Scott Davis Anderson

Day Twenty-Six

Riding the bike was fun today, but we weren’t in the mood to push for extra miles.  We came upon an entrance to Fort Clark Springs in Bracketville, TX and something was beckoning us to explore further.  As we entered, we found a small community built on an old military fort, complete with golf course(s), communal (wild) turkeys, and deer.  After our short 40 mile ride, we decided to stay for the night in the inexpensive hotel.  Alan, Carl, and I dropped off our gear in the room and rode our bikes around the community to explore.  We made our way back  towards the golf course to see if the attached restaurant was open.  What we found was 3 gentlemen relaxing by the side of the club house, drinking Coors.  A spirited man approached Alan and asked if he needed some assistance, to which Alan explained that we were simply exploring the premises.  The man took interest in our bicycles and our journey to cross the country.  He offered us each a beer and told Alan that he can now tell his friends in Alaska that he shared a beer with Robert E. Lee.  The man pulled out his drivers license and showed us that the 82 year old man was in fact was named Robert E. Lee.  We made fast friends with Robert and were soon calling him Honest Bob.  Honest Bob was a name he gave himself years ago when he was selling cars, one of many fascinating lives I came to learn of.  After sitting with Bob for a little while, I came to realize why we were beckoned to explore Fort Clark Springs.  We were soon invited back to Bob’s house for some sausages, potato salad, and a few more beers.  Bob mentioned his wife as he headed towards his car and waved for us to follow him to his house on our bikes.  A small smile crept on my face as I imagined his wife’s reaction to Bob bringing home 3 cyclists he had picked up at the clubhouse.

After a short ride, we arrived at Bob’s house.  His home overlooks the golf course and has the best looking grass I’ve seen this side of the Mississippi.  Bob introduced us to Betty, who is the club champion golfer and an avid San Antonio Spurs fan.  We were also greeted by Sissy, the family dog and daddies little girl.  We all told stories and marveled in how great it is to be open to new experiences.  I looked at family photos and ate wonderful food.  Bob had a glimmer in his eyes that jabbed a “hook em horns” at me every now and again and Betty had a smile that made me feel right at home.  Meeting Bob and Betty is an experience worth remembering.  I took down their address and plan on sending them a post card when I arrive in Louisiana.  I also plan on cheering for the San Antonio Spurs a little harder, knowing that Betty is cheering along as well.  Good feed in Fort Clark Springs!  Good night.

Starting point: RV Park in Del Rio, TX
Ending point: Hotel at Fort Clark Springs in Bracketville, TX
Total miles on this day: 40.55
Total miles to date: 1380.44
Average MPH: 11.6
Max MPH: 26.3
Saddle time on this day: 3:29:34
Saddle time to date: 134:01:43

Day Twenty-Five

This morning we headed for Del Rio and the end of the section 3 adventure cycling map that shows the route for the Southern Tier.  It is exciting to have completed another stage of my adventure, but also brings with it the parting of Ron, one of the members of the Old Bones Crew.  Ron is waiting for his wife Sharon to meet him in Del Rio, where they will continue riding together for the next 3 weeks.  There is a chance that we will run into each other later on in the trip, so I look forward to that.  The winds have died down in comparison to yesterday, but they still are a cause for concern amongst the group.  I am hoping that the winds don’t act as a wet blanket, and instead we can collectively find value in being pounded in the face by 40 MPH gusts.  What’s the use if it isn’t a challenge right?

Starting point: Picnic Area west of Langtry, TX
Ending point: RV Park in Del Rio, TX
Total miles on this day: 67.72
Total miles to date: 1339.89
Average MPH: 10.8
Max MPH: 29.0
Saddle time on this day: 6:13:03
Saddle time to date: 130:32:09

Day Twenty-Four

As soon as I opened my big mouth, we were hit by a shift in fortune.  The winds blew hard from the east today, making it almost impossible to ride.  Topping off an already difficult day, Alan of the Old Bones Crew, was unable to patch his final spare tire.  Ron, Carl, and I waited for hours at a rest stop, but Alan was nowhere to be found.  None of us had cellphone reception, so communication was difficult.  We decided he must be having troubles with a tire, so I sent a spare tube with a driver headed west bound, hoping this would solve Alan’s dilemma.  It worked, as Alan appeared a couple hours later cursing the winds.  We pushed on for another hour or so, before we called it a day at a picnic area off the side of the highway.  The winds were gusting to 40 MPH, so we were unable to put up our tents.  We ate up all of our emergency rations and huddled in our sleeping bags for a windy night of tossing and turning in the concrete.  The winds continued throughout the night, as none of us were able to get much sleep.  I am still finding joy in the challenges of the day.  My spirits are still high, but I do on occasion feel like I am in a sort of “Sophomore slump”.  I don’t expect it to last, as I am now in Texas hill country, and trust excitement is just around the corner.

Starting point: Hotel in Marathon, TX
Ending point: Picnic Area west of Langtry, TX
Total miles on this day: 50.37
Total miles to date: 1272.17
Average MPH: 9.1
Max MPH: 27.7
Saddle time on this day: 5:29:30
Saddle time to date: 124:19:06

Day Twenty-Three

Today, we had a casual day as we rode from Marathon, TX to Sanderson, TX.  The Woman’s Tour rode the same route as us today, so I got another chance to say hello to the wonderful ladies.  This will probably be the last time I see them on the trip, because they are planning on riding 112 miles tomorrow into Del Rio.  We are planning on a much shorter day, breaking our ride into Del Rio into two more days.  It has been an absolute pleasure riding with the Woman’s Tour Group up to this point, and I wish them a safe and happy adventure.  I do hope to keep in contact, as there are so many wonderful people among the group.  I am hoping that the tail winds continue to prevail, as they have made the miles fly by effortlessly. I don’t expect to have too many easy days like today, so I am going to savor this one, because today was a breeze. That is all for now from Sanderson, TX.

Starting point: Hotel in Marathon, TX
Ending point: RV Park in Sanderson, TX
Total miles on this day: 55.68
Total miles to date: 1277.48
Average MPH: 14.1
Max MPH: 28.1
Saddle time on this day: 3:56:21
Saddle time to date: 122:45:57

Day Twenty-Two

The temperature has taken a drastic turn.  As I am sure many across the country can attest, the weather has been unpredictable.  We are hearing news of flooding in Fargo, and snow in northern Texas.  The weather is not terribly uncomfortable, but it is a little colder than I would like.  Luckily, I still have some of my colder weather clothing.  After a chilly ride, I arrived in Marathon, TX, where Alan and Carl were waiting at a hotel.  Ron arrived shortly after, and we all decided to get out of the cold and wind.  We watched some of the Sweet 16 games as we cheered the lone Big 10 team, Michigan State to victory.  We found Marathon to be an overpriced tourist town that brought out a little bit of the bitterness that was festering from the cold windy day.  We are all hoping for better things from the wind gods tomorrow.  Good night from Marathon.

Starting point: Camping at The Davis Mountains State Park in Fort Davis, TX
Ending point: Hotel in Marathon, TX
Total miles on this day: 55.67
Total miles to date: 1221.8
Average MPH: 11.5
Max MPH: 39.2
Saddle time on this day: 4:49:26
Saddle time to date: 118:49:36

Day Twenty-One

When we headed to bed last night, we did not know what today had in store.  The last couple of days were pretty easy rides, making me temporarily forgot about how hard climbing could be.  The Uphill climbs were once again steep, but the head winds made for an extremely difficult day.  After fighting the winds and hills for the first 30 miles, we took a short break at the McDonald Observatory located in the Davis Mountains.  After the brief rest, I felt amazing.  I pushed hard as I began to decline in altitude and my speed began picking up.  The final 15 miles seemed to go by extremely quick as I arrived at The Davis Mountains State Park just west of Fort Davis, TX.  We decided to stay at the park, where we were able to get showers and a meal at the park restaurant.  I maxed out my top speed at 44.3 MPH today, as I am growing more and more comfortable on the bike.  I was also pleased to see the ladies from the Woman’s Tour tonight at dinner.  It is always great to run into them, as they are so encouraging when we talk.  Good night from Davis Mountains!

Starting point: Camping behind the Mercantile in Kent, TX
Ending point: Camping at The Davis Mountains State Park in Fort Davis, TX
Total miles on this day: 54.53
Total miles to date: 1166.13
Average MPH: 9.2
Max MPH: 44.3
Saddle time on this day: 5:54:42
Saddle time to date: 114:00:10

Day Twenty

When I woke up this morning, I was greeted by the friendly neighborhood pit-bull, Pebbles.  As I packed up my things, she wanted to play.  It was a great way to warm up to the day as I playfully chased her around the park as I retrieved back my shoes, helmet, biking gloves.

With the wind at our back, we set our sights for greater distance today.  We rode along the boarder, frequently passing the boarder patrol officers and the occasional truck.  For the most part, the ride was traffic free with a tailwind aiding us as we glided along the roadway.  We entered the central time zone and made it to Kent, TX early enough to enjoy some daylight before calling it a night.

We asked the owners of the Mercantile in Kent if we could camp behind their store, and they said it would be ok.  We had just finished setting up our tents when the Red Bull Super Scenicruiser pulled up to the attached gas station.  “Nice bus!” shouted one of the Old Bones.  “It looks even better on the inside!” shouted back the driver.  I jumped to my feet and headed over to get a closer look.  The driver said to go on in.  He also encouraged us to grab as many Red Bulls as we could carry.  At that point I wished I was in an Orange Juice Super Scenicruiser, because I don’t drink caffeinated drinks, but when he offered us a fifth of vodka and a bottle of cranberry juice to go with it, my thoughts of orange juice went away.  As we posed for pictures with the driver and talked about his trips to spring break hotspots, up pulled the Jagermeister trailer.  He showered us with t-shirts, hats, and do-rags.  It was a strange scene in the middle of a gas station as four cyclists enjoyed spring break the Daytona Beach way.

Later in the evening the owners of the Mercantile returned with a baby Javalina.  I had seen one earlier in my trip down Emory Pass, but this little guy was so tiny and I worried he wasn’t going to make it without his mother.  The owner told us the mother had been killed and he rescued the baby.  He was trying to nurse it until it was old enough to release back into the wild.  We posed for pictures as we sipped on our cranberry juice.

We laughed ourselves to sleep as we joked of tomorrows ride.  As I write this post a day late, I can attest that it was a mostly uphill battle that none of us saw coming.  Happy Spring Break to all and to all a good night!

Starting point: Camping in the middle of Sierra Blanca
Ending point: Camping behind the Mercantile in Kent, TX
Total miles on this day: 71.5
Total miles to date: 1111.6
Average MPH: 16.1
Max MPH: 40.5
Saddle time on this day: 4:26:08
Saddle time to date: 108:05:28

Day Nineteen

Today was an easy day of biking with the Old Bones Crew. The ride took us from Fort Hancock, TX to Sierra Blanca, TX. We enjoyed wonderful food at the local eateries, and continued to be pushed by the winds. We camped at a park in the middle of town and were greeted by the town’s children. They were as entertained by our presence as we were by them. The kids hit golf balls off tees in front of our tents and rode circles around us on their bikes. We were also greeted by a nice pit-bull, Pebbles. I was napping in my tent when she noticed me, and scurried in to have a cuddle. She was a little smelly, so I jumped up and played with her outside the tent. She grabbed my pillow and decided she wanted to play keep away, but was very gentle and never took the game too far. She responded very well and made me miss my most wonderful dog back home. We ate at a fantastic BBQ joint named Curly’s BBQ and were entertained into the night by the owner, who was an even greater host. The trains are going by regularly, but I don’t think it will be too difficult to fall asleep. Another fine day in West Texas comes to a close.

Starting point: Hotel in Fort Hancock
Ending point: Camping in the middle of Sierra Blanca
Total miles on this day: 43.62
Total miles to date: 1040.1
Average MPH: 11.9
Max MPH: 32.5
Saddle time on this day: 3:39:26
Saddle time to date: 103:39:20

Day Eighteen

Since the Old Bones Crew had been pedaling hard over the past few days to arrive in El Paso, we decided on an easy day of riding. We started our day after relaxing by the pool around noon. As we began our trip east, we rode with the wind at our backs all day, breezing across flats in excess of 29 MPH. We ate at a wonderful little restaurant in Tornillo called La Calesa for lunch. The service was wonderful, and the food was outstanding.

We made it quickly to Fort Hancock, TX, but not before the dust storm began. As we approached Fort Hancock, we rode into whipping clouds that clogged our nostrils and left grit between our teeth. We sought refuge at a hotel in Fort Hancock, where we once again ran into the Woman’s Tour Group. It was great to catch up with Mary Jo and Peggy. I didn’t get a chance to sit down with any of the other ladies, because they were preparing for the following day and trying to figure out how to cook in the gusting winds. It is great to be out of the winds for now, but I hope they continue to push us from the west. Tomorrow we plan for another short day to Sierra Blanca. Good night from Fort Hancock.

Starting point: RV Park east of El Paso
Ending point: Hotel in Fort Hancock
Total miles on this day: 47.87
Total miles to date: 996.48
Average MPH: 15.8
Max MPH: 29.8
Saddle time on this day: 3:09:12
Saddle time to date: 99:59:54

Day Seventeen

Today I napped, ate ice cream, relaxed in the Jacuzzi, and watched March Madness. Not a bad day off. I spoke with Alan of the Old Bones Crew again today and they are 15 miles from the RV Park I am staying at, and plan on arriving here before dark. I will now sit back and cheer on Siena so that I can have a chance of winning the March Madness pool I entered. I picked Ohio State to go to the final four, but they lost to Siena in the opening round. Tomorrow I will focus my attention on heading east towards Del Rio.

Starting point: RV Park east of El Paso
Ending point: RV Park east of El Paso
Total miles on this day: 0
Total miles to date: 948.61
Average MPH: 0
Max MPH: 0
Saddle time on this day: 0
Saddle time to date: 96:50:42