Great Divide (NOBO) - Day #2 Hachita, NM to Silver City, NM

Great Divide (NOBO) - Day #2

May 28, 2022

Hachita, NM to Silver City, NM- 84 Miles

Start 6:08 AM Finish 3:30 PM

Total Duration 9:21

Moving Time 7:27

Stopped Time 1:52

Ascent 4015 Feet

Descent 2617 Feet

Tour Total 131 Miles

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/91540419

I slept well in an actual bed last night at the Hachita Bike Ranch. I was exhausted last night. I showered and was too tired to edit yesterday‘s report. I got the basics up. I had weird dreams during the night and woke up several times. It was still dark out when my alarm went off at 5:30 AM. I stuffed strawberries and donuts into my face and was on the road by 6AM. I bid farewell to Jeffery and we took a few more photos. The sun was just coming up over the hills to the east. I rode back towards the route on State Highway 9 and then I took a left on State Highway 146 heading north.

I passed two pairs of northbound cyclists, whom had all stayed at the Hachita Community Center last night. Patrick and Rachel hailed from Idaho and were riding to the Canadian Border. They were going to Separ today. Otso & Nora were from Finland and had started in Columbus yesterday. The headwinds had been brutal. They weren’t sure how far they were going today. Otso commented that I was riding at a fast pace.

I crossed over the Continental Divide for the first time. I was now on the Pacific side and was at 4520 feet elevation. I was passed by a law enforcement vehicle followed by a pick-up truck with a mast packed full of surveillance equipment in the truck bed. It’s infuriating what my tax dollars are being used for. The poorest most desperate people were being hunted down by the most sophisticated bloodthirsty equipment. It’s a humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile the real criminals benefit.

At the 17 mile mark I could see Interstate 10 in the distance. I passed a ghost bike memorial for Mike Rachelson whom had been born in 1952 and was killed by a motorist in 2019. Rest In Peace. In addition to Interstate 10 I could see a freight train line. The rectangle box cars divided the landscape like the edge of a notched trowel.

At Interstate 10 I got on the frontage road which was gravel and washboard. It was 7-1/2 miles to Separ. About a mile out from the trading post I could see a large American flag and billboards. A jack rabbit sprinted across the road. I stopped at Bowlin‘s Continental Divide Historic Trading Post where I purchased a Starbucks Frappuccino, Red Gatorade, a bear claw, and a Van Holtens dill pickle. Otso & Nora pulled in while I was sitting out front. They had retrieved northbound cyclist Trayvon’s sunglasses on the frontage road. I had seen them, but hadn't picked them up. It all worked out for the better because Travon had messaged the Community Center last night to keep a look out. Because I was pedaling at a faster pace the sunglasses were given to me and I texted Trayvon.

It was dirt out of Separ with a tailwind. My new bike and tires enabled me to really handle the dirt and gravel. I wasn’t used to having so much control. The wide handlebars helped as well. I missed a turn and could see that I was off-route. I ran into Tom from Grand Junction, CO who was familiar with the route. He assured me that I was on course. He told me to go ahead because I was riding in a fast pace. I didn’t like being off-route and tried to cut over to where I should be. I opened up a chained fence, like what I had done in Mexico. This wasn’t smart. I figured out what was going on. Separ road would eventually connect to the route, and if necessary I could put my destination in my Wahoo. But I was surrounded by desert with a limited amount of water. I decided to double back to the route, via Gage Road. A pair of jack rabbits ran across the road.

I rode by an abandoned ranch and stopped for a moment under a scraggly tree to drink some water. I rode by Thorn Ranch and noticed a number of buildings and the main house surrounded by Cypress and other types of trees. I was riding through open range with a strong wind out of the south west which was mostly at my back. At certain points it was blowing against my front shoulder. I ran into southbound cyclists Brian and Roy from San Diego. They had motor vehicle support and were headed to Separ. They weren’t carrying any gear, but were dealing with a wicked headwind

I came to a fork and re-joined Separ Road, the route that Don had taken. On the map it looked a tad bit shorter than what I had done. I wondered if he was ahead of me or behind. I wondered where Otso and Nora were. At noon I passed the fork for Johnny McDonald road. After that I was riding directly along the spine of the Continental Divide. I was at 5,600 feet elevation. To my right water drained to the Atlantic and to my left the water drained to the Pacific. I could see massive billowing clouds of wildfire smoke to the northeast. I left the spine and had the first nice downhill of the tour. My bike and the tires handled the loose dirt really well. I would be terrified to be doing some of this on my Surly.

I could see Otso & Nora ahead of me. I was headed down a steep hill with a sharp turn, and noticed a cyclist down in the dirt. It was Trayvon, the cyclist who had lost the sunglasses. He had wiped out in the dirt on the turn and had broke his collarbone. Otso & Nora helped him up and into the shade. They gave him ibuprofen, and I handed him his prescription sunglasses. He had a satellite SOS system as well as global travel insurance. We agreed that Otso & Nora would stay with him and I would go find help.

Coming into White Signal, population 181, I passed a small ranch with some llama in the front yard. I didn’t see any cars or pick up trucks in the driveway. I noticed an oncoming green pick-up truck which I flagged down. Reade and Rhonda had a ranch in the area, and perhaps the one I had just passed. I told him about Trayvon and they promised to get a larger truck and retrieve him. The value in traveling in groups on this route was obvious. A deer darted across the road in front of me. And I came to the intersection of State Highway 96 and also the ACA Southern Tier route. I took a right and was back on asphalt. There were no services in White Signal. We had been lucky with Reade and Rhonda.

I noticed massive amounts of earth that had been removed, ostensibly for silver mining. A rescue vehicle passed me going in the other direction as I was climbing up towards Silver City. I had a hunch they were heading for Trayvon. I passed the entrance for the Tyrone mine and continued climbing. A red pick-up truck passed with a bicycle in the back. I then got a text from Trayvon that he had just passed me. Whew! He was in good hands.

I rode into Tyrone, population 637. I really wish that these closed and shuttered businesses would remove their 'open' and 'welcome' banners. I was parched for a cold beverage. The only business open was the post office. I was still about five miles out of Silver City

I noticed a ranch entrance, where the drive was lined with toilets on both sides. I decided to follow the drive and I made a short video. I passed another ghost bike memorial to Dan Potts whom had been killed by a car crash in 1999. Rest In Peace. Damned motorists need to slow down and exercise caution.

Finally I came to Silver City, population 10,315 with an elevation of 5,938 feet. I stopped at a Chevron for a Coke on ice and a bag of cashews. Everyone I noticed was Native American. I rode into the center of town. It was charming and brimming with tourists. I stopped at Gila Hike and bike to see if they had any news on the wildfires. They had closed shortly before I arrived, but an employee opened the door. Unfortunately he didn’t have any information. The guy who would have known, had already left.

I rode over to Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery where I ordered a pint of Copper Ale. I then ordered a cheeseburger with fries and a salmon & strawberry salad. I sat by the front window next to my bike, while I recharged devices and edited this report.