The back and forth El Rito ride

Day 14 - June 20th
32.8 miles
Total: 572.1 miles
Moving Avg: 7.5 mph
Overall Avg: 4.0 mph

We slept in this morning. Not much, because the hot sun started beating on our tent, slow roasting us like supper for a giant. We packed up, and made the nine mile ride down to Abiquiu.

We arrived shortly after the post office opened. It was our plan to stay in Abiquiu until my REI care package arrived on Tueaday. But, fortune favors the bold, and my stuff was present early Monday morning. Yay! Now I have warm clothes for the high mountains in Colorado (only 90 miles away).

We enjoyed a small breakfast in Abiquiu, and pushed ourselves on, even though it wasn't in our plans. We intended to stay at a hotel in El Rito, so we could get some solid rest before our next leg. When we got to El Rito, we soon learned that the restaurant was closed on Mondays, and there was no lodging for us. This interrupted our flow of food supply and good camp locations.

We cycled back and forth along the highway in El Rito, looking for a convenience store to find food, an ATM to pay for the food, and a solid patch of shade to rest out the afternoon heat.

Several hours of resting and delaying later, we pushed onward toward Vallecitos. Since Apricots wasn't feeling full energy today, we only made a few miles in the evening before camp. But, as fate would have it, our timing was good. After setting  up camp, and eating dinner, we climbed into our tent.

A few minutes later the light rain started falling. And the thunder rolled. On an unfortunate side note, Apricots doesn't want to spend money on a new tent, so we have a tent which doesn't zip shut. All the flies, bugs, and mosquitos can get in through the door. So we are trapped in our tent with these pests.

I am buying a new tent without her permission. One that holds out rain better, and holds out bugs completely. Unfortunately, I can't turn off the thunder.

To be honest, thunder makes me uneasy. Bad weather makes me uneasy. Ever since our last day on the PCT where we were in white out conditions inclement weather stirs up some fear in my heart. Also I think the month long rain in Washington cracked me. I guess I am a fair weather camper.

I know it's a passing thunderstorm, and we will encounter them often. Nevertheless, it makes me uneasy. Also, thunder is so much louder in the mountains.

Tomorrow we shall go over Burned Mountain, at an elevation of 10,192 feet. Guess we finally get to learn what pedaling at altitude really means.

Live life at a slower place.

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