Lisa Noble - Bike Across America

Day 32 Austin to Bastrop. 56 leisurely miles. We headed out from the Residence Inn in South East Austin this morning knowing that the route map would be difficult to follow due to the many turns. The day at times would feel more like a road rally (where you navigate with cryptic directions) than a ride.

The route took us right through downtown Austin which I greatly appreciated seeing. The Residence Inn where we were staying was technically in Austin - but not really in the Austin you think of when Austin is talked about as being a cool city and great place to live. It took about 15 miles of biking to get us to that Austin.

We approached downtown on a dirt bike path that ran alongside a river on which people were kayaking and paddle boarding. The path was was shaded by overhanging trees and was crowded with runners and folks recreating on a Sunday. Perhaps it was crowded due to a surge of tourists arriving to be in the path of totality for the eclipse.

It was a vibrant introduction to the downtown. We could see the skyline through the trees and past the bridges. The modern skyline was accented with almost as many construction cranes as buildings. Clearly Austin is growing. Fast.

The downtown was bike friendly, full of public art and clean. Michele and I decided to deviate from the route to visit the State Capitol building. There was a huge photo of it in our Residence Inn room so we figured it must be good. It certainly was. The massive domed building was surrounded by green lawns and huge shade oaks that provided welcome shade over the many memorial sculptures that surrounded the building.

We also went inside to steal a quick peek at the dome.

From there we headed over to the UT campus to see the main quad with the famous clock tower and fountain. We think graduation happened earlier in the day because there were lots of students wearing the UT burnt orange grad sash. I got a shot of two celebrating in the fountain with the clock tower in the distance.

Departing campus we cycled past the campus art museum that had large mushroom-like sculptures. You could also clearly see the Capitol building in the distance.

Once we left UT-Austin the directions got tricky due to road construction and road closures as we zig zagged our way over bridges and out of the city. Eventually city traffic thinned and we were once again on rural roads- some with lots of traffic and no shoulder, others quiet enough that loose dogs could be an issue. It was rural enough that we passed a stop sign riddled with bullet holes. Someone had been having some fun.

The hilight of the rural part of the ride was visiting some longhorns that were curious enough to approach the fence that separated us from them. They got close enough that I was wondering whether I should be afraid.

Tomorrow is a short day. We want to be off the road before the eclipse at 1:42. We dont know what to anticipate in terms of traffic. We are all equipped with eclipse glasses so if the cloud cover defies the weather report and stays away then we can use them.

Day 31 Fredericksburg to Austin. (day 30 was a rest day.) 77 miles and 4k plus of elevation. The ride was much easier than the miles and elevation gain would indicate. Maybe having a rest day yesterday was just what we all needed.

We headed out of Fredericksburg with fresh legs And freshly packed snack bags. The weather report said that there would be cloud cover but no rain. It was mostly right.

We made our way out of Fredericksburg and quickly landed on a country road that wound through more of Texas Hill Country.

The sky was dark with the dense cloud cover. I was wishing for the bright sun and blue skies we had enjoyed for the previous days … until I realized that a) flowers might actually photograph better when not in full sun and b) the cloud cover was keeping the day cool.

A few miles outside of Fredericksburg we came across a bunch of cows by the road behind a fence. We stopped to admire them and I started mooing. None mooed back but they did move closer to me with expressions that I interpreted as curiosity. After a few minutes a whole group had drifted to the edge of the fence to get as close as they could to see perhaps whether I had food to offer. I kept mooing and they kept staring. We were entertaining each other.

As we continued on the wildflowers started making their showy display. Blue Bonnets lined both sides of the road. Other wildflowers made appearances occasionally but the Blue Bonnets were definitely the stars of the day.

The dark sky threatened rain and spit out a few drops here and there, never enough to actually warrant putting on the rain jacket I was carrying as a precaution.

We rode for almost 30 miles over rolling hills under dark skies surrounded by wildflowers that were more impressive than can possibly be captured with an iPhone. Nonetheless I kept trying to get a photo that would do them justice.

By mile 45 we were riding through Perdenales State Park. Instantly the green surrounding was replaced by more arid landscape. The hills were still rolling but somewhat steeper. We passed many signs that warned of possibly flooded roadway. They even had markers each time the road dipped in a flood zone. These dips were marked with a large sign marking off flood water depth with tick marks each foot up to 5 feet.

At the SAG stop at Mile 40 we had been warned that there would be water on the road at the 50 mile mark and that we should walk our bikes through. They were right and it was good advice to walk. The road was completely flooded and the footing was quite slippery with the scum that had collected there.

With the water crossing behind us there was only 27 miles remaining. The air was still cool thanks to the dark cloudy sky. Occasional drops were still finding there way to the ground. Still not convincing enough to warrant a jacket. The remaining miles went down easily. Traffic predictably increased as we approached the outskirts of Austin but the road surface was generally good. There was notable lack of shoulder for more miles than I would have liked but we found a way to successfully share the road with cars.

We rolled into the Residence Inn earlier than I had anticipated which gave me ample time to shower, hand wash my bike clothes and prep for going out to dinner with an old friend now living in Austin.

I’m fighting off sleep as I type this on my phone. Perhaps it is time to sign off so I can get some sleep for tomorrow’s ride.

Day 29 Vanderpool to Fredericksburg, Texas 79 glorious miles squarely in Texas Hill Country.

We enjoyed an egg and sausage breakfast before sunrise at Foxfire Camp and started riding just as the sun was rising. It felt much colder than the predicted 48 degrees. Blue sky cloudless days often start cold.

The cold didn’t stop me from grabbing a shot of the Texas Motorcycle museum that was just up the road from Firefox. And next to the museum were two ostriches (at least I think there were ostriches) who came up to the fence when I stopped near them. They were either curious or were expecting food. They were definitely not afraid like the cows I would see later in the day.

It was still quite cold when we started our biggest sustained climb of the day. Rather than wishing it weren’t as steep or as long I happily pedaled up the 6-7% grade generating much needed body heat. At the top of the climb the road was cut through the hill leaving sheer rock walls rising up from both shoulders making it feel like we were cutting through a canyon. Near the top I turned around to get a shot of the distant hills glowing with sunrise through the road-cut canyon.

The big climb gave way to rolling hills turned magical by the warmth of the rising sun and the color of the abundant wildflowers. The occasional Live Oak trees with their dramatic canopies filtered the light. I notice and appreciate “good light”. This was good light. There was virtually no traffic on the remote country road, no houses at all, just an occasional marked ranch entrance. As we rolled along taking in the wildflowers we all knew we were fortunate to be in that place at that time. When I occasionally stopped to take a photo it was noticeably quiet. The kind of quiet I enjoy when backpacking. It’s rare to be somewhere and not hear the hum of background ambient noise.

We stayed on this idyllic country road until at about mile 25 we descended into a small town and stopped at a country store to get refreshed. The country store was specially stocked with eclipse viewing glasses and eclipse t shirts. We are now traveling through places that will experience totality. The local talk is of the crowds they expect and the traffic jams that it will cause.

After leaving the country store the road followed and crisscrossed the Guadalupe River. There were visible signs of wealth in the properties that lined the river. There were now Audis, Lexuses and and other upmarket car brands on the road.

One of our fellow riders told us that we would be at the halfway point in terms of miles when we past the “place where there are boots on the fence”. Sure enough we came to a spot that fit that description and celebrated, wearing fake mustaches. The internet tells me that hanging old boots on a fence is symbolic but the meaning varies with different ranch subcultures. I still don’t know why we had fake mustaches other than it made us laugh. Reason enough.

We continued from the half way mark cycling along and crossing the river multiple more times until we took a turn that led us once again into what I will call “idyllic country road”. I know I’m at risk of overusing that term, but it really applies. Narrow, winding, rolling hills, green surrounds blanketed (and I do mean blanketed) with fields of purple and sometimes yellow wildflowers. And did I mention no traffic? Add to that cows, both fenced and loose. Loose cows are not something I’m used to so I found it particularly enchanting to come across them on (literally on) the road. They would move off the road as we approached staring at us assessing if we were a threat. They did not want us to get too close to them. That worked for me because I didn’t want to get too close to them either.

We didn’t rush through this section of the ride. It was too glorious and satisfying. We knew it was special. Each time we took a turn at a junction I braced myself for it to end. But we carried on for miles turning from one country road to the next. It wasn’t until we were about 10 miles from Fredericksburg that the magic ended and we were back to roads with traffic, houses and a dollar general store.

Fredericksburg itself is a wonderfully charming historic town settled by Germans enticed to come over by the Republic of Texas in 1848. It’s main street is lined with historic stone and wood buildings that maintain their historic character while providing tourists with ice cream shops, restaurants, galleries, bars with live music and places to buy cowboy hats, boots and leather goods. When walking Main Street it’s clear you are in a German-settled town. There are many German restaurants and lots of stores have German names. It was only appropriate that we ate out at a German restaurant for dinner. I had bratwurst, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut… and enjoyed every bite.

Fredericksburg is a terrific place to have our rest day. I think everyone welcomes the chance for some down time. Our next ride day is long and takes us all the way to Austin. I am hoping for more wildflower lined country roads.

Day 28. Camp Wood to Vanderpool, TX. 39 miles. 3k feet of climbing.

And just like that… we are now in Texas Hill country. We had another sparkling day with clear blue sky and cool temperatures (high in mid 70’s) as we rode in the Texas hills. In marked contrast to our days in West Texas we are now surrounded by green landscape (juniper, oak and other trees with newly sprouted leaves) dotted with various wildflowers - yellow, white, purple along the roadside. Rivers, streams and dry creeks crisscross the roads.

Our morning started with breakfast served in the parking lot at the Cowboy Motel. Lauren had prepared eggs, sausage and hash browns for us to fuel our day. As we served ourselves food we saw Eric and John (the fireman) ride by with their loaded bikes. I was glad to see they had reunited- at least for a little while.

We wolfed down our breakfast and started out.
As we rode out of the small town of Camp Woods we stopped in a Mohair coat shop owned by an accomplished designer, Delores Vernor. She has designed jackets for former Texas governor Mary Richards, Hilary Clinton and numerous other celebrity level folks. Delores was in her shop when we stopped by to see her work. She showed us her favorite designs and her many celebrity photos.

After our brief Mohair tour we headed out of town. Camp Wood with its population of 517, in addition to the Mohair shop, has a Family Dollar store, an attorney, a “Get ‘n Go” market and TWO thrift stores.

A few miles out of town the traffic thinned and the road turned and undulated over rolling hills. We did have three distinct climbs of roughly two miles each at 7% grades which made for terrific views and descents.

We also encountered lots of gorgeous rivers and streams. There is a lot of water flowing in the area. We ended our ride in Vanderpool at the Foxfire Cabins. The owner is a bird lover with a large cage where she keeps a flock. She also has a bunch of humming bird feeders that are quite active. The cabins are nestled among large oak trees throwing needed shade under their massive twisting branches.

Most of our group was housed in the actual cabins but 5 of us were housed in a fantastic three bedroom house set apart from the cabins in an open area on hill surrounded by wildflowers and adjacent a stream. It also had a relaxing wrap around porch with a stunning view of the surrounding hills.

I’m definitely going to turn in early tonight to get a good night sleep. Tomorrow we have an 80 mile ride through the hills to get to Fredericksburg where we will have a rest day.

Day 27 Brackettville to Camp Wood. 48 miles. I guess that headwind and rough chip seal is the new normal. We had more of the same today. The good news is that it was much cooler and that there was not much traffic. It was a sparking blue sky day.

We biked out of Brackettville after a breakfast of frittata and cinnamon coffee cake made by Lauren in the old Mess Hall at Fort Clark. Directly opposite fort Clark on highway 90 are two adjacent liquor stores- both sold liquor drive-through with one advertising drive thru margaritas. Only in Texas!

Brackettville has a cute downtown with historic stone buildings. Once out of town we were riding on endless ribbons of chip seal undulating over the hills as we left the desert and started our transition to Texas hill country.

Rather than brown desert landscape we were treated to increasingly green vegetation and even yellow, white and purple wildflowers along the shoulder. Trees were no longer stunted and scrubby but were taller and adorned with bright green new leaves signaling that spring was here.

We were biking through ranch country so we passed many ornate ranch entrances with their names displayed in cut metal signs that silhouetted against the sun.

We were also biking on a remote highway known to be a smuggling route. We are still close to the border. We’ve seen the wall in the distance a few times over the past few days and also have seen lots of border patrol cars out and about. At one point we were stopped at an ad hoc border patrol checkpoint. The border patrol officers told me that they set up along various known smuggling routes varying where their exact checkpoints are located. They told me that they are looking for smuggled drugs and people. More people than drugs though. When asked they told me I could take photos of cars but not the officers. I took a few pics, thanked them for their hard work and continued on.

Three miles before our destination, the Cowboy Motel in Camp Wood we arrived at a terrific swimming spot under the huge concrete bridge that stretched high across the Nueces River. From one side of the bridge you could look down on the wide rocky river flowing away from the dam. On the other side you could look down into the huge clear basin of water that sits below the main dam and above a secondary one thus creating a large chest deep lake-like swimming area.

The highlight of the day was taking the time to swim in the chest deep lake. The water was clear and refreshing. I swam with three other bikers all the way across to the dam. The water roared as it spilled in a waterfall over the dam and upon us. It also created mesmerizing patterns as it made the 20 foot drop from the top of the dam. The water was falling like a wall. We decided to go through to the other side. Chris dove through the wall of falling water first and extended a hand to guide me through. When all four of us had made it to the other side of the fall we could stand in waist deep water and see the huge cement bridge through the pulsing water. Ferns lined the cave-like structure overhead adding to the magical feeling we were sharing.

After our swim we only had three miles to go before we rolled into our motel at Camp Wood. Before dinner we celebrated completing half our journey with “mid way Mojitos” prepared by our guide Amy. Great feeling to celebrate this milestone in a remote Texas town with 26 amazing women.

Our group of 27 took over the motel having rented every room. The motel was recently purchased and renovated by an artist and each room has a custom painted mural. I appreciate her creativity and hope she is successful in the motel business. I also hope she can get better WiFi. WiFi is currently not working and I only have one bar of cell service. Tomorrow we bike to a town that is even smaller than Camp Wood and we are told that we will have neither cell nor WiFi.

I hope I can post this with only one bar of cell. I’ll post again when I’m back in service.

Day 26. Del Rio to Bracketville, TX. Today should have been an easy 33 miles but it wasn’t. We all definitely needed recovery after yesterday’s long, hot, windy ride.

We left Del Rio at a leisurely 10 AM. The late start was designed to give us a few hours extra sleep time which was much needed. As we pedaled out of Del Rio I could see that it was a much larger town than I had realized. It had a TJ maxx, a Ross, Home Dept and Harbor Freight just to name a few large retail that was there. It had been a while since we’ve seen these types of stores. I thought about how far folks need to drive to shop at these places.

Del Rio displayed lots of Texas pride. With Texas flags displayed and a tin roof painted with the flag and Texas shaped logos plentiful.

Shortly after we departed the wind picked up, the temperature rose and we found ourselves heading east on the shoulder of two lane highway. The road surface was chipseal. I’m going to take a moment to write about chipseal because chipseal was front of mind the entire ride.

Chipseal is an inexpensive way to surface a road. Basically you lay down asphalt then throw a bunch of gravel on top then roll it down. The gravel doesn’t pe*****te the asphalt all the way. Instead it is only partially embedded leaving a very rough surface of gravel stuck in asphalt. Some chipseal is better rolled than others. This chipseal (like some of yesterday’s) was not well rolled and super rough. Chipseal increases road noise for cars, increases tire wear and is crap for biking.

I took time to photograph the chipseal- it’s notable.

My fellow bikers and I are are trying to calculate the coefficient of friction of the various chipseal we encounter. We know how to quantify the grade of a hill, the temperature and the amount of headwind. We all agree that chipseal needs a metric.

So in addition to heat and headwind we had very rough chipseal making the 33 miles more difficult than anticipated.

Along the way we ran into Eric from Canada. He was resting under a shade pavilion when we saw him and stopped to chat. He said he had met up with John (the fireman who we had met back at Jake’s Place in Tonto Basin, AZ) and Rick the very loaded down 70 year old. He, John and Rick had been running into each other along the way and could text each other. Eric has been encountering terrific hospitality being offered meals and places to stay the night by folks he encounters. Eric asked if I had seen the guy biking with two suitcases strapped to his bike traveling the other direction. I told him we had seen him and wondered about his story. He was wearing jeans and work boots. I couldn’t tell if he was a fellow Southern Tier rider or a local character. Eric met him and learned that he is French and biking across the US. He started in New York. His panniers broke so he had to scavenge suitcases to strap to his bike to carry his gear. It wasn’t clear why he had two. He had been quite a sight. Nonetheless he had been pedaling with a big smile and extended a hearty wave as we passed each other.

When we finally arrived in Bracketville it was 98 degrees and it was early enough that we had time to stop for lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. The air conditioning and the Diet Coke were just what I needed. The fajitas were pretty good too.

After lunch we biked the final mile to where we were staying: Fort Clark Springs. Fort Clark is a frontier fort that was active from the 1850’s until 1942. It has been converted into lodgings and homes for permanent residents. The historical buildings are all marked. The highlight feature of the fort is the larger than life Texas-sized pool that is spring fed. It was built in the 1930’s. We stayed in an old stone barracks that had been nicely converted into motel rooms. We were able to access the old mess hall to cook and eat.

It was so impressive to arrive at the Fort which truly felt like an oasis with its old stone buildings
And large green trees. Sometimes the destination is the reward. I took a long swim in the impressive pool both in the afternoon and again right before dinner. In between I cycled around the fort and explored the various buildings - the old holding cells, old officers quarters and various others. What a treat to be staying at this historic fort

Dinner was Mexican pork, tortillas and all the fixings.- in the old mess hall. Yum!

All for now!

Day 25 Sanderson to Del Rio. 119 miles. High temp 96. Headwinds 26 mph. Well today was an ass kicker. I was able to finish the ride but with no time or energy to spare. The heat and the wind made the already difficult ride that much harder. Throw in lots of hills and crappy pavement and you get a super tough day.

There were lots of interesting abandoned things to photograph as we departed Sanderson at daybreak. There was an abandoned gas station that still hung a faded “open” sign that boasted gas at $1.23 a gallon. There was an abandoned budget motel with interesting textures and signs of decay. There were non abandoned things too that indicated that Sanderson was fighting to make a comeback. There was a tourist office boasting “Gateway to Big Bend”, bars advertising live music, a sign hikighting the towns TWO museums. And a colorful retail store selling large metal cactus and dinosaurs. Be sure who doesn’t need a large metal dinosaur?

I didn’t photograph any of these things because we were on a mission. A mission to complete the days 119 mile ride before sunset. Michele’s ultra marathon experience was put to use as she said the keys to success were to minimize stopping times- SAG stops needed to be planned in advance and measured. We needed to stay ahead of hydration and fuel. We also knew that the morning would be cooler and have less wind so we needed to take advantage of those better riding conditions without overdoing it and burning out. We put the plan into place and executed. So not many photos from today.

We were fast in and out of the first three SAG stops as planned. First SAG at Mile 20- 3 minutes -remove gloves, sanitize hands, refill water bottles, eat a snack, grab a payday candy bar for my pocket. Second SAG stop at mile 40 - 11 minutes - remove gloves, sanitize hands, take Tylenol and Aleve, tie dye Easter project (that chef Lauren had prepared for us specially), refill water, grab lunch chicken wrap.

At Mile 40 the wind (direct headwind) started to pick up and the temperature started to rise to noticeably hot. By SAG 3 at mile 60 the headwinds were gusting to over 20 mph and the temperature was approaching 90. Road conditions deteriorated. We were riding super rough Texas chip seal. Progress was slow and difficult

We did stop for photos as we crossed a gorge and again as we grossed the Pecos River which also has a huge gorge. Border Patrol kindly stopped traffic for us as we traversed the high and scenic bridge.

At the overlook for the bridge and gorge two Texans dressed in jeans, boots and beer t-shirts asked where we were biking. When Michele told them San Diego to Florida one exclaimed “holy sh*t!” They then both started laughing and we joined in the absurdity of it. They were charmingly amazed at the daunting undertaking

SAG 4 was at a convence store at mile 89. By then the temp was at its high of 96 and the headwind was gusting to 26 mph. I knew cooling down was key so I got my hair and clothes wet, ate ice cream and bought a cold Gatorade. I also grabbed some ice chunks from our SAG van and stuck them in my shirt. I laughingly called the protruding chunks of ice In my shirt my “icechest”.

We continued on in the heat and the wind and in rough crappy road. Progress was tough but we were determined. Oh…. Did I mention that there were lots of hills? The rollers that we had climbed with ease in the morning now felt much steeper. We pushed on.

Time was becoming an issue- we only had a few hours to cover the remaining miles and our pace was slowing. Michele started feeling bad at mile 104 so we decided that she would get SAG support and that I would push ahead to try to complete.
I pushed on without Michele and increased the pace to the limits of what I could sustain. I was able to catch up to a trio of fast riders who were waiting at a bridge crossing for me. I joined their pace line for a few miles but I had overdone it to catch them a d despite their slowing their pace down for me I overheated and felt dizzy and sick. A few minutes off the bike, sitting down, and cooling down gave me the recovery I needed to continue at a slower pace. Fortunately our guide Cindy arrived on scene and the three fast riders forged on- we had 45 minutes of daylight left and 7 miles to go. What would otherwise be doable seemed a real challenge at this point. Since I had been having heat issues Cindy “escorted” me in the van to make sure I was still doing OK. So I carried on. The temperature was starting to drop- now in the 80s but the headwind persisted. I beared down and gutted out the remaining miles.
It wasn’t pretty but I got it done.

Day 24 Alpine to Sanderson, TX. 85 miles. Long ride today. Felt much cooler than the 85 degree high temperature today.

We left Alpine just after sunrise. Since our route took us back through Alpine Michele and I explored the downtown murals on bike. It was such a treat to view them on our way out of town. I love the vibrant creative feel they add to this friendly, historic and creative town.

Our entire ride was on highway 90 heading east Navigation couldn’t have been easier. 90 is a very deserted two lane road - Texas chipseal which is a bit rough for those spoiled by smooth Bay Area pavement but we’ve ridden much worse on this journey so no complaint here.

30 miles into the ride we arrived at the small historic town of Marathon, TX founded in 1881. It was named Marathon because it reminded an old sea Captain of the plains and hills in Marathon, Greece. It was also known as the “cradle of the cattle industry.

While in Marrathon Michele and I stopped by the historic Gage Hotel. We ducked inside and introduced ourselves to the receptionist who kindly let us take a mini tour and use the restroom. The inside was rustic with wood beamed ceilings and animal heads in the wall. It reminded me of the El Captain in Van Horn where we stayed a few nights, and for good reason… it was designed by the same El Paso architect.

After our brief visit to Marathon we continued east on highway 90. We saw a couple on touring bikes headed the the opposite direction direction. We stopped to say hello. The couple were Beau and Ashley. They left from Jacksonville Florida 37 days ago and are headed to San Diego. They are riding the Same Southern Tier route as us but opposite direction. They had run into the Danny (the Brit who is riding Solo in the same direction as us) who we met in Hatch, NM. He is now a day or two ahead of us. Beau and Ashley were surprised to not be seeing more cross country riders along the route. I expected to see more as well.

The 55 mile stretch from Marathon to Sanderson was open and expansive. Highway 90 bores a straight path through rugged desert terrain with distant (and sometimes close) hills/mountains. Ranches are marked over this inhospitable land by both ornamental and simple gates. We only occasionally saw cattle. One good looking trio was near the fence so I took the time to photograph and moo at them. One mooed back!

Further down the road we came across a young steer who was somehow onthe road side of the fence rather than safely behind it. We were worried that he was going to get hit by a car. He was scared and was running down the side of the road in the same direction as our travel. There was nothing we could do to help him except to pass him and hope that he could find his way home. We later saw a sign that posted a phone number for a cattle management agency so Michele called and left a message about the lost steer.

We continued down 90. The temperature climbed but we barely noticed because it was dry and the cross wind or breeze created by our travel kept us cool enough.

By 4 pm we reached our destination in Sanderson, TX: the retro Desert Air Motel. It was purchased several years ago by a couple who are slowly rebuilding and reviving it. It is in the process of its transformation. It’s a terrific place to land for the night. They have a series of hammock chairs where I hung out (literally) for an hour before dinner.

Tomorrow is our biggest ride day. 119 miles. If all goes right we should be able to do it. If any one thing goes wrong - flat tire, too much headwind, too much heat then all bets are off. Tomorrow’s high is predicted to be 95. Strong headwind is also forecast. The forecast was wrong about today so maybe it’s wrong about tomorrow too.