Jim Waving

Jim Waving

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Day 16 - Columbus, NM to El Paso, TX

77.1 miles today
832.5 total trip miles
13.4 mph average
757’ climbing
FF - 5
MP - my 3rd oldest daughter Julie & her husband Angel.  Growing up, Julie was nicknamed the “gamer girl” in our home because she enjoyed & was good at just about any game we could think of. As an adult, she is the perfect example of someone who found what she is passionate about in life & has made a great success of it.  In her case it is archaeology & she is now a professor at NC State University.

It started out cold again this morning (35 degrees), so I put my 4 layers on & headed out.  By the time I arrived in El Paso, TX it was almost 70 degrees & it was sunny all day.  I lathered up with suntan lotion & made it through no problem.  This was very much an average cycling day without too much climbing & a headwind, but nothing like last Friday.  For some reason I was ready earlier than normal this morning, so I ended up riding with a different group of folks today.  It seems like the same people always leave early & I am usually in the later group.  Nice to get to know some other riders on the road.

The scenery really didn’t change all day.  Here is what I saw for 90% of the day


Except for this Christmas garland on some scrub brush along the road.




That mountain just kept getting closer all day.  El Paso is in a valley at the foot of the mountain.  The Rio Grande River is sure not much to see right now.  Looks like a muddy gully.  Didn’t get a picture because the road there was busy & I didn’t want to stop.  You aren’t missing much.  Texas is our 4th State & we will spend 40% of our total trip here.

Here is a picture of me on the bike taken by a friend in a vehicle coming up from behind me


Definitely a nice day to be on the bike.

WDYLT - ILT one of the early methods of controlling turns on an airplane involved attaching cables to the pilot’s arms above the elbow.  Moving their arms forward & backward moved the rudders on the wings causing the turn.