On our way into Mosquero, NM, we climbed a 1,000 foot plateau that made me miss Florida more than anything. I have to give a huge shoutout to Tucker, a fellow rider that rode up by my side the entire way up. We just kept pedaling at almost 4 mph for about a mile until we reached the village with a population of 93 people. We ended the day at an elevation of near 6,500 feet and I arrived to the host with the surprise of my thermarest and sleeping bag already set up for me (thanks Josh!), ready for a good night's sleep.
The next day we got to experience the reward of our hard climb as we went down into a canyon (and then again right back up). I hit my top speed of 35.4 mph and still got to enjoy the ride with great people.
Before just recently I was having a really hard time accepting that I was a decent hill/mountain/plateau climber. We participated in rider evaluations last week and I got so much support that I was beyond flattered by it all. I know that I can push myself if I want to or need to but some days it's definitely nice to ride with my fellow Floridians and take them slow.
The combination of dry heat and high elevation has been an interesting transition for me but one that makes me realize we're further west than I'd ever imagine I'd make it. The views have also been breathtaking- looking left we see more plateaus and to the right we see what look like snow topped mountains in the distance. As we arrived in Santa Fe, we topped 7,100 feet in elevation and realizing that I cycled every inch of that feels pretty solid.
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