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Published: December 15th 2006
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Shawne and Jo say...
Day 34
Miles Today: 89.2
Total Mileage: 1,390.3
Flats Today: 2
Total Flats: 38
It was very difficult to pack up this morning. We really didn't want to leave Alpine. We stripped the bed and put the sheets in the wash. We gave the kitchen a once-over and turned on the dishwasher. Walking out to the backyard, we slowly pushed our bikes through the side gate, taking a load of trash out to the curb. We took a last look at Elizabeth's beautiful home, thinking of her and the other good people we've met on this journey.
We think that we have fallen in love with this town. Yesterday, we actually priced Amtrak tickets from Alpine, TX to San Diego, thinking that we may just end our trip and get the car from Shawne's Dad's house. Heading home and packing our stuff into a moving van seemed like a good idea. This was all we thought about for the rest of the day. We almost turned around several times to head back into town.
The thirty-one mile ride to Marathon, TX, seemed like an eternity. We stopped at a cafe and sat at the outdoor patio.
A group at another table were very interested in our trip and talked with us for a while. Shawne enjoyed a huge double cheeseburger while drinking what seemed like a gallon of iced tea. We reminisced about Alpine as we flipped through another real estate guide. Again, we thought about turning around and going back, wondering if Elizabeth would let us stay at her place for a few more days. Reluctantly, we filled our water bottles and climbed on our bicycles, heading East on Hwy 90. The combination of our overfilled bellies and the longing for Alpine created a difficult ride. The next town was another fifty-five miles away, which would be our longest day...if we made it.
Passing by Spencer Mountain, we encountered a unique geological display. Layers of sedimentary rock had been pushed upward into a vertical orientation. We stopped to take some pictures and walk up to the wall. We were amazed when we touched the formation, it just crumbled away into small rock chips, exposing earth that had never been seen or touched by humans. Large cracks split other layers into sizeable chunks that balanced precariously on top of one another. The rock was so unstable
that both passing trucks and the stiff breeze would cause some of the material to fall and collect in piles along the shoulder of the road.
A few miles later, we noticed two men and a pickup truck pulled off the road near a fence. A herd of buffalo stood near the fence, and we noticed that the men were feeding them. We stopped to talk to the men and take some pictures. They let Jo put some of the alfalfa hay through the fence, but the buffalo didn't seem interested in eating out of her hand. The men explained that this wild herd used to be forty strong, but this small group was all that was left. They said that people regularly come out to feed them in the hopes that their numbers will grow again.
The sun was hanging low in the afternoon sky . We still had over twenty miles to go when we spotted Elizabeth's car coming toward us. She pulled over on the opposite shoulder and got out of her car. We were surprised to see her so late in the day. We knew that we may see her at some point, but we figured
that the window had passed long ago. We thanked her again and gave hugs to our new friend. Jo explained that the bed sheets were in the washer and the dishwasher was clean.
"Y'all didn't have to do that!" she told us.
We said goodbye as she drove off toward Alpine, and we headed toward Sanderson with the setting sun at our backs.
Jo got another flat tire just as the last bit of dusk illuminated the western sky. We turned on all of our lights and sat roadside as she fixed her flat. Complete darkness surrounded us as a passing train rumbled on the tracks that parallelled the road. Oncoming cars blinded us with high beams, causing us to bow our heads in an attempt to block the light with the visors on our helmets.
We pedalled quickly, pushing to get to town asap. Our odometers do not have backlighting, so we had no clue of our progress as we raced down the highway shoulder. Shawne was in front of Jo as a car approached. Again, we dropped our heads to block the light from our eyes. Suddenly, he saw something on the shoulder, just ten feet ahead of
him.
"DEAD DEER!" he yelled, over the roar of the passing vehicle. He swerved hard into the eastbound lane, just missing the carcass by inches. He could only hope that Jo heard his warning as he looked back and saw that her headlights were still upright, confirming that she didn't wreck. A rush of adrenaline came over him. The large buck was spread all the way across the entire shoulder, his legs outstretched from the grass to just beyond the fogline.
Jo was burning out, and she needed food right away. We stopped on the side of the road so Shawne could dig out some granola bars. She devoured them and lay down on the shoulder, which Shawne thought was very dangerous. He tried politely to get her up and back on her bike. Off we rode, into the darkness once again. We passed a police officer with someone pulled over, and the car's lights lit the hill with brilliant blues and reds. Finally we could see the lights of civilization.
Past the city limit sign, the pavement suddenly became smooth as silk. It felt like we were floating. Our arms and hands tingled as we glided along. We waved
goodbye to the rough chipseal and cruised into the gas station.
The place was packed, and it was apparently the only store open at this hour. There was a small deli in the corner with a line fifteen people deep. Jo still wasn't feeling well, so we opted for some groceries and ice cream sandwiches for a quick sugar boost. Once outside, we found a father and son eyeballing our rigs. They asked the normal questions, then Shawne picked up his bike to show them how the trailers follow behind. They were amazed, saying, "I've never seen a trailer for a bicycle before!"
A bit down the road, we found the R.V. park. After much confusion while trying to decipher the cryptic symbols and instructions, we settled into our camp spot. Another couple pulled in with a vehicle topped with a bicycle. They pitched a tent nearby, but we didn't chat. The woman ran to the restroom several times to get sick while her husband fretted outside the restroom door. Jo wondered if she was pregnant.
After dinner and some bicycle maintenance for Shawne, we fell asleep once again to the sounds of a passing train.
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Shawne's Mom
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Congrats to you both
I am so proud of you but can now stop worrying once you are back home. Hugs to you both. Mom