Climbs and More Climbs

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 Day 4 Climbs and More Climbs

Route from Buckhorn RV Park to Kingston Campground

Three brutal climbs!!!!  OMG!!!!
1. The first was crossing the Continental Divide from 4541 to 6230 feet.

2. The second was a climb before the big climb from the Mimbres River at 5775 to 6741.
3. The third climb was from 6741 to the top of Emory Pass at 8226 feet.  It was a real killer.  There were lots of 7 to 10% grades.

85.8 miles – A tough 77 miles then 8 miles of straight downhill to Kingston.  The Gila National Forest is quite scenic.  The pine forest was very fragrant.  There was hardly any traffic in either direction – something I’m sure will change as summer comes on and made the riding fun.

Pretty cool seeing the Santa Rita Mine

Temperatures while starting in the 40’s still rose into the 90’s - which made the climbing tough.

Best moment – A glass of wine with our neighbors in the Kingston campground.  There were only two campers.  This included us, and a delightful couple touring with their twin four-year old daughters.  They were spending 6 months in the states on vacation.  He was a professor of CIS at a University in Zurich and she an artist.

Worst moment – having to waste all of the work climbing because the descent was so steep, I had to use the brakes to stay under control on the downhill switchbacks when the speed limit was 10 MPH. (Not that I was that slow, but still)

Listening to Saving CeCe Honeycutt – I think that it was an Oprah book selection.  Sort of a tender story about a 12 year old girl who had to take care of her psychotic mother.  After the mother was killed, the girl was and raised by a great aunt from Savannah, still acted like she was living in the pre-antebellum South.  A good story about friendship.

Didn't have any cell service or any internet service.  Neita couldn't get the message when I gave her my ETA so as I pulled into camp around 5:15, Ron was getting ready to head out to look for me.  I still averaged 11. 4 mph even with all of the climbs.