Chama and then a long way down, out of forests and the lush northern part of New Mexico, through a valley to Espanola (the low point, about mile 80) and then back up to Santa Fe. As it got lower it got hotter... some relief back towards the top. 4,700 vertical feet.
The impressive thing was how the landscape changed, starting with awful yet-to-be-asphalted gravel roads through the rest stop at 24 miles, but we were impressed by how pretty the high plains and mountains were, full of trees, the comment "this doesn't look like New Mexico" was made quite often. Note the road conditions... 
Then that slope from about mile 30 to 40... I hooked up with Bruce (New Hampshire) and Jerry (WI) and we had one of the trancendent moments of the tour (it lasted several miles), 30+MPH leap frogging each other and just pounding down the hill, little traffic, great shoulder and zooming fast down a canyon. Maybe too fast... we missed a turn which Tom and Don took to a huge half-sphere carved into the canyon wall where you can talk at one side and be heard at the other as the sound bounces around the stone. I remember seeing it but on we went.
When we popped out at the bottom of the canyon we were not in the trees anymore: striped eroded hillsides and red rock and scrub, complete change of scenery. This was at the 46 mile rest stop:
Then on to next rest stop riding with Cassie and then on to lunch back with Jerry and Bruce and absolutely pounding the pavement, probably averaged over 23MPH for the 15 or so miles, but then when you've got this to look at - scrub and rock - why not ride fast? Those thunderstorms stayed looming all day but we never got a drop, they awere to our east.
What the day will be remembered for is the glass. The shoulders were covered with broken bottle bits and shards, I think more tires were changed today than in the whole trip combined, everywhere was a road hazard. Shoulders were wide - no question - but with the amount of glass and gravel and broken tire bits they presented more of a hazard than riding in the road and risking the wrath of traffic.
From lunch at mile 80 into Santa Fe (105) was a lot of corners and turns but got in right at 2:30; now 4:30pm and everything and everyone is washed and ready for tomorrow, the last day. The main city square is only a block or two away so off to explore and get dinner, then, as the gang in Les Mis sings...
ALL
Tomorrow we'll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more
The end is closing fast... thoughts of work, family, and upcoming adventures are prevalent (Karen is training for PBP that starts Aug 20th for example). I have to admit feeling a little lost: these legs can pound, these lungs that haven't been below 6,000ft in a week and over many passes at 10K or even 11K, meanwhile a string of seven 100 mile days in a row, and 10 of the last 11 days, not to mention the climbing of 5K to 8K vertical a day. How do I feel? FIGJAM, (Aussie racing slang... F#$# I'm Good, Just Ask Me, see all the good things that multi-cultural experiences lead to?).
So seems hard to walk away from feeling so able. But one more day.
When we popped out at the bottom of the canyon we were not in the trees anymore: striped eroded hillsides and red rock and scrub, complete change of scenery. This was at the 46 mile rest stop:
Then on to next rest stop riding with Cassie and then on to lunch back with Jerry and Bruce and absolutely pounding the pavement, probably averaged over 23MPH for the 15 or so miles, but then when you've got this to look at - scrub and rock - why not ride fast? Those thunderstorms stayed looming all day but we never got a drop, they awere to our east.What the day will be remembered for is the glass. The shoulders were covered with broken bottle bits and shards, I think more tires were changed today than in the whole trip combined, everywhere was a road hazard. Shoulders were wide - no question - but with the amount of glass and gravel and broken tire bits they presented more of a hazard than riding in the road and risking the wrath of traffic.
From lunch at mile 80 into Santa Fe (105) was a lot of corners and turns but got in right at 2:30; now 4:30pm and everything and everyone is washed and ready for tomorrow, the last day. The main city square is only a block or two away so off to explore and get dinner, then, as the gang in Les Mis sings...
ALL
Tomorrow we'll discover
What our God in Heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more
The end is closing fast... thoughts of work, family, and upcoming adventures are prevalent (Karen is training for PBP that starts Aug 20th for example). I have to admit feeling a little lost: these legs can pound, these lungs that haven't been below 6,000ft in a week and over many passes at 10K or even 11K, meanwhile a string of seven 100 mile days in a row, and 10 of the last 11 days, not to mention the climbing of 5K to 8K vertical a day. How do I feel? FIGJAM, (Aussie racing slang... F#$# I'm Good, Just Ask Me, see all the good things that multi-cultural experiences lead to?).
So seems hard to walk away from feeling so able. But one more day.
Dinner was in two parts, with Greg and Tom on the plaza, pizza and beer in the rain before the music kicked off on the square, then 2nd round with the sister of a friend (Susan Thornton) at a small restaurant across from hotel.
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