Day Forty-Eight: Battling the Wind to Pie Town

Today’s ride was epic. We climbed about 3,000 feet from Socorro to Pie Town, over the course of nearly 100 miles. It was hot and dry, and to boot, there was a roughly 30 MPH headwind the entire day. I chose to ride with Jane today.

We visited the Very Large Array, located on Route 60. It’s the perfect array for a radio telescope: flat, at elevation, with almost no cloud cover, and with mountains in all directions to block radio signals. Brilliant. I enjoyed the technical humor on the posters at the visitor’s center, the warnings about rattlesnakes, and the astronaut ice cream.

The last bit of the ride was impressive for Jane. She pushed harder on that section than I’ve ever seen her ride. She set three new personal power records. Hooray Jane!

Pie Town, NM is a little town of sixty people located on the Continental Divide. It’s home to some pie champions, and a woman who allows thru hikers and bikers to use her home. Our reward for the hardest riding day ever (Jane burned almost 4000 kcal according to the power meter, so I burned more) was a fantastic, homemade dinner that exceeded all expectations.

I can only imagine how wonderful today would have been if we were going the other way.