The link to today's route and statistics is found here.
Scenery in west Texas is brilliant. Out of Fort Davis we rode past Mitre Peak
that rises to an elevation of 6190 ft.
The Peak bears a resemblance to a bishop’s hat, thus the name. Very appropriate to ride by on Good Friday.
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| Mitre Peak and the lone bush |
Several cyclists went to Mass today, because on Easter we
will not be in a good location to attend Mass. Cyclists met a group of teenagers from El Paso doing missionary work in Marathon during Holy Week. Kristine, Ray, John, and Roberto interacted during the Good Friday service at Regnum Christi Missionary Family Apostolate at St. Mary Catholic Church in Marathon.
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| Cyclists meet teenagers from El Paso doing missionary work in Marathon |
Today's ride was invigorating. There was more descent than ascent, which
always helps. The temperature at the start was 45 F, and the wind was generally a crosswind during the day,
up to maybe 15 mph. There were very good
pacelines to join. Riding together helps
make the miles fly by.
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| Very fast paceline shadows |
We may very well have seen antelope for the last time. Those looking saw none today, and the next
days feature more arid conditions than antelope prefer. Thus it’s time to pull out the antelope song:
“Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”
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Our only SAG stop today was in Alpine, TX. Instead of SAG food, we ate donuts, sausage
filled croissants and other delicacies and drank coffee. This was a welcome change of pace. We met a UPS pilot at the donut shop. e had just flown down from Midland, TX to
Alpine in a cargo filled Cessna Caravan aircraft.
At 5:00 pm he would fly back to Midland with another load. He makes this journey every day. Our pilot explained that Alpine is a hub for
UPS trucking in the region. He gets a
company car and an apartment in Alpine where he can rest, watch TV, surf the
internet, etc. between flights. What a life! He says that he carries a large quantity of
water on the airplane for survival purposes in case the plane has mechanical
difficulties, has to land on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere and hike
out. Our pilot requested that our Swiss
riders be in the photograph of him.
Ahnie had the urge to lighten the moment during the photo shoot. She tried to hide her face, but she was
caught red handed.
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| UPS pilot hanging out in Alpine between flights |
As we arrived quite early in the
day in Marathon after the 55 mile ride, most ate lunch at the V6 Coffee Bar in
downtown Marathon. Food and drinks were
outstanding!
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| Lunch at V6 Coffee Bar |
Across from the coffee bar was a
dinosaur with a very serious message that applies to driving a car or riding a bicycle. Cyclists especially want vehicle drivers to heed the message.
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| Cyclists need drivers to heed this message |
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| Kids like to play with the dinosaur |
While we ate lunch a local man
drove up in a 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk.
It’s quite remarkable to see such a vehicle in west Texas, but more
interesting to the author was that the driver stepped of the car before it
stopped moving. He said afterwards that
he was in a hurry to get to the bank.
Back at the motel, there was a lovely courtyard for guests. Two views are shown. The photo with the fireplace was where cyclists gathered after dark to roast s'mores. Later a local astronomer showed cyclists views of the stars in the night sky through his high-powered telescope.
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Fireplace in courtyard was hubbub of activity after dark
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| Motel courtyard wall opposite the fireplace |
Earplugs were provided in motel rooms, since passing train are required by law to blow their horns at an intersection near the motel, all night long.
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