Epic Bike Ride Day 5 May 23

Thoughts from Kelly: Today, we left the mountains and were back in hot desert terrain with very barren land. The good news was there weren’t as many hills and we were able to put in more miles. I forgot to mention that on day 2, we decided that I should follow Mark so when he was ready for a break, I was right there. This worked much better than us trying to predict when he might need a break and me trying to find a relatively safe spot to wait for him. It can be challenging to drive a safe distance behind him and match his speed, but luckily it has worked out pretty well. I am very thankful for Shay (our oldest) for getting me Spotify premium, having my tunes on these long drives has saved my sanity. Thank you Shay! We ended the day at an unofficial campsite on the side of the road with our new friends Mark and Cam.

Thoughts from Mark: Lots of climbing today, with a bit of hike-a-bike. We were chasing Mark and Cam all day (they get up really early, and hit the road just after sunrise), but didn’t catch them until the end of the day. There were a couple of nice places along the way, and Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch had a cooler set out with a big water jug for cyclists. We refilled a couple of my water bottles here, and also took a coconut water, which was ice cold and delicious! We gratefully left them a small donation for the drinks, but decided to pass on staying there for $300/night! Apparently, we are not the target demo for those prices…ha! The roads were fairly rough, but wandered through forest areas, prairies, and lots of cattle ranches. We saw some more deer, as well as (I thought) some elk (which were several hundred yards away, so it was difficult to confirm whether they were elk or deer - Kelly thought they were deer).

People have been asking “Hey Mark, what do you eat on these riding days?” The short answer is - anything I want! The longer answer is that Kelly makes me a double serving of instant oatmeal for breakfast, along with some coffee (which helps keep me sane-ish). During the break stops she will make me an almond butter and jelly sandwich, with some pickles on the side (and pickle juice), along with some chips, crackers, or anything else with salt. I also snack on some energy gels (I love the salted caramel flavor, as well as apple cinnamon, or raspberry). On my bike I also have a big baggie full of two different kinds of beef jerky, and some jelly beans. For dinner, Kelly has been cooking on our little portable stove, and it is amazing how good a cup of ramen noodles can taste! Other highlights have been bowls of soup/stew, and corned beef hash. Did I mention that Kelly has been making all of these things for me? She is truly an angel!

Miles for today: 47.55 Feet climbed today: 4,203

Total miles ridden: 227.69 Total feet climbed: 14,827