A dry camp to Cuba, NM

Strava: 77.4 km, 711m, 4:29, 200 shifts, 48.5 kph max

I slept really well, and certainly didn’t have to pee in the night. I did wake up at 3 to close up the fly when the wind picked up. Some dust got in. We got up around 6, packed, and ate instant oatmeal with pecans and cranberries. The second course was DKB (Dave’s Killer Bread) with lots of peanut butter and Ghirardelli Caramel and Sea Salt chocolate.

We headed off at 7, down a couple of km to the Homestake Well spring. We filtered about 8 liters for the day. At 7:30 we started for real. It was dirt without too much sand for 25 km, scenic and pretty fun. Then, inexplicably, 5 km of pavement which was nice, but then back to it. After a while we had lunch, yesterday’s extra sandwich plus our last four Walmart pies.

After that the sand came more often and it was sometimes quite difficult. I remembered a crazy day of sand in Bolivia back in 2019. The secret there was to sit back and float the front of the bike, applying power as needed. I tried it here and it was not effective. The front of these loaded bikes won’t float at all. So it went, for a long way. The sand never was able to take me down but it provided endless sideways excitement.

By the time we hit US 550, I was so hot and dry. The highway looked terrible, four lanes, lots of fast traffic, lots of giant trucks. But when we actually took off, the combination of tailwind, full bike lane and almost level grade made it pretty easy and fast. Wytze led as usual, gradually ramping to 32+ on flat. It didn’t take long for Andrew to drop himself, then me, but Daniel persevered, 17 km to the first café in Cuba. We drank so much! The fountain drinks were almost a liter, and I think we had 12, I know I had 3.

It was nearly 2pm, check in time at the motel, so we rode over. Showers!!! Laundry, and just a cool place to lie down. So civilized. I drank quite a bit more, still no pee 🤔

Some major napping occurred, then some semi-reluctant bike maintenance and route planning. If we were fresh, the idea would be to ride all the way to Abiquiu tomorrow, but we are not, so it will be another big water carry and dry camp.

Later we rode to the market, a nice one, and gave them $150 for a mountain of food. Our motel suite may only have two beds but it has a kitchen and we know how to use it. The restaurant was just a little further. Andrew and Wytze secured seats where we could see the bikes and Daniel and I headed for the liquor store. No beer with dinner but you’re welcome to BYOB. IPA in hand we sat down. Everyone ordered fajitas and it was a grand dinner, I’m pretty sure better than the best available in Grants, a much larger city.

As I write this it’s already 20:30 and I need to get to sleep NOW! Good night 💤

Grants to a dry camp in the middle of nowhere

Strava: 117.1 km, 1607m, 7:04,  328 shifts, 64.7 kph max

5:30 alarm, 6:15 packing food, 7 at the café, 7:30 departure from Grants. We climbed on pavement for 23 km, it felt like getting 600m done “for free”. Then onto gravel as we climbed more. It got cooler and prettier as we gained. We stopped near the highpoint, 2750m, for brunch of Walmart pies. It was cool and the air was so nice up there.

Nothing ever stays the same for long though. Down we went. Soon it was at least 10°C warmer. We continued and came to a quite sandy section, difficult riding. I think we all made it without actually crashing which was good. Lots of sideways sliding around. Near the end of it we passed some motorcycle guys who had passed us hours ago, stuck but hopeful (although we never saw them again…) Back on firmer dirt, we stopped for lunch of peanut butter and honey sandwiches in a broken down homestead barn that had shade.

The rest of the ride was sort of hard and long. We went past many scenic formations but overall, it was dry, dusty, and you had to be super careful on the many downhills. Eventually we got to the water spring that wasn’t dry, this was at 115 km. Andrew and I rode over to it and soaked our faces, phew. I wet my arm protectors which lasted maybe 10 minutes. We filtered 1.5 liters into one of my bottles and Andrew took a similar amount to filter at camp. Up the hill a bit Daniel and Wytze were at the “informal campground”, at a high point with good views and a nice place to cook. Also good mobile data, a surprise.

Tents went up under small trees, then clouds came over and saved us for a while. Daniel went down the hill ahead with Wytze to check out the second spring. It was good and they got more water, but had a big climb back. Next up was dinner: our special recipe: 16 servings of mashed potatoes, this time with four bags of tuna. The verdict: even better than last time! We had a nearly melted chocolate bar for dessert then retired early (7 pm).

Special wildlife sightings today

• A giant gopher snake, at least 5′ long
• A green lizard at camp
• A pretty bird, comment if you can identify for sure (one AI said house finch)

May 31, 2026 was our first rest day on the Great Divide. We’ve covered 612 km and climbed 6107m to get to Grants, over halfway through our New Mexico adventure.

We went to bed late and got up late, very luxurious. After planning the route to Cuba (two days), we rode over the highway to Walmart which seemed like the only good grocery shopping option. It was my second time at this Walmart (thanks Beau for pointing out we had food shopped here together!) and my third time in Walmart ever. It’s overwhelming with so many choices but we managed to find food for today, tomorrow’s big ride and a more modest ride the next day. We also bought a few little items we needed. Breakfast was outside at a picnic table in the shade: yogurt with granola and blueberries, a salad and an orange each. Coffee was needed so over to the nearby Denny’s. I hadn’t been in one for 39 years! Of course we also needed more food like pancakes, brownie, milkshake etc. These trips are so fun if you love to eat!

We rode back to the motel and met a couple of women cyclists we knew from the Bunkhouse. Liz offered her house in Salida, CO when we get there, presumably some days ahead of her. We decided to accept and invited her to our wine and cheese platter party this afternoon.

We did a little bike work and relaxed in the afternoon. Around 5, I sliced up cheeses and we sat outside for what ended up being an over two hour long little party. It was really pleasant and various people contributed nice foods. Liz showed up from Walmart with two more bottles of wine.

In the evening we watched another movie, Roofman, a sad true story, filmed really well. The alarm is set for an early departure, good night.

Pie Town to Grants

Strava: 113.5 km, 493m, 4:40, 244 shifts, 52.5 kph max

Three of us ended up sleeping inside at the Bunkhouse last night. We woke up early when others came in looking for their coffee fix or the bathroom. We packed up and rode to the Gathering Place for breakfast at 7:30, right when Starr was opening. She served us classic breakfasts like omelets, pancakes, bacon and eggs. Delicious and of course we bought three pies to go for lunch.

We rolled out Pie Town at 8:30 and headed north on a dirt road that was pretty smooth. Within one km I had to replace my other shifter battery (WTF??) and we got to talk to the Canadian couple we met yesterday hiking. They seemed in a good mood but walking that long long road did not look fun to me. We talked with them about types of hikers and bikers: seekers, people trying to escape something, and those “with fuck all else to do”, that last one added by Andrew. As we rode on we pondered which we were.

We stopped for first lunch at 11:00 at the junction with route 117, after just over 50 km. We had two pies, so tasty! Then we rode the paved alternate route the rest of the day.

After 25 km of nice cruising by sandstone formations, we stopped at La Ventana Arch. We rode the little trail to a viewpoint and shared our last pie there. It’s a beautiful spot and we were just loving the clear sky and relatively cool temps.

We continued on, the whole way on pavement with our Superman, Wytze, leading. The wind varied, generally side, so we mostly echelon drafted. This is a diagonal pattern with Wytze near the center line and each of us behind and to the right of the one ahead. There was very little traffic so this worked perfectly the whole way. Obviously it’s no good on a busy road. We reminisced about getting pulled over by the cops in Spain for this in 2023.

We crossed route 40, stopped for drinks and snacks, then continued the last 9 km to Grants.  This part of route 117 was tracing the path of historic Route 66. We made it about 8.5 km but noticed the Junkyard on 66 Brewery and just had to stop. The place was so classic with classic cars and stacks of parts, dozens of old car radios, a pool table etc. They didn’t make an IPA so Andrew and I had a guest beer, Alien IPA, that was great. We had some snacks and enjoyed the stop.

Our motel, the Leisure Lodge, was just down the road and we checked in. It’s a classic old motel, another one of Andrew’s goals for the trip accomplished. Old or not they had a great shower. Then we warmed up the leftover pizza from Pie Town for a snack. Livin’ large!

We rode to dinner around 6, headed for the Teppanyaki place “downtown”, but it didn’t exist. El Cafecito Mexican restaurant did though and served us up a giant dinner of various dishes, plainer than we’re used to in California but filling. Very friendly staff let us park inside – we heard you have to be careful about bikes here. I have to say that Grants is a bit of a disappointment so far after Silver City. Riding through the neighborhoods… It does not look thriving.

We rode back and watched a pretty wild movie in our room, No Country for Old Men. All in all a great day, ending the first week of our adventure. And tomorrow is a rest day! I believe I will sleep well.

Geronimo Trail Camp to Valle Tio Vinces CG

Strava: 125.7 km, 1426m, 8:09, 274 shifts, 48 kph max

Valle Tio Vinces to Pie Town

Strava: 48.3 km, 490m, 2:31, 134 shifts, 48.2 kph max

We had planned to split the 170+ km distance more like 90 + 80, but in the end pushed on that first day to make the second day quick and easy.

We got up early in our cabin, cooked breakfast and took off at 6:30, temperature 3° C. A climb warmed us up and we continued on, with the first stop at the Beaverhead Work Camp where we loaded up on water for a dry camp. I could feel the extra 3+ kg.

Right when we got a bit over the 85 km midpoint the scenery changed and we were in a barren, flat, windy land. So we kept going. At 110 km we topped off our water at a church but camping did not look good. The map showed a Forest Service campground with great reviews so we cranked out another 400m climb in 15 km, arriving after 5pm.

It was beautiful and deserted although a CDT hiker came in while we were cooking dinner. He went to bed right away and I heard his fast footsteps the next morning, before 6am. I am in awe of the people who do this on foot.

Since we were going to easily get to Pie Town and provisions the next day, we ate all of our food, two dinners and tomorrow’s lunch. It was a feast. I was more tired than the previous days though. We all retired early. I read for 30 minutes until 8pm then my legs started cramping. An electrolyte tablet cured that and I fell deep asleep.

After nine hours of peaceful sleep, you just have to feel great! There was a little ice so maybe it was 0° in the night. I slept warm in my quilt with no extra warm clothes needed. Breakfast was the last of our oats plus two packages of granola with milk and blueberries. We packed up and set off at 7:30.

There was one climb, then the most gorgeous downhill. Smooth and the perfect angle where you can go fast but never touch the brakes. And somehow no washboard! Kilometers just fly by. We were up over 2500m for the first time, fresh with lots of big Ponderosa Pines.

It was a beautiful and easy cruise all the way to Pie Town. Just before arriving we spent some time talking to a couple hiking the CDT, day 18 vs our day 6 (different routes though). In town, we pulled in to the first place we saw called The Gathering Place. What a place it is! Pies of all types, and a full menu of breakfast and lunch. We arrived around 10:30 so everything was available. I had a veggie burger with onion rings, Daniel had a “Josh Special” and we shared pies and ice cream. And drinks.

Fortified, we rode over to “The Bunkhouse”, a self-serve “hostel”. You can sleep inside or in your tent. Lots of snacks and drinks and even cold beer. It’s $20, payable via a machine, enter the amount and wave your phone or card. Laundry included the most amazing feature I’ve ever seen: borrow clothes! Yes you can wash your cycling clothes and your regular clothes and don’t have to walk around naked. Full kitchen stocked with lots of food and great shower. We hung out with other bikers and hikers for a while, some staying at the other place in town.

After laundry and a long chat with the Swiss owner of the Bunkhouse, we cycled to the closer restaurant. Two had chicken pot pie with pie and salad and two had giant veggie pizzas with salad. We got four pieces of pie to go for good measure. The place was so classic. And we accomplished one of our major goals for the trip! Andrew said he was hoping to see “open carry” somewhere, sometime on this trip. The guy carrying two pistols had a ton of bullets on his gunbelt. He was very pleased when Wytze asked if he could take his picture. We couldn’t eat all the pizza (a pair of 14″ homemade veggie ones, quite hearty) so we brought them to the Bunkhouse along with four pieces of pie for later.

It sure was nice to relax in the Bunkhouse after dinner. We booked two nights in the upcoming town of Grants, thus committing to going the whole way tomorrow. The normal route is supposed to be difficult now due to lack of water so we’ll take the shorter alternative route which will let us avoid another dry camp.

Later in the evening, for second dinner, we shared our take-out quiche from lunch and four pieces of pie: pecan, peach, blueberry and coconut. A great end to a great day. For a town with only 166 people, Pie Town was a highlight of our trip so far.

Lake Roberts to Geronimo Trail Camp

Strava 73.4 km, 1455m, 5:35, 205 shifts, 49.6 kph max

We thought we had an easier stage today and check in time at our cabin was 4pm so we got up late. It was a little cold last night with some ice on my bike this morning. Breakfast was freeze dried peaches, a banana and some turbinado sugar in eight servings of oatmeal. We let it sit under a sleeping bag to get just right. Delicious! We shared a 🥝, packed up and took off just before 9.

The first 12 km was on a paved road, up and down, pretty and relatively easy. We met the guys from the campground at the turnoff. The rest of the day was on dirt. We headed uphill steeply, something like a 9 km climb up 350m. We had a snack at the top and went on. There were lots more of these climbs and I was overjoyed that my granny gear 52 was working even though the bike thinks it’s in second gear. I cranked it long and hard (1:28, the only gear I used today for over an hour)!

The inevitable descents were absolutely wonderful although you have to really pay attention on the tricky, sometimes slippery curves. There were many straight sections where we could cruise at 40 kph or more, with usually one path somewhere on the road free of washboard bumps.

We had lunch just over halfway: one tortilla each with honey and pepper jack cheese. Just enough and super tasty. As we got to 3/4 done and beyond, the pace slowed. The last couple of climbs were brutal in the sun, about 10% grade… Andrew was heard to comment at the top of the last one, “I’m done!” And he meant it. Luckily we had just one last four km downhill run, super nice.

We turned at the ranch sign and spied their coolers right away, drinks and snacks for cyclists. We each pounded large Gatorade bottles. 90% of mine went down in one breath. We took some Clif bars and left $40 in their box. We checked in and the cabin is quite nice. They are off the grid so the shower and power comes from the sun.

Everything is better after your first shower in two days, especially if you sweated copiously. We all did laundry and relaxed. They have Starlink Internet. If you want the full treatment here, meals and horse riding etc, it’s $600 per person per day! We had tried to add dinner but their chef had the day off so we have to make our food last to Pie Town, two days and 170+ km away. With the extra Clif Bars I think we’ll make it.

I heard some snoring while I was writing this post, while Daniel spent time in the bathtub trying to find the holes in his sleeping pad. Later, we cooked dinner outside. After a careful inventory we decided we could share three dinners for “two” instead of just two like last night. Dessert was a scone, a mint chocolate cookie and a big bar of Swiss chocolate from Daniel.

Hachita to Ridge Park Campground on route 90

Strava: 102 km, 863m, 6:08, 139 shifts, 46.4 kph max

After a decent sleep, we got up around 5, ate a big breakfast and packed up. The weather had changed quite a bit, with the road wet, cool with some rain in the air. We headed north with gorgeous views in all directions. We stopped for pictures at our first Continental Divide crossing. Before the rain started we were treated to some amazing lightning and super loud thunder. Once it was maybe a quarter second between them!

The first 30 km today was paved and it wasn’t really cold so the rain just made us wet and cool. It let up as we finished the paved section and headed west on a gravel frontage road along Interstate 10. We rode with our tandem camping partners, Brad and Kristen. Soon we got to the one town of the day, Separ. It has just one building, the Continental Divide Trading Post. We bought lots of snacks and drinks but skipped fireworks. We took a break eating outside, very nice.

We headed north on dirt roads, and soon the rain started up again. Daniel has low clearance in front and had a little trouble but the tandem was completely shut down by the sandy mud. They had to take a break to wait for drier conditions. We persevered and loved the varied weather and views. I got to try out my new rain jacket which worked great, the first time I’ve had a hood while riding. Up and down, about 70 km of dirt. We stopped for lunch at noon but had already been riding for four and a half hours.

There was a fair amount of climbing but nothing steep. Finally at 95 km we popped out onto state highway 90, paved and smooth. We took it a little way to a campground and checked in. It felt good to have a 100 km day under our belts and it was only 2:20.

I was very happy to see trees with shade in the tent area. We set up, had showers and did the daily laundry – we each have only one set of cycling clothes.

Some lounging occurred then we made dinner, cooking up the second meal bought at the Dollar General in Columbus. The pot only holds two liters so first I put 8 servings of instant mashed potatoes and a can of tuna into a liter of boiling water. Stir and it’s ready! Andrew and I enjoyed that and agreed it was just the right amount. Later I repeated for Daniel and Wytze. No leftovers! Dessert was candied pecans. We worked on route plans for the next few days, then cleaned up.

It was forecast to rain in the night so we put on our rain flies. Our plan is to get up at 5:45 (luxury) then ride into Silver City for breakfast and shopping. Sure enough, as I wrote that the rain started!

For me it was a little hard this morning, saying goodbye to Katie for 8 weeks. But Andrew and I had a good time doing some final prep, then my old friend Scott drove us from Santa Cruz to San Jose airport. There was literally no waiting to check in and American Airlines didn’t bother to weigh our slightly overweight boxes, which just count as regular baggage.

The plane was on time, we had lunch and changed planes in Phoenix, then made it to El Paso a little after 6. It was amazing to see both our bike boxes come out on the regular baggage conveyor belt so quickly.

After we put the bikes together and loaded up, we pulled up the course I had made to the Airbnb and took off. It was an easy ride, mostly downhill for 5 km, under 15 minutes. The house is very spacious with four nice bedrooms and a modern kitchen. There are guitars, music albums and posters everywhere.

We unloaded our bikes and rode over to a nearby supermarket (the biggest one Andrew had ever seen) for dinner, breakfast and beer. Back at home as we ate we received some fun messages from the other guys as they arrived in El Paso. Daniel sent a video of two maintenance guys properly disposing of Andrew and my bike boxes from three hours before. Wytze later sent a photo of Daniel’s box captioned “Leaving your trash. Disgusting!”

Sometime after 10 pm they arrived together and the beer and snacks flowed as we caught up. So fun! We talked for a couple of hours then called it a night. So far so good!