured the UFO "Museum and Research Center" in downtown Roswell after the ride.  The exhibits and the stories are both tired.  Without mores sightings or abductions by extraterrestrial beings, the fate of the museum my be in jeopardy.  Its a lot like the route 66 sthick.  The people who knew the stories contemporaneously are dying off.  There isn't any new blood to carry interest in the subject.

So how about a peak at the typical day of a pack tour rider?

• 5:00 wake up, brush teeth, shave
• Apply lotions ( skin salve, sunscreen, chamois cream)
• Put on cycling shorts and jersey
• Fill water bottles
• 6:00 grab bike, bowl and mug and go to the parking lot
• Eat breakfast in the parking lot (oatmeal, fruit, pastry or eggs, & coffee)
• Return to room, wash bowl and mug, brush teeth, pack
• Take luggage to the baggage truck
• Pump up tires (every other day)
• Check cue sheet
• Don helmet and riding gloves
• 6:30 Ride
• Rest stop eat fruit, fill water bottles, bio break
• Ride
• Rest stop number two, as above
• Ride
• Stop at lunch stop, eat a freshly prepared meal, relax (a little), review cue sheet, push off again
• Ride
• Rest stop number four, as above
• Arrive at hotel
• Wash bike, perform any necessary maintenance
• Check the message board for room key, announcements, restaurant locations, tomorrow's schedule
• Take luggage to room
• Retrieve bike, which has dried in the sun
• Shower
• Put on street clothes
• Congregate for dinner, eat and swap experiences with other riders
• Return to hotel
• Postpone doing laundry another day
• Blog
• Sleep

Repeat 26 times until you've ridden across the country.  Now that you know how, its easy, right?