After a little later (8:00am) start, we wound around downtown El Paso before emptying out farmland on our way to Fort Hancock. The route was relatively easy today, with favorable winds and a relatively smooth and flat shoulder to ride on for most of the way. In the morning, we climbed onto a ridge in El Paso, and enjoyed a broad 180 degree view of Juarez, Mexico, just across the Rio Grande. The final 20 miles or so was enjoyable, as we emptied out onto the Rio Grande River basin. I started out in a group for the first segment, and then encouraged the faster riders to move ahead at the first SAG, as I have quickly realized that if I was forced to keep their pace for the remainder of the trip, I might make it but never see anything except for other people’s bike tires and the tip of my tongue hanging half-way down to my handlebar. And since I’ve already seen the tip of my tongue…
The remainder of the ride, about 40 miles or so, I did solo for the first time since I started the tour. While I have enjoyed the company of the other riders, I found the tension level greatly reduced when allowed to cycle at my own pace, and began to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way. The funny thing was, I ended up finishing the ride ahead of the faster group, simply because I stopped only briefly for a protein bar and some water, while they stopped for a full Mexican lunch. The surprised looks on their faces when I greeted them at our stop for the evening was worth the price of admission. I passed a lot of alfalfa fields and pecan groves with miles and miles of pecan trees, all in perfect lines. I was surprised to see the soil underneath the pecans completely flooded, and assume that the trees need a fair amount of irrigation in order to remain healthy and productive. There were a number of signs at the edge of all of these groves, warning that those who attempted to pick the pecans either from the trees or off of the ground would be punished by state law.
As I indicated yesterday, Ft. Hancock was made famous from the movie the Shawshank Redemption. I received further clarification today, when they explained to me that the main characters in the movie made an agreement to meet here, once the one man received a card in prison post marked from Fort Hancock. Apparently, this was a clue that the one man had made his escape, and would be able to meet the other in Fort Hancock so they could escape together into Mexico. I’m sure I got some of that story wrong, so feel free to correct me with the more accurate details.
Aside from this bit of trivia, I can attest that there isn’t much here. I knew not to expect much when I kept seeing signs for a post office, about 20 miles before I came to it. When I referenced my “Around Me” app on my phone once I arrived, it appears that the closest restaurant and gas station is 34 miles away. When I got to the Fort Hancock High School around 1:30, I was informed that the school would not allow any of us in to take showers until after dinner. For now, I’m writing this at the Community Church in Fort Hancock, a cute little church with 10 pews, a pulpit, and a ceiling fan. Oh yes, and one small man with sweaty bike shorts and his ever-present ski jacket. (Wish it would warm up some!)
Tomorrow, we leave Fort Hancock and continue our journey to Van Horn, where we will bed for the evening in tents at the Van Horn RV park. Another exciting day on the horizon. Thanks for all of the encouragement and support!
The Walking Machine 