Day 13 Lordsburg to Silver City, NM

Wow! What a fantastic ride we had today - up and over the Continental Divide!! Another beautiful and cool start. A slow 1% grade for the first 20 miles or so caused most of us to feel as though we were slogging thru mud. But, watching gorgeous mountains made it OK. Then, we did a serious climb up at least a 6% grade only to have a very long and fast downhill. At the top of this climb we found out we were at the top of the Continental Divide at 6355 Ft. What an awesome feeling! I found the climbs to be difficult but oh so doable. Ellen taught me the waltz method of climbing: I count one, two, three in waltz time and on the one count pushing each time with the opposite foot. The push provides a boost and the two-three count provides a rest. This method makes a great rhythm and keeps the cadence smooth. Also keeps my mind off how far the top may be. The day's miles were short, but we had one more serious climb that seemed to go round and round before it started back down into Silver City. I waltzed up and enjoyed the challenge. The first 20 miles appeared flat with fields as far as the eye could see dotted with yucca plants but always with the mountains on the horizon. Took pictures at the Continental Divide. . . I've also learned another technique about drinking from my water bottle. How long have I been cycling and I've never sucked from my bottle. I always squeeze the bottle. However, these last few mornings have been so cold that the bottle is stiff and besides I wear thick gloves for the first 2 hours. So, I realized that I could suck it! Duh! It's really important to stay hydrated even if one doesn't feel thirsty and we go through a LOT of water and Gatoraid. . . . On the way into Silver City, Mary and detoured through the historic part of town before locating the motel on the opposite side of town. We stopped at the home of Billy the Kid's mother where he also lived for a couple of years. Then, we found the Twin Sisters Bike Shop where Annie tweaked my gears and lubed something to make shifting easier. She also pointed out a problem with my shifters that Shimano might ought to correct. . . I'll talk to BP about that when I return. :)) . . . The funniest that happened to me today was standing in the post office next and striking up a conversation with someone that most unusual. She was dressed in a pink or fuchia skirt and sweater with pink beret, silver jewelry and painted nails. But when my eyes reached the face, she was at least a 6 ft. man! We had a most interesting conversation about cycling and he told me about annual bike race that's held in Silver City. Cycling can be very interesting! Today we climbed 2655 ft. We're all looking forward to sleeping a little later in the morning because it's our first day off in eight days. But if I know this group, there will be a gang of us downstairs at breakfast between six and seven. Pics to follow when I can catch someone to show me how to load them.