South of the small town of Hillsboro’, Ken is back out in snow dusted desert… Not a lot there
Ken's Blog
Beyond Hillsboro’
December 27th, 2011Life’s journey
December 27th, 2011
In the small town of Hillsboro’…
Hillsboro’
December 27th, 2011Small town of Hillsboro’. Pleasant, arty feel to the place, a tempting cafe, but alas, Ken needs to press on…
Bit peckish
December 27th, 2011Hot breakfast she’d said. And there was. A whole souffle. Wonderfully light and fluffy. Together with orange juice, coffee and red grapefruit. But I’d eighty miles or so to cover, and whilst much of it would be downhill or flat, it was still a good distance to cover. I’d have welcomed a few more calories.
It was my fault. Not really thought about it. Dinner. After the ascent of Emory Pass. Just pleased to have reached the small town of Hillsboro before dark. Small B&B for the night. Realising the only cafe would now be closed, I’d asked the owner if she did dinner, bed and breakfast. No. And guests were not permitted to use the kitchen. That was that.
So dinner was an improvised affair. Couple of pieces of fruit I’d had left. And a tin of cold baked beans. Supposedly including pork pieces. But at least I was warm. And surely there’d be a hearty breakfast.
Elegant solution
December 27th, 2011
Elegant solution. Which I liked. A lot. A certain beauty. Very appealing to a deeply logical mind. Quietly pleased I’d crossed the 8,228 feet Emory Pass. True, it had been a challenge. Camping far below zero in Mimbres. Then eighteen miles of uphill, mostly first gear, a meagre eight inches for each rotation of the pedals. Descending gingerly, great care required to avoid mishap on black ice lurking in the sun shadow. And bitter wind chill.
But the point was I’d managed the traverse without drama. Waiting for a weather window to head out of Silver City. Short day – little over thirty miles – to re-position ready to start the climb fresh the next day. Deliberate. Calculated. I’d known it would be cold overnight, just not expected it to be as tough as it had been. More focused on the daytime riding conditions.
Some might delight in battling up snowbound roads over the pass. Adversity head on. But I’m more interested in the long game. Not just today, tomorrow, but the weeks and months ahead. Stoic. Steady progress. More a tactician than a navigator.
Hillsboro beckons
December 26th, 2011Temperatures plummeting, light failing, but sometimes you do need to stop for a reinvigorating coffee…
Chilling descent over Emory Pass
December 26th, 2011Ken makes a brief stop to don his winter kit for the descent over Emory Pass – lethal wind chill and black ice to contend with…
High point
December 26th, 2011
8,185 feet – just shy of the summit of Emory Pass, the highest point of the expedition…
Highs and lows in New Mexico
December 26th, 2011Ken finally reaches the 8,228 feet summit of Emory Pass, highest point so far – hours after achieving an expedition low – wind chill overnight dropping the temperature in the tent down to about minus 15 Celsius – bit nippy…
Around the World in nine hundred days
December 25th, 2011Aim remains very firmly the same – cycle solo around the World – but now in a little shy of nine hundred days. Continuing east from Austin, Texas, to the Florida coast, and then on to the UK. Still leaves me almost 2,000 miles to cover in a little over a month.
Plans that made sense three or so years ago sometimes have to change. The World a very different place since I set off from Somerset in September 2009. Time now to return home. And, in stark contrast to the advice of Norman (now Baron) Tebbit, I plan to get off my bike to find work…
Naturally, I intend finishing with a bit of panache and style, riding across the UK back to the front door of my beloved Somerset cottage. From where I’d set off, bound for a ferry to France, over two years ago. Expecting to reach it around mid-February. Must remember to pick up the keys from my parents….
You can also listen to me chatting with Emma Britton at BBC Somerset about the change of direction -courtesy of the BBC iPlayer until next Saturday – by clicking here – about one hour 47 minutes into the show.
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