DAY 13: 10/2 Silver City, NM to Kingston, NM

DAY 13: 10/2/21 Silver City, NM 54 miles to Kingston, NM 5,100’ of climbing (by bike!) –

I left off yesterday noting that we had a most meaningful Warm Showers visit. 

It began the night we arrived. We received a very warm welcome in a large, airy and beautiful home with views of the town in the valley below. We were greeted by the couple hosting us and their two sons ages 14 and 17, their 3 older kids are grown and out of their nest. When the two teens stepped forward at the door to greet us politely with firm handshakes, I sensed immediately they had been well brought up. The house was decorated with many photos of family and inspirational quotes. It was laid out with a long corridor with rooms off to both sides, and each door a light, blond wood. Natural light poured in from many angles against the white walls and floor. It had an ascetic feel. 

After showering, the six of us sat in the dining room for dinner. I asked if they use their dining room often, as I know many families no longer do. They replied that they normally eat Sunday dinner there as a family. I thought to myself, we normally do on Friday nights, and it was indeed a Friday night. Our host asked his youngest son to say grace before the meal, which he proceeded to express gratitude for our meal, the safe arrival of their guests (meaning us) and other blessings they had received. My mind drifted to the coincidence of us arriving and eating in the dining room on a Friday night, the start of our Jewish Sabbath, in the home of a religious Mormon family. As their son completed grace, in my mind I privately expressed my wish for the health and well-being of our 3 children (as I do every Friday night) and added in a wish for the health of our hosts’ children as well. 

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of green curry Thai chicken! It was my first time eating any curry and I paid our host a compliment by having seconds. 

Our hearty Saturday morning breakfast of eggs and toast also featured our hostess’ homemade, signature cinnamon rolls that we watched her prepare from scratch the night before as we hung out in the kitchen after dinner. (As she rolled out the dough on the counter of the island in their kitchen, and laid in a mix of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter, I went to bed with great anticipation.) We packed our bikes to leave and said our goodbyes on their driveway. And just then she asked if she may pray for us before we ride off. I said sure. We stood the 4 of us in a circle in the driveway with heads lowered, and she spontaneously spoke in a way that moved me deeply. The words just flowed in a way I could tell she was well-practiced in the art of both expressing gratitude for what was and petitioning for blessings to be. She thanked God for bringing us into their lives, and for the safety we had received thus far on our journey. She then asked for our safety the rest of our way, for our bikes to be blessed and lastly that we should acquire the knowledge we require along the way to successfully complete our journey. It was all so simple and at the same time profound. I was moved beyond words and wanted to hug this stranger yet we hadn’t in our short 14-hour stay graduated to that level. I thanked her for her beautiful and moving words, and how they had not just nourished our bodies with truly incredible meals, but had also nourished our souls. 

As we rode off, I thought she was pretty clever and smarter than me  - I had blessed my tires the week prior, yet she asked for my whole bike. Why hadn’t I thought of that?

We finally departed just before 9am in our leggings for the cool temperature in the low 50’s. We had perhaps our hardest climbing day ahead of us, but I was already soaring. 

Cool weather gear ready to climb

Less than a minute into the ride, I was gasping for air as we climbed a small hill out of their neighborhood at an altitude of 6,200’. It was the first time all trip that my lungs were challenged this way. I had gone through a battery of physical hurdles, but this was a new one. I thought, today was going to be a test. 

Ten minutes later, we got psyched for the road we could see looming high up ahead of us. 

Staring at the climb ahead

After 20 minutes, I was again breathing heavily, hearing and feeling my heart pump. I paused to drink and rest. 

Around 1pm, I entered the Gila National Forest where the road sliced neatly through the rock. After half an hour I stopped for a brookside lunch of Beef Jerky and the last of my Kirkland bars I brought from home. I relaxed to the sound of the water.

Entering Gila National Forest

About 15 minutes into my break, Heather appeared, climbing up with determination. Her bike weighs 10 pounds more than mine and that difference has its biggest impact on the climbs. She was all in on this ascent and she wanted to keep climbing so we said we’d meet later at the top. When Shakespeare inked the line for Hamlet to declare “Frailty, thy name is woman”, he had certainly not met anybody the likes of Heather. 

Heather on the ascent

Finally after 6 hours of mostly climbing, we were at the summit of Emory Pass at 3:04pm. 

Emory Pass Vista, well worth the climb

We let our heart rates calm down and then put on warmer layers for the steep descent to our destination, the Black Range Lodge that awaited us 9 miles below. The woman with whom Heather spoke when making our reservation advised doing so as she had guests arrive who could not feel their hands. A scary thought when we contemplated applying our brakes.

Layered up for the decent

At 3:31pm, layered up we began our descent. I was braking frequently both defensively and so I did not get too far ahead of Heather. 

And then at 4pm, 7 miles into a decent from 8,200’ to 6,700’, a thought struck me that I stopped quickly and pulled over. I somehow realized I did not have my glasses. I was riding wearing my prescription sunglasses, but after looking through my handlebar bag and then searching my paniers confirmed I did not have my every day glasses. I need them every night and for riding in the dark.

I told Heather I think I left them at the vista point when changing into warmer layers. She asked if I’m sure. I replied I’m certain of nothing. At this point, I sensed a reproach for being so disorganized. What to do? It would take me minimum two hours to climb back up, and then I’d miss the dinner that was specially catered at the lodge. I needed to decide fast. I flagged down a truck and explained the situation to the driver and asked for a ride to the top. He asked if Heather wanted to join as there was room for both of us. She declined and I told her I’d meet her at the lodge. She was getting cold and needed that.

And back up again…

After Paul, a locksmith from Las Cruces, hauled me and my bike back up 1,500’ to the Vista at 8,200’, I was confident I’d find my glasses and as always the hero would prevail and my lucky ways would continue. So when we got to the top, I was far more shocked than upset to not find them. Did I leave them at my lunch stop, elsewhere or maybe even in our hosts’ garage? (A text exchange the next day confirmed they were not at our hosts.) 

Oh well. I was really calm and took the perspective that in the scheme of this adventure, this is a manageable loss and far from a disaster. 

After giving Paul a thank you gratuity, well aware he did this out of kindness and never asked what’s in it for him, he offered to drive me back down to where he first met me or two miles more to our lodge as he was going that way anyhow. I thought to myself hell no, I just came all the way back up, I was going to ride this down one more time. Without Heather, and having already “ridden the course” and having become familiar with its twists and turns, I was able to race down at a much higher speed the second time. However, by the time I made it to the lodge, my hands were numb from the cold as well as the pressure I had put on them with a second descent. Even after a hot shower, my right hand was so sore it was difficult to use utensils at dinner, which was incidentally delicious especially the ratatouille and spanakopita!

Going to bed that night, I thought back on the day and trip thus far and smiled at the irony of having just lost my glasses, yet I felt I’d never seen things so clearly. 

Strava view of climbing the same peak twice 

© Copyright Mark Segal 2021.