Yes this is Las Vegas New Mexico not the one everyone thinks about in Nevada!
The day didn't begin well as somehow the hotel forgot that there would be 31 people there for breakfast at 6:00. Not sure how that happened but we managed to get toast, granola, juice and yogurt prior to leaving. This was not going to go well as we had lots of elevation again today. It was also cold this morning. I had arm warmer's on but others had long sleeve jerseys and vests and some even had leggings. Barry was in a short sleeve shirt and bike shorts - the cold doesn't bother him.
I am not good at math but how do we climb all day and yet start at 7,000' and end up at 6,500'? As soon as you leave the hotel you start to climb and in the first 40 minutes we gained 800' in elevation. The first 15 miles is on the Sante Fe Trail which was in good shape and had very little traffic. We were warned about 2 cattle guards before getting on the I-25 and they were in bad shape. Yes - this is the last day on the interstate and only for 5 miles. The shoulder had lots of gravel which made the riding a little difficult. We managed to get off the interstate without incident but shortly after Barry got another flat!
At mile 32 we were warned about another 2 cattle guards and to watch for dogs. Three different times dogs came on to the road to chase us as we happened to be first getting this far. Riders later on reported the dogs just barked as they could not be bothered to chase.
On this stretch of road we go over Glorietta Pass, 7,570 feet, which is the highest point on the tour. It is also the site of one of the famous battles in the American Civil War, dubbed the Gettysburg of the South.
After the SAG at mile 45 there is a small notation of the direction sheet that says "climb to hotel". This would not be too bad except the hotel is still 38 miles away! I was climbing well but had more bike problems. At the SAG I managed to borrow a wheel from one of the staff to finish the day. There was also a tailwind at times but crosswinds which were dangerous at times, especially when going down some of the hills.
At mile 64 we stopped at a gas station for a drink as we were making good time and were told the hotel rooms might not be ready as it is the Memorial Day weekend in the US. Leaving there we decided to go in to "Old Town Plaza" and we're quite impressed with some of the buildings. We decided to stop for lunch and went to a Mom and Pop restaurant where there were bikers, cowboys, and other cyclists. Definitely an eclectic crowd but the food was excellent. Left there to travel the last 4 miles to the hotel and of course some hills but a good day.
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