Tuesday November 6, 2012

I was up early and got started at daybreak. It was chilly so I had leggings and arm warmers as well as my bicycling jacket on. Joshua broke out before me though.

In the picture above this was a little bump in the road climbing back up to the highway from Stillwell’s. The little dot in the road is Joshua.

It was a steady grind back up to the highway  and once there I shed all the warm gear. After a short climb up and over Persimmon gap it was on into Big Bend Park.

After going through the park entrance is was a long downhill-flat run for several miles before begining the constant grind up to Panther Junction.

At Panther Junction, Park Headquarters, I took a long water break for continuing onward.

Then came the turn and the 6 mile grind on up into Chisos Basin.

As I rode the steeper the ride became and eventually it became a hike-the-bike and ride some and then more hike-the-bike until finally within a mile or so of the top it was time to sag on in.

The group campground looked pretty bad to me and I was glad to have had lodge reservations for the night which I shared with Gary. Ken and Suzy, Tom and Gary and I all lodged that night and ate at the lodge as well. Tammy took all of us and our gear up in the van to the lodge.

Met and talked to Danny, the lodge manager, who in the spring had sagged us out of the basin back then. Told Danny about the Adventure Cycling Tours next year and he seemed very interested in doing something with them.

 

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