Eunice, NM
Elevation: 3,431 ft.
Distance: 101.9 mi.
Odometer: 3,250.6 mi.
Headwind early and often. Wind wasn't too bad early, but got stronger as the day went. I was sluggish for the first 25 miles or so and couldn't figure out why until a look at the altimeter revealed that I'd quietly climbed 500 feet on what looked like flats. Only a little later, I approached the Caprock. Once again, I’d been warned about the Caprock, but this time it was real. Actually a tough hill, and the shape of it created a wind tunnel effect that had me fighting a 25 mph headwind as I took the hill.
The first 50 miles were empty until I got on a bigger highway. More headwind, and the pavement went from great to terrible and back repeatedly. No hills though, and I'm at much lower elevation. Nice to have oxygen again. Lots and lots of trucks. After a morning on a very quiet road, they were especially obnoxious. Got me thinking, what's the point of trucks? Is there some reason that stuff couldn't be shipped by train? Less fuel and less manpower pound-for-pound, and therefore much cheaper, I'm sure. And it'll keep the roads clear for the rest of us. Speaking of obnoxious, the oil fields out here smell a lot. But it's satisfying to ride a bike past oil pumps and refineries. Reminds me how much I don't need them.
Asked the United Methodist Church for a floor and a roof, and wound up with a hotel! Thanks, Pastor Eileen!
June
