Day18 Lordsburg to Silver City 45miles

0ct 6th
At last I can get out of Lordsburg, a check on Google earth reveals that I have a long gradual climb of about 2,000 ft before descending into Silver City about 45 miles away, so much for avoiding the hills by going off the ACA map. I'm well organised in the morning for a change and set off at 9.15.
The first part of the jouney is a very gradual ascent through the plains, it gets a bit harder as I reach apache mountain, but I am pleased and a little surprised to see the altitude counter on my GPS click off the hundreds of meters without causing undue tiredness or strain.
At the highest point I cross the north american watershed, the grreat divide as the americans call it.
The second half of the journey is not so pleasant as during the last 10 miles or so I am constantly climbing 3 or 4 hundred feet and then going down again only to repeat the process. There are more and more big copper mines and half the vehicles on the road seem to be mine vehicles with their red and white flags flying from huge antenna ( so that the guys on the big dump trucks can see them).
Silver City has a population of 10,000 and even a little 'historic downtown' area covering all of 2 blocks ! The RV park is decent and set up for tents. To my surprise I am sharing the tented area with a dozen other cyclists on an ACA guided trip of 500 miles around New Mexico , panniers and trailers everywhere ! I am soon chatting with their leader and they invite me to dine with them. They are a mixed bunch but all very serious cyclists, I get some beers in and look forward to a rousing night but they are all in bed by 7.30. I give up and turn in myself by 9.00.

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