NIGHT Noises

Day 57—Tuesday, September 27—Dispersed camping to Cuba, NM 

50 (+12) miles

The appearance of these little roadside flowers means that winter is coming soon according to Flora, the owner of the Cuban Lodge

On my 1985 bike trip, I encountered a wild animal only by its sound. It was dusk on the blue Ridge Pkwy and I was in the woods looking for a place to camp. Whatever creature completely unnerved me by letting out a hideous scream is as yet unidentified (panther? screech owl?). The fact that I could not identify it added to the potency of the moment when I thought the devil itself had me in its sights.

There are many unnerving sounds at night if you don’t know what they are: loons, foxes, and coyotes can be as eerie as a banshee if you don’t know what you are hearing.

Last night, in the late hours of Day 56 and early morning hours of Day 57, I heard a sound that eerily seemed to echo around the woods. Eric filled me in so I would not freak out: it was bull elk bugling. Look this up on the internet: when you hear it in broad daylight on your computer it's one thing; repeated bugling through the night is another! It’s truly an amazing sound I would not associate with these massive mammals.

Eric and bovine friends 

Furthermore, the open range cows and bulls added to the night noises, to the extent that I had my bear spray out for the first time in weeks.

The day broke early with cold, crystal clear skies, and Eric and I went  through our morning packing ritual. For the first time in weeks, I took off earlier than he did and headed down the trail. Fifty miles to Cuba and a two to one ratio of descents to climbing…we hoped to be there by 2 pm to collect a mail drop. Not so fast.

Additionally, we knew that access to clean water was going to be an issue so we conserved. I was down to about 3/4 liter and hoping for clean water sources.

I, apparently, was so enthralled with the trail that I missed a key turnoff and headed down a canyon that was off trail. After about 6 miles I stopped, had a few burritos and waited for Eric to appear. And waited. I suddenly got that sickening feeling that I had missed a turn. I consulted my guide and map and, sure enough, I had missed a turn and was on a road from which there was no good route. I backtracked 6 miles and this added about two hours and 12 miles.

As mistakes often compound, the delay put me right in line with an afternoon rain and hailstorm.  I decided to ride through it and the roads, some of which were made up of red clay, became thick and slippery which slowed my progress.

That white stuff is not mothballs—but what the hail!

More rain; more hail; I tried to capture a photo but only got one: I was soaked to the skin through a windbreaker and shirt and the temp dropped. I could no longer activate my phone/camera because there was no warmth in my fingertips. 

I put on warmer gloves and an under layer and the sun eventually showed its face and I warmed up.

Sun finally appeared in this beautiful part of the national forest

Descent into Cuba topped out at 36 mph

Landscape changes again. Couldn’t get the panorama to work on a wet phone so this image…

…goes with this one

Cuba, NM. If Del Norte is pronounced Delnort, is Cuba pronounced Cue-bay?

Most of the trail today was enclosed by trees so long views were not possible or memorable except there was a 6 mile paved downhill into Cuba which provided a glimpse of the landscape to come.

Cuba is a sleepy town with a Main Street that is a four lane highway. McDonalds and Subway seem to have killed the local eateries so Scottish food (McD’s) was the fare for tonight. When one’s body is craving a calorie replacement, principles go out the window. I usually feel sick after eating fast food; now I just want to eat more. This happens when you are burning 300-500 calories per hour.

Happy birthday to Kassie, my lovely mother-in-law. Had a nice chat with her while the clothes were in the spin cycle at the laundromat.

Updates: Don and Dan made it to Cuba—so far so good for them. We heard that one of the Dream Bikers crashed up on the mountain on a rocky downhill and had to be airlifted by helicopter. He suffered a broken scapula and a puncture lung. These roads are tricky and unforgiving and I feel fortunate to have made it this far with a few scrapes and a bee sting.

Three days until Grants, NM where I will conclude this adventure. Andy Lamb from Tucson (see early Montana riding pardner) has offered to pick me up in Grants and drive me to Denver. What a gift!