YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S WATCHING

Mar 27, 21 miles Lordsburg on our way to Silver City, NM
We headed out from Lordsburg to conquer the 2,000 ft climb to Silver City with an immediate constant uphill grade that became steeper as we climbed. After 21 miles and an elevation of over 6,000 ft we "BONKED". Georgia had been dealing with a touch of tummy something and didn't want to continue the climb. Rusty found a place to set up camp in a fairly secluded spot off in the juniper and sage brush behind a rancher's gate and barbed wire fence and pitched our tent among dried "chips" . We say we camped in Nowheres Ville close by Golden Gulch Rd. We were settled down in our tent by 4:00pm and asleep before the sun went down. We didn't have enough water for the next day's ride and to cook a meal so we ate whatever we had - a can of chicken we had brought to go with a bag of pasta, a payday bar, a protein bar and an apple to share. Breakfast was the last of the pudding, an energy bar,and an orange. It was a delicious repast for two definitely exhausted bikers. Both of us were very aware of the altitude difference. It takes it's toll.

Another thing we've learned: Altitude counts!!!

Mar 28, 24 miles, Nowheres Ville to Silver City NM
The body is amazing! Rest and fuel and it's ready to go again. We completed our climb to Silver City with ease the next morning. We both rode strong and felt really good even though we were still climbing. We had been nursing a slow leak in the rear tire since Lordsburg. Neither one of us wanted to deal with changing a rear flat unless we had to so we just kept checking it and giving it a little air as needed. Didn't give us any real problem. When we got into SC we went directly to a bike shop to get it repaired. As we pulled up to the shop the owner and a customer were visiting out front and they said "Oh you're here. We knew you were coming. People have told us about the tandem pulling a trailer coming up the mountain." Yep, that was us! We don't really blend into the country side. We are quite a rig and Bike Fridays are not very common never mind two grandparents riding tandem and pulling a trailer. Later on in the afternoon we stopped at another bike shop and got the same kind of welcome! 'Oh, so you're the tandem we heard about." So, goes to prove that you never know who's watching you...or waiting for you to arrive.
We played tourist for a couple of hours while the flat was being repaired, took several pictures and really enjoyed the town! At the RV park we met a couple who sold their home in Santa Fe NM last July and have been traveling in their van since. They've met many different bikers and interesting travelers . Just the day before they made an offer on a house in Silver City. She described the town as being a mixture of rednecks, liberals, bikers, creative folk, and University intellectuals. A nice place to live. It has great little shops and restaurants but no touristy T-shirt places. One and a half foot high curbs down the center of Old Town...why? And some great old buildings.
There's even a Stake Center there!
It would have been nice to stay a couple of days.