Moriarty, NM to Santa Rosa, NM

Friday 27 April 2018

Today's ride was from Moriarty, NM to Santa Rosa, NM

Today's ride was the longest to date.  I covered 83.1 miles.  I left Moriarty at 7 and headed east.   I arrived at the hotel in Santa Rosa at 3:00 PM.  The first 10 mile or so were on the "Old Route 66"

about 8 miles from town looking west

and looking east

There are a few businesses that closed because of Interstate 40 took all of the traffic off of Route 66

At one time I guess this was mileage markers

Just past this point the route took me to Interstate 40.  I rode I-40 for 68 miles, until Santa Rosa exit.  A long gradual climb from outside of Moriarty.  At the elevation  the cedars started to reappear. 

6500 foot elevation

The climb continued to 7200 foot elevation then started a long gradual decent

 The ride along the interstate today was very noisy.  There was lots of truck traffic, people heading out for the weekend pulling boats, travel trailers, people in a hurry to get somewhere. 

People ask what do I think about while traveling on the interstate.  I look at the surroundings, look for odd things that have fallen off of vehicles, switch between information screens on the Garmin cycling computer, try to guess how far off a certain point is then track the mileage until I get there.
Sometimes I get a tune stuck in my head keep hearing the same verses over and over.

Big problem on days like today, when the weather is cold, it was 34 degrees when I started, is to drink enough fluids.  I find if I don't drink at least one bottle of water per hour  I will be exhausted in a few hours.  So, if I have not drunk my fluids I stop hourly and make sure to get the fluids and have a snack.