Day Eighteen
An amazing day. Just under 59 miles, from Marfa to Marathon, TX, mostly downhill, mostly with a tailwind, but HOT. Hottest day of the trip, with a high of 91.
I slept strangely cold last night, even though the low was 50 degrees. 10 nights ago, I slept warmer in 31 degree weather in the same sleep set up. My resting pulse is now 47 bpm. Is my heart rate now so low that I can't keep myself warm at night? I wonder what the science says about this
Before I get too far, a hello to Patty, whom I met this morning at El Cosmico, and David, whom I met in Alpine while enjoying lunch. Super interesting people who, if you are reading this, stay in touch, as I would love to figure out how to reconnect after my ride.
Patty and I talked long after my intended departure from El Cosmico in Marfa, and it was totally worth every minute. She has cycle toured in 45 countries, and said her favorites are Norway, New Zealand and South Africa. I'll ride them all.
EL Cosmico is like a McMenamins of the West Texas desert.
They have restored vintage mid-20th century travel trailers as bungalows, El Cosmico also has wall tents, teepees and just regular camping (I just slept out on the ground), with a kind of a retro Texas hipster vibe. Very fun.
Okay, at first I was a little snarky about the whole " See me, I'm so cool having my 'desert experience'" thing, and it's totally fair to say that much of the clientele was kind of awkward and dorky, but I relaxed into it. I had breakfast at a she-she coffee shop filled with well-manicured and accessorized Texas matrons, who were having SUCH a wonderful, chitchatty and relaxing time, being seen relaxing, but I got over myself once again and just enjoyed it. The coffee and breakfast, were, actually, excellent.
Then I rode, on excellent pavement, with a comfortable tailwind, on a generally downhill slope, to Alpine.
I stopped at a food truck for lunch and ended up in a nice conversation with David, who at 72 is a cyclist too and was very interested in my ride. g it.
Actually being noticed was pretty nice. And David helped me appreciate what's going on here, and take one more step towards gettin
David was a rock and roller who noticed, in middle age, that his lifestyle was killing his friends, and he decided to make a change. He's a skilled craftsman, and in West Texas, he met people who actually valued him and what he could do. Back then, Marfa was a has-been place and kind of a wreck. He was able to by decrepit properties, fix them up and sell them to people who appreciated his craftsmanship. After 20-odd years of this, Marfa is better, David is better, and lots of people come from all over to appreciate and enjoy the place, and pump money into an otherwise broken economy. Everyone is doing better, and nobody is being displaced, but rather, are being employed doing better work than what they had before, if they had any at all. Is it chic and clever and ironic and playful and maybe a little too full of itself? Sure. Is that a problem? Not at all. I mentioned to David that the town of Valentine is a disaster zone. He said, not for long. People are trying to make something of this place, and I have to hand it to them, it seems to be working.
On to Marathon, more beautiful road, gorgeous surroundings, mostly downhill, mostly with a tailwind. Easily the easiest 59 miles of the trip so far.
For a $15 camping fee, I'm on the grounds of the Marathon Motel, another beautifully restored guest property, a little oasis in the desert heat.
I pitched my tent in the low rent district out back and am enjoying writing this on a cooling evening, next to a burbling fountain in a tastefully lit garden.
Marathon is know for it's Dark Sky, that is, wonderful star gazing. I'm looking forward to that tonight, then I'm sure I'll sleep well.
Tomorrow, the weather changes. Gone are my tail winds. Rain is even in the forecast for the day after tomorrow. I've earned a rest day but I am feeling good and will push on tomorrow/', banking the rest day for when I really need it.
I'm now at 1,125 miles from the Santa Monica Pier. That's a bit over a third of the trip, in about a third of my riding days, so I'm on track. I'm not making a lot of power but I'm sustaining. If all goes according to plan, in 3 days I'll be to Del Rio and out of the Big Bend/West Texas area. Honestly, the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts are not places I ever plan to cycle again. Once is enough. I'm almost ready to say that the experience has annealed me in a way that I will feel the benefits from for a long time. But I'll wait until it's all behind me before I can call it Type 2 fun. It's not actually fun yet, but I feel the reward coming.
I’d love to hear from you. Donate to the ride and send along your words of encouragement and tell me why getting kids outside matters to you.
