I know, you're saying to yourself, "32 miles?". Well, it's like this; the leaders, when planning the route were faced with a choice: after the big climb, either do one day of 90+ miles to get us to Las Cruces,NM, or break it into two days of roughly 30 and 60. Thankfully, saner heads prevailed,and the latter choice was made.
The overnight stay at the Black Ridge Lodge was wonderful. The lodge provided a great dinner, and breakfast this morning, and my bed was as comfortable as I could have hoped for. First really good sleep since the trip began.
Because the distance was short, there was no rush to head out this morning, and once on the road, no stress about finishing by a certain time. So, just eight miles from the lodge, a quaint cafe enticed me in for a hot chocolate, which I needed because it was chilly, and I somehow had packed my vest and jacket in my bag which was in the trailer which was way on down the road. Thankfully, by the time I ventured outside again, the sun was over the hills, and although I was never toasty warm, the ride was bearable.
The weather up to this point has been great, but the clouds have been moving in, and there is a chance of rain and lightning overnight. I'm hoping the forecast is wrong; taking down or putting up a tent in the rain is not my favourite experience.
One of our group, Larry, the ex-Congressman from North Carolina, had to leave us temporarily today. His father-in-law passed away overnight. He had been ill for some time, and Larry had been receiving daily updates, so the death was not unexpected. The funeral service is Friday, and depending on how his wife and family are coping, Larry hopes to rejoin the tour before we hit Austin in two weeks. Luckily, Nicole's partner, who had joined us for a couple of days, was able to drive him up to Albuquerque to catch a flight home.
Tomorrow Las Cruces, and then into Texas on Thursday where Derek and I will exhibit our culinary skills.
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