Trans America Cycling Day 23 - Del Rio, TX to Camp Wood, TX
The link to today's route and statistics is found here.
Before the start of the ride today, Roberto was interviewed by staff from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) Association of Graduates office. That interview is part of preparation for an article in the June issue of the USAFA alumni magazine Checkpoints.
Jeff and Ryan of the Association of Graduates office did a very thorough job gathering information, photos and videos for the article. Ryan even operated a drone overhead along the route today to take bird's eye view videos of cyclists riding. The previous day pictures and videos were taken of Jim, a 1969 USAFA graduate, proudly cycling in an Air Force Falcons bicycle jersey. A GoPro digital action camera was bicycle and rider mounted to take videos of pedaling feet, the road over the handlebars, the cyclists face, etc. Very cool! Later that day Jim was interviewed. The Checkpoints article is to be about graduates giving back. Since most all Air Force Academy graduates read Checkpoints magazine, we will be able to access tens of thousands of USAFA graduates to raise awareness of the plight of military veterans with PTSD, TBI and other conditions and to provide alternative solutions to the problem of epidemic proportions. Many USAFA graduates hold positions that can help contribute to solving the veterans' problems. A recent Secretary of the Air Force was an Academy graduate. Graduates have been elected to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate. Many hold positions in state legislatures and senates. Our efforts and success in spreading the word (newspaper articles, television interviews, etc.) and raising money for veteran's charities will noted in the article, for which Jim will have an input immediately after the conclusion of the bicycle tour.
Riders patiently waited before the ride to begin while a rider fixed an overnight (motel) flat.
Before the drone filming, we cycled past Laughlin Air Force Base, the largest USAF undergraduate pilot training base is just outside Del Rio. We also believe that it is the largest of its type in the world. Many USAFA graduates take their pilot training at Laughlin, and recognize the main gate, so photos were taken in front of that gate the previous evening.
We had to ride 5 miles on past the base before drone filming, due to regulations of not flying a drone within 5 miles of a military base. There Ryan deftly operated the drone to take videos of cyclists straight overhead and from the side. Were your pacelines tight and spaced like a military formation? No need.
Today we rode out of the desert that is west Texas into the lush Texas hill country. The vegetation got greener and thicker the further east that we rode. Pretty soon we were into green grass and thick bushes, both evergreen and deciduous. There were ranches with large herds off cattle and sheep alongside. Later there were large trees. This dramatic change occurred in a distance of maybe 40 miles.
We rode on some very rough chipseal on Highway 334, possibly the worst chipseal of the tour so far. Bicycles were getting vibrated so hard that it sounded like pieces of the bike were falling off. Might want to check for loose screws.
The century plant, or desert agave, spends all but its final year as a leaf rosette. In that final year, when it could be as old as 30 years but not 100, the plant expends all its energy and stored water in shooting up an enormous flower stalk. Stalks of century plants resemble an asparagus as they grow, are around 6 inches in diameter and grow up to 2 1/2 inches per day to typically around 15 feet tall. The ensuing flower produces up to 65,000 seeds to propagate the species. Often when one plant decides to bloom, neighboring plants about the same age decide to do the same. Sort of like a competition among cowboys in the old west drawing their six-shooters. After this reproductive burst the plant dies.
The proprietor of the Dam Store told the author that ranches in the area are commonly a section in size. Also, the taller than normal fences along the road, perhaps 10 feet tall, enclose hunting preserves filled with exotic animals. A popular deer in these parts is the Axis Deer that is native to the Indian Himalayas. This deer is considered one of the most beautiful and majestic with a reddish brown coat marked by white spots, and the males have enormous racks of antlers with very sharp tines. An Axis doe has fawns two times a year, so the herd multiplies faster than native whitetail deer with fawns once a year, and the Axis Deer are taking over as an invasive species. Hunters from metropolitan areas will pay $1500 for a male Axis Deer, so hunting is big business here. I know that many will be appalled to hear about this, but the author is just reporting the goings on in the Texas Hill Country.
Above the dam is Lake Nueces.
The Dam Store proprietor explained that Tilapia have taken over Lake Neuces as an invasive species. Tilapia were introduced to the Neuces to clean the lake, but are not thought of very highly now. He said that the Tilapia in the lake are a sucker fish that you catch on a piece of corn like a carp. Since Tilapia is a fish sold in fish markets and in restaurants, the author checked Wikipedia about Tilapia. Wikipedia says that Tilapia are the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish. The picture of a Tilapia in Wikipedia is obviously not a sucker fish. It looks more like a white bass. When you buy a Tilapia at the fish market you might want to buy it with the head on to see what you are getting.
Before the start of the ride today, Roberto was interviewed by staff from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) Association of Graduates office. That interview is part of preparation for an article in the June issue of the USAFA alumni magazine Checkpoints.
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| Roberto's interview |
Jeff and Ryan of the Association of Graduates office did a very thorough job gathering information, photos and videos for the article. Ryan even operated a drone overhead along the route today to take bird's eye view videos of cyclists riding. The previous day pictures and videos were taken of Jim, a 1969 USAFA graduate, proudly cycling in an Air Force Falcons bicycle jersey. A GoPro digital action camera was bicycle and rider mounted to take videos of pedaling feet, the road over the handlebars, the cyclists face, etc. Very cool! Later that day Jim was interviewed. The Checkpoints article is to be about graduates giving back. Since most all Air Force Academy graduates read Checkpoints magazine, we will be able to access tens of thousands of USAFA graduates to raise awareness of the plight of military veterans with PTSD, TBI and other conditions and to provide alternative solutions to the problem of epidemic proportions. Many USAFA graduates hold positions that can help contribute to solving the veterans' problems. A recent Secretary of the Air Force was an Academy graduate. Graduates have been elected to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate. Many hold positions in state legislatures and senates. Our efforts and success in spreading the word (newspaper articles, television interviews, etc.) and raising money for veteran's charities will noted in the article, for which Jim will have an input immediately after the conclusion of the bicycle tour.
Riders patiently waited before the ride to begin while a rider fixed an overnight (motel) flat.
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| Let's get this show on the road! |
Before the drone filming, we cycled past Laughlin Air Force Base, the largest USAF undergraduate pilot training base is just outside Del Rio. We also believe that it is the largest of its type in the world. Many USAFA graduates take their pilot training at Laughlin, and recognize the main gate, so photos were taken in front of that gate the previous evening.
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| Picture of secondary gate at Laughlin Air Force Base that we rode past |
We had to ride 5 miles on past the base before drone filming, due to regulations of not flying a drone within 5 miles of a military base. There Ryan deftly operated the drone to take videos of cyclists straight overhead and from the side. Were your pacelines tight and spaced like a military formation? No need.
 |
| Sign on Highway 90 near the base for our bike ride! |
Today we rode out of the desert that is west Texas into the lush Texas hill country. The vegetation got greener and thicker the further east that we rode. Pretty soon we were into green grass and thick bushes, both evergreen and deciduous. There were ranches with large herds off cattle and sheep alongside. Later there were large trees. This dramatic change occurred in a distance of maybe 40 miles.
We rode on some very rough chipseal on Highway 334, possibly the worst chipseal of the tour so far. Bicycles were getting vibrated so hard that it sounded like pieces of the bike were falling off. Might want to check for loose screws.
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| Very rough chipseal surface |
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| Larry was so upset about the chipseal that he defiantly sat on a pile of chips next to a sign that said "PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS - PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, " and he waited for the constable to take him away. None came. |
We saw our first large herd of Texas Longhorns today. The Longhorn is the mascot for the University of Texas in Austin, so expect to see more as we ride toward Austin. If you are a Texas alumna and a rancher, you probably want to own some to "Hook 'em Horns."
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| Longhorns of expression Hook 'em Horns |
The century plant, or desert agave, spends all but its final year as a leaf rosette. In that final year, when it could be as old as 30 years but not 100, the plant expends all its energy and stored water in shooting up an enormous flower stalk. Stalks of century plants resemble an asparagus as they grow, are around 6 inches in diameter and grow up to 2 1/2 inches per day to typically around 15 feet tall. The ensuing flower produces up to 65,000 seeds to propagate the species. Often when one plant decides to bloom, neighboring plants about the same age decide to do the same. Sort of like a competition among cowboys in the old west drawing their six-shooters. After this reproductive burst the plant dies.
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| Century plant as leaf rosette |
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| Century plant with flower stalk |
The Dam Store just two miles outside of Camp Wood is the place to buy antlers. The proprietor says that he buys antlers from the locals and sells them at a trade fair to help stimulate the depressed local economy.
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| The Dam Store |
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| How much will it cost to ship antlers to Switzerland? |
The proprietor of the Dam Store told the author that ranches in the area are commonly a section in size. Also, the taller than normal fences along the road, perhaps 10 feet tall, enclose hunting preserves filled with exotic animals. A popular deer in these parts is the Axis Deer that is native to the Indian Himalayas. This deer is considered one of the most beautiful and majestic with a reddish brown coat marked by white spots, and the males have enormous racks of antlers with very sharp tines. An Axis doe has fawns two times a year, so the herd multiplies faster than native whitetail deer with fawns once a year, and the Axis Deer are taking over as an invasive species. Hunters from metropolitan areas will pay $1500 for a male Axis Deer, so hunting is big business here. I know that many will be appalled to hear about this, but the author is just reporting the goings on in the Texas Hill Country.
Above the dam is Lake Nueces.
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| Lake Neuces on the Nueces River |
The Dam Store proprietor explained that Tilapia have taken over Lake Neuces as an invasive species. Tilapia were introduced to the Neuces to clean the lake, but are not thought of very highly now. He said that the Tilapia in the lake are a sucker fish that you catch on a piece of corn like a carp. Since Tilapia is a fish sold in fish markets and in restaurants, the author checked Wikipedia about Tilapia. Wikipedia says that Tilapia are the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish. The picture of a Tilapia in Wikipedia is obviously not a sucker fish. It looks more like a white bass. When you buy a Tilapia at the fish market you might want to buy it with the head on to see what you are getting.
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