Day 04 to Silver City

"Single track is always better."- Cassi 57 miles, 4400 ft climbing

We started the day as the sun rose. Pronghorn and coyotes scurried off as we pedaled. Coming down from the ridge, we followed a valley to Hwy 90 that went to Silver City. At this point we split up. Cassi and I headed south to catch the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) so we could ride single track into town. John, with the BOB trailer, couldn't ride the trail so he headed north straight to town. John generously took our camping gear (wow, that BOB can hold a lot) to make our ride a little easier. Thirty minutes of pedaling brought us to the trail.

So far we had been on the dirt and paved roads of the GDR (Great Divide Mt Biking Route). Now we were on actual trail, the CDT. The morning's ride was fun and exciting but slow compared to pedaling on road. We pedaled through bear grass and yucca, pinon and juniper around the Little Burro Mountains. We stopped for a siesta on the south side of Big Burro Peak. In retrospect we should have kept pushing another hour or so to the top where there was the cool shade of an old growth Ponderosa forest. Instead we siesta'd under an immense alligator juniper. However it was still hot and we were drinking up our water at an alarming pace. Clouds building in the afternoon gave us a chance to make our break.

The next 5 hours / 30 miles, rationing water / bordering on dehydration, was the hardest physical challenge I'd ever undertaken. We pushed our bikes 2000 feet up Big Burro Mountain then road single track for miles down its north flanks. The one spring in the area was, of course, dry and we added another couple of miles with a wrong turn. Eventually we hit the Tyrone road and followed it around the immense open copper mine to Hwy 90. A few sprinkles from a fast moving thunderstorm teased us with the promise of water. This would be the only rain we'd encounter the entire trip.

A beautiful lightning storm to the east lit the way as we slowly pedaled the remaining miles into town. A gas station on the edge of town also promised water but, though the lights were on, the front door was locked. Hours 6am-9pm. It was 9:10pm. John was pleased to see us as we finally pulled into the Silver City RV Park. Too tired to eat we each guzzled a couple of liters of water before crawling into our sleeping bags, overcome with exhaustion.

new plants seen- pinon pine, alligator juniper, Az white oak, shrub live oak, ponderosa pine, Parry's agave, whipple cholla, desert prickly pear, beargrass nolina, mexican manzanita

animals identified- side spotted & sagebrush lizards, Chihuahuan spotted whiptail, turkey vultures, coyote, pronghorn