Before getting into today's ride, let me spend a couple of minutes on our time in Santa Fe during the rest day (May 26th). Diana and I spent most of the day there, walking the Plaza, looking at the very old cathedral, St. Francis Assisi, and thoroughly enjoying the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
We had dinner at Tomasita's in the Railyard District. Consider yourself warned.
The weather this morning in Santa Fe was decidedly cooler, at about 50 degrees. The fires in Mew Mexico had continued top spread overnight, fanned by the unusually strong winds. Thus we started our ride to Las Vegas, NM.
Note the smoke above the mountains. Medical authorities advised against any outdoor exercise today. What do they know?
Our first stop was at Pecos National Historical Monument which preserves some of the buildings and artifacts of the Pueblo and Plains Indians dating back 10,000 years. Also in this area, we climbed to 7570 ft. at Glorieta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which is the highest elevation that we will see on the tour. Guess you could say that it's all down hill from here.
We were riding on the Santa Fe Trail for almost the entire day. The only exception was a 5 mile stretch on Interstate 25 which is to be our last encounter with the Interstates. The Santa Fe Trail is a historically significant western trade route dating back to 1821, and originating in Franklin, MO.
Had an encounter with a dog chasing me. I yelled at him, raised my hand and pedaled like hell. He broke off the chase. No photos available.
Some shots of the scenery during the ride:
Crossing Interstate - 25
Santa Fe Trail paralleling I-25
Riders coming into turn; me in foreground
MK checking tires and spokes at SAG stop
MK goin' down the Santa Fe Trail
Riding into Las Vegas (NM)
Pulling into hotel
Total Miles: 73 Total Vertical Climb: 4900 ft.
we already know about mike. is it a bird, is it a plane? no, it,s mike karwowski able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, an amazing 64 yrs young. i find myself thinkimg about the bike. for those of us who r totally ignorant about bikes, how about a quick description including any special gears, etc.. what an heirloom for your kids and grands! can u imagine years from now, "yeah, that's the bike my great great grandfather rode across the entire country from sea to sea) notice that I omitted shining so as not to appear r too dramatic). but seriously that bike is going to continue to be a monument for what u r doing, this spectacular accomplishment of yours. I feel, though, I must reprimand you because you are extremely remiss in your responsiblity to your readers. c'mon. now, I know u were somewhat busy with the dog chasing you, but not one picture? on a serious note glad u checked out the museum while you were in o'keefe country. great artist and remarkably independent in spite of the time in which she lived. continue being safe and having fun!
ReplyDeleteMike, Following you on the blog and the map every day.
ReplyDeleteLooks/sounds like you and Diana had a great time while she was with you. Agree with Diane's comments on your trip. You're blazing a "legacy" that will be with you and future Karwowski generations to come. Quite an accomplishment at your advanced age!! Hope you are not having any problems. Know you will not say anything even if you are. Keep up the great work. We're all routing for you. Dave and Pam
Hi, Mike.
ReplyDeleteThe photos of your (most current) great adventure look great. Kansas looks as flat as I imagine. I hope you and your bike are holding up well. May the wind always be at your back! Jack