Day 4: Tuesday

Distance: 91.01 mi
Average Speed: 12.3 mph
Maximum Speed: 41.6 mph
Time in Motion: 7:21:09
 
When we woke up, the forecasted low temperature in the 40s was not realized.  It was in the low 20s!  So we bundled up, went for a light breakfast at the motel, and headed out.
 
Our goal was 91 miles away, through the Apache and Davis Mountains.  I was worried about time, so I planned to stop pedaling infrequently, resting only briefly.  I had to keep my average speed above 10 mph.  In short, I had to be faster today than yesterday, or the sun might set on me!  It was a hard ride today.
 
We began our ride on a frontage road alongside I-10.  At exit 159, about 20 miles into the ride, we stopped for a breakfast of pancakes at a truck stop.  From there, the frontage road ended and we pedaled on the Interstate once again.  Thankfully, traffic was light this morning. 
 
The wind began to pick up from the west-southwest, so it pushed us all the way to Kent, where the relatively flat part of the ride ended and we turned south into the mountains.
 
Kent is nothing more than a well-stocked old gas station.  By the time we arrived there, the temperature had risen enough that we started to remove some of our winter gear.  But previous experience in the mountains told me to hold off.  It may feel warm one minute, but freezing the next.
 
I was feeling pretty good on the ride.  Then we turned south on highway 118, and we really began to climb.  The scenery was amazing.  It was dead silent once we departed from the busy Interstate.  But the wind and the work of the climb made the ride very difficult.  I was often only going 5 miles an hour!  Looking at my bike computer was depressing.  I kept thinking "That was only X miles!?" as I checked my progress periodically.
 
Somewhere between Kent and the Lawrence Wood Picnic Area, I saw two groups of peccary (or, as they call them here, javelinas ... I called them "wild pigs" at the time).  I stopped and snapped a picture of one group standing on the road.  The other group was scared off the road as I coasted quickly downhill on a short descent. I enjoyed the views.
 
I should mention that there were almost no cars on this road.  And by "almost no cars," I mean I saw probably five vehicles between Kent and the McDonald Observatory.  With no cellular service and no traffic, this might be a bad place to have trouble.  Thankfully, we didn't.  Like I said, when the wind wasn't howling, it was dead silent.
 
Ten miles before we reached the McDonald Observatory, I was beat.  My legs were begging for mercy (I'm not in shape for this, obviously).  Then, after much perseverance, I saw the domes of the telescopes perched atop their respective peaks.  I knew then that the big climb was over.  Thanks be to God!
 
After talking, we decided it was too late to actually visit the actual Observatory.  The sun was getting low, so we began the Big Descent.  It was exhilerating!  The curves, the speed, the sun peeking between the clouds and the horizon, and the lack of exhausting pedaling made me think, "maybe this was worth the climb!"  The scenery was beautiful during that descent.  I was so pleased that I thanked God by singing an Ave Maria at the top of my lungs while I cruised down the hill.  Crazy, I know.  But it was a blast.
 
Jesse's fancy Garmin Edge GPS bike computer says we climbed about a vertical mile today.  It was sure enough for me!  The rest of the trip, overall, is downhill.  Yes!
 
Fort Davis is a great little town.  Everything on Main Street is actually open.  We're in a very nice, relatively affordable ($77) motel.  We had some great Mexican food at a restaurant. The sunset was an especially dramatic ending for our long day.
 
The weather held out.  It certainly wasn't perfect, but it was bearable.  Overall, today was a very tough day,  But the descent into Fort Davis and the knowledge that it's all downhill from here make it all worthwhile. 
 
Tomorrow we head for Marathon, with a stop in Alpine to visit the only bike shop between El Paso and Del Rio (480 miles).
 
The weather forecast looks good for the rest of the trip.