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I slept pretty good out on the open range on an exposed ridge. Sometime just before sunrise I awoke to raindrops so I got out and set my rain fly properly but it was over in a few seconds and didn't wet anything. I went back to sleep. The wind picked up a little bit and nudged me out of my light sleep. I began packing my things inside the tent. After only a couple of minutes it became apparent that I needed to get a move on as the wind began to howl. I didn't know what direction it would be coming from so I didn't use a cedar tree for shelter. I couldn't move fast enough and it was gusting well over 30mph and I began to fear my stuff would blow away down into the canyon. I quickly took out my tent poles with everything still inside and toted everything all at once to a sheltered spot next to a tree. I didn't eat anything or really drink much as I just wanted to get away from where I was.
The route led gradually uphill into even more exposed prairie. I rode directly into the wind which was easily the strongest wind I've ever experienced. 20-30mph with gusts well over that. All this before 7am... It's not supposed to work like that? What kind of place is that windy that early in the day? Not a place you'd want to live. I can only imagine what winter is like. No wonder all the trees were scraggly and stunted.
I actually struggled a bit to keep the bike upright. Couldn't hear myself think over the roar of the wind. And I hadn't eaten anything and only had 2 liters of water left to get me through 50+ miles(I dry camped).
This is the sort of thing I expected in Oklahoma. But I wasn't out of the plains yet, far from. I actually crossed into Colorado a couple miles into the day but there was no marker or anything, just a vast open grassland.
After about 5 miles I spotted a depression in the ground right by the road, full of water. Cattle has been drinking from it and it was only a little lighter in color from pea soup. I filtered 2 liters in case this was the only accessable water for awhile. It tasted a little like dirt but far from the worst I've had. I had to backflush my filter twice though.
After about 10 miles I was still gradually climbing and the wind was so strong I was barely managing 7mph. On the horizon I looked up and saw what I instantly decided had to be a mirage. A large grouping of trees and buildings clustered together, standing in stark contrast to the vast empty plains. No way I was really seeing that. I wasn't going through any towns till Trinidad right? I looked at my Garmin and it believed in the town more than I did.
So I turned down a dirt street slightly off route since it was called William street. (turned out to actually be Williams street, as they always are)
Interesting little town that looked half occupied and half abandoned. Perched on a little rise at the foot of some imposing buttes. The railroad snaked through nearby and a paved road led through town down the center. Some of the old commercial buildings and a church looked in good shape and I spied a new looking school building on the edge of town.
On a curve in the main road there was a little park of sorts. The centerpiece was a small stone structure with two rooms containing a window and door each, iron bars, unlocked. A stone bed in each room. Probably an old jail. I could have slept in there last night. Judging from the couple of tags inside at least some TAT riders are using it as such.
And the most important part, it had a working faucet. Saved! I threw out my cow water and filled up. I used the jail to eat something out of the relentless wind. A Nutella and peanut butter tortilla sandwich. To the tiny town of Branson, Colorado, the southernmost town in Colorado, I salute you and your 60 residents.
After Branson I went gradually downhill and felt a lot better. The wind actually started to abate some and the road quality improved dramatically. I was now on well maintained gravel, no washboards in sight. Terrain was rolling and scenery was great. My spirits lifted.
Still it was difficult, as I still had a crosswind but it was much weaker.
At length i climbed a little kicker and enjoyed a gradual mostly downhill to town. I already knew the first bike shop on the route is closed weekends. So I looked for an outdoor outfitter store to hopefully buy a packable puffy jacket for the mountains. There was one, however it wasn't open yet, July 31.
Eventually I arrived at the Safeway which is a popular western chain of grocery stores. Pretty nice although for the life of me I couldn't find the chocolate. I made three laps and didn't see it. Very disappointing. I stocked up on food and got a salad to eat in the nearby park while I figured out what to do.
The state park right next to town was all booked up. I wanted to stay here because I was a bit tired from the day. I didn't want to tent camp in an RV park and I didn't think I needed a hotel room. I thought seriously about continuing down the route and doing yet another random campsite. But ultimately I decided to just get a room. I could use the rest and my clothes(and especially me) were filthy..my blue jersey was half white from salt stains.
My indecision cost me as the hotels had almost all filled up in only a couple hours. Ended up paying more that I would have liked. But the subsequent days will line up better camping wise if I stay here in Trinidad tonight. It's just really bad timing. Saturday night at the height of tourist season. And the post Covid vaccine travel bump.
So I ended up with a king suite for just little old me and my bike. I could do laps in here on the bike and I have two windows with a great view of Fisher's Peak and the Burger King next door.
Fisher's Peak is owned by the state of Colorado and ostensibly is a state park however of its 19,200 acres only 250 is open, and to hikers only. If the state ever gets off it's butt and let's people build trails, this town will absolutely explode with demand. You heard me call it, buy property in Trinidad. It's an old coal mining town in the middle of a transition to a tourism based economy. Lots of revitalization has already happened but it has a long way to go.
Also of note, due to its close proximity to so many other states, it has a crazy number of weed stores. There's basically one on every corner. I have never felt the desire to even try the stuff. To each their own though. I pretty much look like a bum with all my stuff when I visit a city park. I stick out in these tiny rural towns along the trail. But here I just sort of blend in with all the other folks getting around only on foot and by bike, with lots of bags.
By: | WTR4 |
Started in: | Union County, NM, US |
Distance: | 61.1 mi |
Selected: | 61.1 mi |
Elevation: | + 3491 / - 3408 ft |
Moving Time: | 05:18:16 |
Gear: | 2020 Lynskey GR300 |
Page Views: | 62 |
Departed: | Jul 10, 2021, 6:33 am |
Starts in: | Union County, NM, US |
Distance: | 61.1 mi |
Selected distance: | 61.1 mi |
Elevation: | + 3491 / - 3408 ft |
Max Grade: | |
Avg Grade | |
Cat | |
FIETS | |
VAM | |
Ascent time | |
Descent time | |
Total Duration: | 10:44:04 |
Selection Duration: | 38644 |
Moving Time: | 05:18:16 |
Selection Moving Time: | 05:18:16 |
Stopped Time: | 05:25:48 |
Calories: | 3203 |
Max Watts: | |
Avg Watts: | 169 |
WR Power | |
Work | |
Max Speed: | 37.3 mph |
Avg Speed: | 11.5 mph |
Pace: | 00:10:32 |
Moving Pace: | 00:05:12 |
Max HR: | 139 bpm |
Min HR: | 79 bpm |
Avg HR: | 117 bpm |
Heartrate zones: | |
Zone 1: | 2 hours 44 minutes |
Zone 2: | 27 minutes |
Zone 3: | 0 minutes |
Zone 4: | 0 minutes |
Zone 5: | 0 minutes |
Best format for turn-by-turn directions on modern Garmin Edge Devices
Best format for turn by turn directions on Edge 500, 510. Will provide true turn by turn navigation on Edge 800, 810, 1000, Touring including custom cue entries. Great for training when we release those features. Not currently optimal for Virtual Partner.
Useful for uploading your activity to another service, keeping records on your own computer etc.
Useful for any GPS unit. Contains no cuesheet entries, only track information (breadcrumb trail). Will provide turn by turn directions (true navigation) on the Edge 705/800/810/1000/Touring, but will not have any custom cues. Works great for Mio Cyclo. Find GPS specific help in our help system.
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