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cairnswm

Joined May 2019Living in: Randburg, South Africa
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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day40

    33 days 22 hours and 14 minutes

     July 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Antelope Wells, Port of Entry

    All done!

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day39

    Day 34 comments

     July 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Longest day, distance and time. 7am to 3:44am. 206km!

    After getting my tent set up at 2am, I only got a bit more than 3 hours sleep, waking up just after 5.

    Day started ok with long tar road. But I had diarrhoea and it was hard. Once on the dirt road it got super hot. I even sat under a farm implement for 30 minutes to cool down. I decided to push on through the heat to Separ and rest there.

    Got to Separ where there is only a curio shop. Luckily they had cold coke and anti-diarrhoea medication. Lordsburg (nearest town) my weather app said was 38C feels like 43C. I sat/slept on the porch until nearly 6pm when a rain storm started and temperatures dropped.

    I rode hard to Hachita, not expecting shop to be open. I got there just before they closed and was given free coffee. Jeffrey who would be picking me up at the end met me there. We agreed on a 6am meeting at the finish.

    I was riding well and just continued riding hard. Reaching the finish at 3:44am!

    It is done!

    (30mins later I see a skunk run down the road past me)    Read more

    +5
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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day39

    Hachita, NM

     July 16 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Got here about 9:30 just as they were closing. They made me free coffee, a whole pot to myself.

    Met Jeffrey Sharp who will come fetch me after I finish. We agreed that he will meet me at the finish 6am.

    Let's go - the last little bit!

    Map
  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day39

    Separ

     July 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    Today is blazingly hot. I got my first puncture of the trip just outside Silver City. The dirt road to Separ was super hot, hot sun and refelctive yellow sand. At one stage I sat under a local farmers harvesting machine.

    I'm now in Separ. The temperature is extremely high, looking at the local weather report: Lordsburg shows 38C feels like 42C

    Just a curio store here. They do have coke though.    Read more

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day39

    Silver City - late night

     July 16 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Today had a lot of steep downhills. These were especially challenging as I had removed my front brake pads a few days ago because they were still rubbing. The steep downhills meant I needed to take them very slowly and carefully.

    I got to Silver City at about 23:00 and bought food at Walmart - Vienna sausages and coleslaw.Read more

    Map
  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day38

    Day 33 comments

     July 15 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Got a slow start to the day. Was lazy to get out of bed. Today was a short day. Just over 100km to silver city to do, but included the last few big climbs of the trip.

    As normal it took my body a while to get going. The short, gentle hills making me walk. Mostly I just tried to keep moving as far as possible.

    I was riding through forested hills. Didn't look much like desert, but the hills created a few quite technical descants, feeling much steeper than the climbs.

    I was concerned I did not have enough food and water. I met a fireman who was doing maintenance along the road while monitoring a fire nearby. (I had seen the smoke in the valley but thought it was mist). We had a good chat, him saying he was too old to do what I was doing (he is 40). He gave me 2l of water.

    I am very low on food. My 2 hamburgers and 2 snacks are being very carefully rationed.

    We ended up with hike-a-bike section along the CDT (continental divide trail - hiking) for about 10km. I could hardly ride the trail at all and was pushing very very slowly. TYhis took so long that I ran out of food.

    Finally got to silver city about 23:00 but Walmart was still open (24hours). After eating I rode a about5km south of town and camped next to the highway.    Read more

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day37

    Day 32 comments

     July 14 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today was head down and ride. I didn't look at landscape much.

    One highlight was seeing 3 Javalina - I didn't know they existed here. (I thought they were wild boar, when I first saw them they looked like warthog without tails).

    Got to the Tour Divide water spot. The Trail Angels put out water and snacks for the riders. I really appreciated the snacks as I was running out of food and Silver City is still a long way away.

    Lodge was not open so I filled up water and pushed (literally) on for a bit. Did about 3km then camped out.    Read more

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  • cairnswmTour Divide 2019
    Day36

    Day 31 comments

     July 13 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Breakfast at the motel was cereal and coffee, not very filling, nor useful for long riding. Left just before 7. Hoping to make subway when it opened.

    Unknowingly took wrong turn where there was also a Subway (which only opened at 8) so stopped at convenience store, bought prepackaged burgers. Then realised I went wrong way, corrected and got to correct subway at 8, as I already had food I rode past.

    Stopped at La Ventana arch for some sightseeing and to eat. The burger is so dry it needs to be washed down with water. American burgers are horrible.

    At my next food stop met 3 British guys who had just started their trip north.

    Made Pie Town a bit late and got to the cafe just in time to order food. Had a meal, diet coke and coffee before continuing.

    As I left the rain started. I rode in the rain for about 20km, getting quite cold before it stopped. Camped out in the Gila National forest at aoput 23:00. Riding in the evening helps as its cooler. So I'm taking a few hours off in the afternoon to avoid the heat.

    Tomorrow I hope to sleep at a lodge and make Silver City in the late afternoon, will treat myself to another motel/hostel there as well. Looks like I can finish on 16th or early morning on 17th.

    The photo is of a lava flow. There were numerous lava flows all parrallel to one another as I rode. They constrasted the sandstone cliffs on the other side of the road.    Read more

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