| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
72.21 miles
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Altitude Gain:
5,191 ft
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Avg Speed:
12.73 mph
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Route:
Chisos-Persimmon Gap
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Avg Grade: 140 %
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Max Grade: 168 %
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Max HR: 0 bpm
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: Look 585 Carbon Road
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Club: Schuyler County Cycling Club |
| Weather Conditions: Sunny 60 F SE wind @ 4 mph |
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Relocated to a campsite at Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park. Didn’t feel like riding the first afternoon here since it is all hill out of then back into the Basin. Opted instead for a three hour hike on a trail called the Window that weaves down through a valley to a 200 ft drop off through a canyon wall. Second day in was both windy and cold so opted to take a long five hour hike to the summit of Emory Peak the second highest point in Texas. Third day I was barely unable to stand due to tightness of my calf muscles. So much for cross training. Drained some of my recent blisters and took a short hike around the campground to loosen up my calves. Fourth day was a gem for cycling. Body was still sore but headed up the mile and a half fourteen percentish grade out of the Basin. Wasn’t a very good attempt but at least the muscles all seemed to be going in the right direction though still a little tight. Cresting the basin rim at the Lost Mine trailhead was followed by a five mile descent to the highway and then another three miles of rolling descent to Panther Junction. That was then followed by another six miles of downgrade out of the mountains and onto the desert floor. It was still fairly chilly in the desert but I finally got to start pedaling after sixteen miles of pretty much coasting and started to build up a little internal heat. Crossed the dessert with little sight of man-made structures other than the road ahead of me. Every half hour or so a car would go by as they worked their way into the park. Passed some interesting named places like Fossil Bone, Dagger Flats and Dog Canyon that denoted geographical areas and not occupied places. My goal was to reach Persimmon Gap, the park entrance, and that would complete my riding of all the paved roads in the park that I started a few years back. Made a lap through the parking lot and headed back across the badlands with thirty six miles in. Really was great riding through the badlands and stopped a couple of times to listen to the silence. Fun time was over once I got back across the desert and started the sixteen mile climb into the mountains. First six miles to Panther Gap wasn’t too bad with a moderate steady grade. Stopped in the ranger station at Panther Junction and filled my water bottles for the final grueling climb. Rode another six miles of ever increasing grade and hit a snag as my legs ran out of fuel. Not sure if it would be a bonk or not as I didn’t feel too shaky or queasy. Got off the bike and rested for a bit along the side of the road. Got back on and rode about another half mile of the ten percent grade and hit a wall again and had to dismount. I started to walk the final two miles of the grade hoping I would recover a bit and continue climbing on the bike. That didn’t happen though and ended up walking the remaining mile and a half to the Lost Mine. Even walking was not easy. Made it eventual, pretty much exhausted. This round goes to the mountain. Had fifty miles of quality riding and a couple miles of failure and pain. Got in seventy two miles in total.
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