Day 7-Oct. 22, Jct. 180, NM--102 miles

Yesterday marked the end of our first week of biking across the country. And today was our fourth day in a row of 100+ miles ridden. So tomorrow we plan to do a shorter ride so we can do some sight seeing and have a little rest. Today we biked from Bylas, AZ to Jct. 180, about 15 miles into New Mexico. We had two passes to climb over. One was a 4500' elev. and the other was 6250' elev. Fortunately, it got cooler as we biked higher, which kept us from overheating. Once on top of the pass, it got quite chilly, about 60 degrees, so I decided I needed to put on my arm and leg warmers. Because when you go down hill fast and you're sweaty you get chilled quite easily. It was a fun ride down hill until Ryder came upon two cattle grates crossing the road. Praise the Lord there was no accidents. After getting down the mountain it started getting dark. So Dave and Faith rode behind us in the van with their lights shining on the road for us so we could finish our ride. We wanted to go at least 100 miles. We did 102. Was probably our second hardest day of riding so far. The hardest day for Ryder was the first day when we left from San Diego, climbing over 7300 ft. Today we climbed 5700 ft.
You'll notice a picture of a cotton field. There were lots of huge cotton fields in the Pima, Thatcher, Safford area of AZ.
We are spending the night in Silver City, NM, but have to drive back 47 miles to where we left off tonight. Will ride to Silver City tomorrow and spend the Sabbath there and go see the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Where ancient indians once lived in the side of the mountains.
Dave is flying out from El Paso Tues am. So we will need to do 100 miles on Sun and Mon to get to El Paso. And Sunday is going to be one of our hardest rides yet I believe. We have to climb to over 8200 ft.
My goal is to reach the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine, FL by Nov. 18, crossing the country in 5 weeks. To do that I will need to do an average of 100 miles six days a week. And after we reach El Paso, the hardest part of the journey should be past.
I am also missing Janine very much. I don't think I've ever been apart from for more than a week since we've been married. I love you and miss you Sweetheart!
Since we got in late tonight, we ate out at a Chinese place.
Now we are in an Econolodge for the next 3 nights.

Dave Ryder typing:
Imagine just crossing a high mountain pass (which took me a long period of time to make it up) and having the sun start setting in the western sky! These western sunsets are beautiful and automatically brings forth a response to praise the LORD. Well, it was now time to descend down the other side of the mountain into New Mexico. Now the sun is hid behind the mountain top and the road is getting more difficult to see. I was the first down (the guinea pig) and noticed something ahead in the road. Oh no, not another cattle grate! Sure enough, yet the LORD was faithful and gave me enough time to respond and stop. I walled my bike across (these cattle grates will cause a bicycle to wreck) then continued my descent down into NM. As I was flying down the moutain side wiith less sun light, all of a sudden another cattle grate!! I had to skid to a stop to keep from slamming into the grate! Thank the LORD, I was able to stop just before the grate. I waited for David Fries because I knew it would be too dark for him to see it in time. We had our picture taken at the NM border and continued our ride toward our goal for the day (at least 100 miles). Yet the sun was still going down and the road looked less invitiing. Dave F. and I were very determined though and decided to go for our goal. We were still on a gentle descent through the Gila National Forest. The sunset behind our right shoulders was gorgeous! The glorious colors from God's throne illluminated the sky and reflected off the few clouds that were present. No time for that now, we had a goal to acccomplish, 100 mile mark for this day. I turned my attentiion to the road, which DID NOT HAVE A CENTER LINE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY WHITE SIDE LINES. It was freshly paved and pitch black. The sun went down and I was in darkness. The Knellers were following behind Dave Fries with their lights on and I was ahead a little ways pedddling in the dark trying to reach our goal. When I ccouldn't see their headlights behind me, I started thinking about the BIG elk that my friend John Sulllivan likes to hunt in this same area. I remembered the elk warning signs that we passed earlier when we had some daylight. As a result of all this thinking that I was doing as I was struggling to hold on to the handlle bars (the road was just tar and graveled so it was rough), I concluded that I needed to make some kind of noise so the BIG elks would not jump out in the dark in front of me as I was flying down this mountain side. OOEW, OOEW, OOEW started coming out of my mouth. Then I got to thinking again, what if this was some kind of elk mating call! Maybe I was callling the elks towaard me instead of scaring them away! Then a car came from the opposite direction. You would think this was a good thing since we were flying down the mountaiin on a road we have never seen before in the dark, but NO! I could not see the road at all. I mean at all!! I totally lost the road as I was flying down this mountain vibrating my torso from the little rocks in the newly paved road. I wasn't afraid of the elk anymore, a more immediate danger was before me. Where was the road! Thank the LORD, a verse came to me from the Bible, Psalm 23, "Yea though I walk through the vallley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me". God reminded me in a real way that He is able to guide us when we don't know which way to go. He will help us when we cannot see where to travel. I thank the LORD for getting brother Dave and I down that dark road to our destination, the accoomplishment of the goal for the day, at least 100 miles. We did 102! God Bless, DR