Day 7 — Capitan to Alamogordo

Climbing. Headwind. That pretty much sums up Day 7.

Technically, I had more downhill riding than uphill. I started in Capitan (elevation 6,350) and ended up in Alamogordo (4,350). But the fact is that downhills take up just a small part of the time riding. Uphills take up a lot of time, particular when the wind is blowing 15 to 20 mph in your face.

Today’s rise was an extreme case of this. The entire day was spent in a series of climbs culminating at Cloudcroft, which is about 8700 feet high. From there, it takes about 1/2 hour to descend over 4,000 feet in 16 miles down U.S. 82.

That was definitely the “E Ticket” ride of Bikecapade II (for you young folks, an E Ticket was the high-priced ticket used for the most thrilling rides at Disneyland before they went to the pay-one-price ticket). I was running late, so I hit the descent at sunset, the wind again in my face. My hands went numb in my death grip on the handlebars. I was going 30-37 mph the whole way.

I started the day late because I had no idea that the wind would slow me down so much. It was nearly 9 a.m. when I left Capitan and it took nearly three hours to reach Ruidoso, only 21 miles away (I took a lengthy rest stop along the way). Capitan and Ruidoso aren’t that much different in altitude, but there are two major climbs in between.

From Ruidoso, it’s a long haul up to Apache Summit. I was looking for the turnoff for NM 244 — the scenic byway to Cloudcroft — and had forgotten that it was a few miles past the summit. I even asked a hitchhiking Mescalero Apache where NM 244 was just to make sure I had not passed it already. He assured me it was just a mile further downhill. Then he asked for a sandwich. All I had to give him was a Clif Bar.

NM 244 also consists of two major climbs, including a 12-mile continuous uphill to Cloudcroft. The saving grace was the changing fall colors of the Lincoln National Forest. Check out the Bikecapade photos at http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=q0xr8qy.161e7da2&x=0&h=1&y=-t70kx&localeid=en_US

I don’t what I am going to do for my final ride home. The forecast calls for rain and wind. I guess I will just tough it out. But it’s really pouring Saturday morning I may reconsider.