Ride report: 64.9 miles (I got lost. More on this later - sound familiar?), 482.0 total miles, 15.5 mph avg, 5,168 calories, 3,392 ft. climbing.
This whole getting lost thing was really no big deal. Susan says she sees a consistent theme here. I pay her no mind. Turns out I stayed on 965 N out of Fredericksburg when I was supposed to be on Crabapple until it intersected with 965. Regardless, I ended up at the intersection of Crabapple and 965. Pretty much a no-harm-no-foul sorta thing. Susan says I was lost. I maintain that I couldn’t be lost if I was standing at the right intersection. As I was standing there pondering the mysteries of my ACA map, a little old lady pulled up and I took the opportunity to ask her for directions. She was very nice and gave me directions to Welgehausen road when I asked, “Just 3/4 mile up the road. And if you don’t mind me asking, why on earth are you going that way to get to Llano?” Whereupon I had to explain the concept of ACA maps, bicycle tourism, and an apparent desire to find the tallest hills around. She assured me I was on the right track. She wasn’t kidding.
I must say that Welgehausen Road and County Road 111 North out of Fredericksburg are some of the most scenic routes I’ve ridden yet in Hill Country. Flowers were everywhere, as were butterflies. Scenic vistas, creek bottoms, cliffs - on several occasions I would come around a corner and just exclaim, “Wow!” Oh yes - and lest I forget, the steepest grade of the trip was encountered today - 17%. As I labored up it, I was passed by a Monarch butterfly headed the same direction. I tried to chat him up, but he was in no mood for idle conversation as he was suffering up the same grade. I didn’t push the issue, he seemed irritable enough as he mumbled, “Outta my way. Tourists!"”
So - on to today’s pictures...
I knew cactus didn't need much soil, but this was a new one for us.
Address: Middle of No-where, Tx. 00000
Average Hill Country Face
17% Hill Country Face. Also known as "Anticipatory Ouch-Face"
Part of CR 111 was torn up down to the sand - I'd say dirt but there wasn't any here. I wondered what was going on, so I chatted up Dave who works for the County - he's not an SB since he doesn't work for Tx-DOT. Turns out last fall's rains soaked thru to the roadbed and the clay under the road swells when wet thus "heaving" the road. Kinda like freeze heaving in Kansas, but swollen clay is the cause rather than frozen water. Made the road suck in places, but I learned something today. The guy in the roller raced me to the other end of the "fix". It was no contest. Him and the butterfly came out ahead...
There was just a whole lotta this today. But this was the only time the blue, orange and white flowers intermingled.
Downtown Llano. Very 20s. Kinda cool.
And the courthouse was impressive.
Till next time.
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