In the year of preparation for this adventure, Liz and I consulted all sorts of sources to try to understand what we’d be in for. Our aforementioned friend Dave was one resource, and something he said was that what he remembered most was the people he met along the way. To be honest, we were skeptical! We certainly weren’t riding this remote route through the high mountains or Colorado and New Mexico to meet people.

In retrospect, because of how remote and isolated we were, it was a combination of all of our interactions and intersections with people along the way that really shapes our recollection of the adventure. We remember every rider we met along the way, along with every shopkeep and pickup truck driver who stopped to chat. Some of those interactions were 100% positive, others were less definitive on that sliding scale, but they all were all memorable.

One tool we used to counteract the isolation was our tiny satellite messenger/GPS tracker. Using this device we were able to broadcast our location, allowing family and friends to keep tabs on us even when we were far outside of cell phone coverage. In addition, we could send messages to friends and family, but perhaps more importantly, to others both ahead of us and behind us on the trail.

So it went with Allison and Alan! You may recall, the last we saw of them we had parted ways in Del Norte as part of our ambitious plan to hoist ourselves over Indiana Pass.

We had different strategies on this, in large part due to the fact that Liz and I were a bit more time-constrained, while they had been on the trail for over two months and were happy to take a few shorter days to avoid potential bad weather and rest up.

After taking a short day in Del Norte, they took a similar approach to us with Indiana Pass, stopping at a cyclist-only cabin about fifteen miles up the road — early again to avoid sleeping at high altitude and some rainy weather. They had staged themselves for one long day over the passes to Platoro. This strategy would initially put them about a day behind us on the trail.

The practical effect of this separation was that most evenings we could touch base via satellite messenger to share our progress and offer tips on what was to come. They were in touch with people ahead of us and could share that info, and we were able to share our firsthand experiences with what was to come for them.

Allison and Alan made it over Indiana Pass with a longer day than us, but stopping in Platoro just like we did. When Liz and I had arrived in Platoro, the curt owner of the lodge first suggested a small stationary Airstream as their most modest lodging for our kind. You know, people who can’t afford a car. 😆 We said that perhaps we’d like more space and opted for the cabin as previously described. The reason I mention this here is that the Al’s had a nearly identical experience, ending up in the same exact cabin #6 as us, but 24 hrs removed! No shade to the Platoro lodge owners; I’m sure many many cyclists passing through are in fact looking for the cheapest, dry place to stay but we’re old and soft!

A couple of days down the road, we were able to relay a very abbreviated version of our miserable day in the mud:

It turns out that they were able to make a higher mileage day along this stretch, particularly when compared to ours, because the mud had largely dried out for them. Lucky or just better planning?! 🤷 They camped late at a spot just shy of where we had stopped to refresh our water at lunchtime. Note that each message sent via satellite messenger can also attach the GPS coordinates, so even after the fact I’m able to recreate their journey!

The next day was our last, ending our adventure with the long ride to Abiquiu. I think Allison and Alan had been hoping to join us there as well, but with seventy miles to go it seemed unlikely. Instead, when we hit the community center in Vallecitos we relayed everything we had learned about water, camping, and and trail conditions.

It turns out that they arrived at the CC later that day, closer to the evening hour. They were planning to camp there based on our firsthand knowledge: earlier that day, the CC locals had offered up an informal camping spot to us. Unfortunately, their reception was a bit more confused; the clock started ticking down and they had no place to stay, with the CC people scrambling to figure out if it was actually OK to camp. Eventually, tired, exasperated and hungry, Allison jokingly asked if anyone local with a pickup truck would be willing to drive them to Abiquiu. Lo and behold, there was just such a person looking to make a modest $$ and they were en route to Abiquiu to arrive in the late evening after we went to bed.

Of course, we only heard this whole saga the next morning when we were messaging and realized that we had all spent the night at the same place. Time for a big, surprise reunion breakfast! 🎉

Today we’d group up, take a quick shopping trip down the road and have a wonderful closing ceremony meal together at the Abiquiu Inn. There were a lot of shared experiences to discuss, such as the room they shared with Sarah from Grenoble, who caught up with us in the morning two days later. The long, final two days with very limited water. The exhausting, rocky climbs to the Brazos Ridge bordering the Cruces Basin. Upbeat Kevin, who flew past us on our hardest day. All slightly different, but slightly the same!

The next morning, Liz and I were on our way to Albuquerque with our arranged ride, and The Al’s would begin one of the most challenging segments of their entire route: the notorious Abiquiu, NM to Cuba, NM ride. We parted ways knowing that, while we’d not be seeing each other again on this particular route, we would definitely be meeting up and staying in touch in the future!

P.S. the last intel we had from Allison and Alan was they made 29 miles of the 82 to Cuba. They endured a hailstorm, rugged trail and a lot of climbing, but were safe and warm and ready to make Cuba the next day! Safe travels, friends!