Down From The Mountains

We are over our first set of mountains!

After spending the last day and a half painfully storing up potential
energy, we spent it all in 8 hair raising miles.

Our route brushed us against the Mexican border and through a border
patrol checkpoint. Here, the two lane road ends, and all bicycle traffic
must merge onto the interstate.

Finally, after two days of grinding up miles-
long slopes at Four or five miles an hour, we found ourselves bombing
down the freeway, not much slower than some of the trucks trying not
to burn out their brakes.

The veiw was breathtaking, it was hard to take my eyes off the
scenery, as we descended around the last hills, and the valley spread
out below us.

But I did tear my gaze away, as it required full attention to navigate
the debris-strewn shoulder at high speed while watching out for
interstate traffic and dealing with strong cross-winds.

We're now camping in the desert in what I assume is BLM land. We even
have a little fire to keep us warm.

Tomorrow we have to find a bike shop, as the ride down the mountain
seems to have shredded my rear tire!