Yesterday the temperature rose to 99 degrees while we were touring Big Bend.  I skipped a rock across the Rio Grande and hit a 1500′ wall in Mexico.

Santa Elena Canyon

Class V rapid on the Rio Grande

Today I started riding in long sleeves and 41 degree temperatures. I rode for 4 hours in long sleeves, the longest I have ridden in anything but short sleeves on the trip so far. There was a cool north wind, sometimes it was NW, sometimes it was N, sometimes it was NNE. Most of the time the breeze was on my port quarter or my beam. It has been very hazy the last few days due to dust storms.

When I first started 14 miles east of Alpine there was little breeze and I did the 14 miles without dismounting. Then the winds started to play with me so I alternated in high and low gear. I got a good stretch with the breeze on my quarter and logged some miles. By 12:15 I was having a real chocolate milkshake with chocolate ice cream and milk, in a little dinner in Marathon.

My crew called and said they were finished touring and grocery shopping and headed my way. I was able to ride another 6 miles before they caught me for my second longest day at 50 miles. By this time the beam reach was causing me to make too much leeway so I called it a day.

Met a father daughter team Ron and Natasha at the White Buffalo Bar in Marathon riding the same route I am. We drank some beer and swapped riding tales. They were chased by the same pack of dogs I was. We hated to end the evening, but figured we would run across each other on the ride the next day.

Stats for day 41: Rode 51.13 miles at 11.6 mph, Max=14.9 mph, Ascent=791’, Descent=1732’, Max elevation=5083’, Min elevation=4045’, Ave heart rate=100, Max heart rate=140, Ave temp=58 degrees. Calories burned=1088.