Day 17, Mile 1330: Raton, New Mexico

Today I biked 82 miles (of 93 mile course), 7000 feet of climbing, nature: mother deer with two babies (x2), wild turkeys, prong horn antelope herds, awesome double rainbows in the trees.

Cumulative: 15 biking days, 1105 miles, 63000 feet.

After a day of rest in Taos, we set out again. The group is down three riders, two had elected the only-to-Taos option and one had a business emergency. So now we are 14 (plus 2 guides, massage therapist, and assistant).

The day started with a gradual 17-mile climb through Taos Canyon, a lovely descent to Angel Fire ski area, then up to Eagle Nest. There we were hit by a brief windy rain squall, which I chose to ride out in the van. There were huge cross gusts of wind. I was scared and I don't like biking in the rain. I got back on the bike at the top of the Cimarron Canyon. It was the most beautiful ride with the trees at peak color, the cliffs awesome, and the descending, recently resurfaced road a delight, despite the few lingering raindrops in the sun. We lunched in Philmont, the huge Boy Scout tract.

All this land around Cimarron used to be part of the Maxwell Land Grant, supposedly the largest private land-holding in the world in the late 19th century. From Eagle Nest all the way to Raton there was a tremendous tail wind (hurrah!!)--probably around 25 mph with larger gusts coming directly from behind. What fun to zip across the high prairie at 30 and 35 mph with so little effort, looking out for pronghorn, bison, and elk. The last few miles into Raton were along Interstate 25, featuring treacherous gusts of cross wind and giant grasshoppers the size of small frogs. At the off ramp, I just jumped the fence with my bike (a bit of a feat in bike cleats) and crossed to the hotel rather than fight the whipping wind to go around the end in the usual way.

Goodbye Rocky Mountains! On to the Great Plains!