Waking up to a flat tire was not how I wanted to start the day, but since I was inside (though without heat) I figured it would be a good time to replace the tube and tire that had been giving me trouble and to be done with that annoyance for good. My fellow hostel guest at the Hachita Community Center had a slow leak in both front and back tires, so I couldn’t complain too much.
Along with complementary coffee at the convenience store down the road, I picked up a mini loaf of zucchini bread baked by the local Mennonite community, and a frozen Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl—which a local later came in looking for specifically only to be told they had just sold the last one.
I didn’t get an early start. It was around 10:30am when I started what I thought would be a 50-mile ride to Rodeo. But with my new tire, the wind at my back, and the sun encouraging me, I was quickly cruising at over 20 mph and had to convince myself to stop after an hour for a short break. I saw an historical marker that I used as an excuse to pull over, and ended up chatting with Silva, a border patrol agent parked in the same spot. She had recently visited Seattle and loved the seafood.
Silva said that the Border Patrol and Sheriffs all work together, so not to hesitate letting one or the other know if I saw anything suspicious or if I needed anything. I wondered if that might extend to helping with a flat tire or giving people water and food if they’ve run out after traveling for a very long distance.
I was getting antsy to get back on the road. Silva seemed surprised when I said I’d be going at least as far as Rodeo (about 30 miles more). I didn’t mention that I had already considered making it a 100-mile day to skip right to Douglas, Arizona, where I could stay at a Motel 6 and take a hot bath.
I asked about the mountains before leaving and Silva told me the names of the various ranges we could see, and what I would encounter later in the day: Animas, Little and Big Hatchet, Pyramid, and the Chiricahua Mountains closer to Arizona.
The rest of the ride was stunning. Each mountain range displayed a unique character as it marked a different part of the great continental divide. The subtly shifting landscape kept me entertained for the long ride, and when that failed I let myself listen to music for the first time, having been too concerned about battery life while camping.
I arrived in Douglas shortly before sunset. Most of the restaurants seemed to be closed, so I settled for Pizza Hut before drawing as hot a bath as the Motel 6 water heater would allow.