Van Horn, TX to Fort Davis, TX

3/28/18

We left Van Horn shortly before 8 this morning. There was moisture in the air from the rain last night. It was 50ish but felt cold. I put my riding pants and long fingered gloves on. We rode on Interstate 10 for 36 miles. There was heavy traffic and the shoulder was littered with debris. I was lucky not to get a flat. Some of the other ladies weren't so lucky. We turned on to highway 118 which was a rough chip sealed road. The vibration was mind numbing. I could not find a good spot to ride on the road. It makes slower riding on these types of roads. This 30 mile section was the hardest part of the ride for me.

At mile 47 the SAG van had lunch set up for us. It had warmed up some so I left the pants and gloves with the SAG. I had lunch and took about a 20 minute break and then was back on the road again. The next 14 miles were the same type of chip seal and a head wind. I was only going about 8 miles an hour. The wind was swirling between the hills. At mile 61 the climbing started. It was slow going. I was only going about 4-5 mph. We had a SAG stop at 66 miles. The McDonald Observatory Visitor Center was at 75 miles. This was the top. There was a descent with some rolling hills after that. The last 16 miles were made easier with a tailwind. I pulled into the Limpia Hotel in Fort Davis at 4:00.

This 91 mile day was one that I had worried about. I think I made it a bigger monster in my mind than it actually was. It wasn't easy by any means but not as hard as I had imagined. The cooler temperature definitely was to our advantage. Heat can make a long day that much harder.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my safety and for tailwinds! Keep them coming! It is working!

Total Miles: 1176

Flats: 3

Ruined Tires: 1