Ride report: 75.6 miles (I got lost. More on this later), 417.1 total miles, 15.0 mph avg, 6,258 calories, 5,456 ft climbing. (Yes - you read that right.)
Getting lost really wasn't my fault. I knew that after meeting Susan for lunch in Johnson City I had to turn within a few hundred yards of leaving the RV. I was going to Fredericksburg and I was supposed to be on a highway numbered in the 200s. One would think that would be enough to navigate to the correct location. Turns out that Texas decided that both highways 290 and 281 should pass thru Johnson City. I see the sign that says Fredericksburg and a highway numbered 290 - naturally I turned left. However, 2.5 miles later my ACA map was telling me that I should have crossed the Pedernales River when I had clearly done no such thing. Hmmm... What are the odds that neither the state of Texas or the ACA know what they're doing? At 3.5 miles I decided that the odds had diminished sufficiently to actually think about it and concluded that I had taken a wrong turn. Such is life. 3.5 miles later (a total of 7 miles out and back) I was back where I was supposed to be. Susan was still lounging in the RV. I called her to let her know what had happened and pulled out of town. So there ya have it - a directionally challenged guy's version of reality...
As you might imagine, with that much climbing there was a lot of this today.
The Sequoia just couldn't pass this one up.
Same location - different shot. The Bluebonnets were more impressive in person.
Steepest decent of the day. I had just hit about 40 mph when I scanned the radius of the curve and saw something in the road. Something in my head took me back to the ACA map's reference to cattle guards and I hit the brakes. Just in time. I stopped after the cattle crossing to check out the low water crossing. The water was running about 8 inches deep across the road. The ACA folks suggest walking thru these as moss may make the road slick. They had no idea the temps wold be barely above 50 degrees. No way I'm doing that. I rode thru. Managed to only get my left foot wet.
These were all inside an 8 foot fence on some ranch. I'm still trying to decide if they're pets or targets waiting for deer season in the fall. There are certainly a lot of buck in the pic. I'm leaning toward targets.
In keeping with the guys desire to take their pictures with large plants... They don't grow these this big in Kansas either.
This was a small one. He was in a pasture right across the road from...
...this big one. As I was standing there, the small one started bellowing at the big one. I watched two bulls fight and tear down a fence between two pastures when I was a kid. Not wanting to stand between two love struck bulls and the object of their desire, I left forthwith.
Jut showing my eye for an artsy shot here. The juxtaposition of the prickly cacti contrasted with the softness of the bluebonnets, when combined with the last standing section of wooden fencing leaves the viewer with a more complete understanding of nature's grandeur...
Hows THAT for artsy!
Yeah - there was a whole lotta this today.
And also a lot of this. Sometimes the bluebonnets were so thick I could smell them as I rode past. Very nice.
This was just a typical view.
Ah - the Texas state bird. These things are all over the place. I think I saw a bike jersey in that pile of vultures. One of em followed me for several miles uphill. He was flying just behind me encouraging me to work harder. Hmmm...
Then there was this - the Texas state scaly animal. The observant viewer will note that he's sipping from a Corona.
This thing was prolly 4-5 ft. tall and 12 ft. long.
Till next time.
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