An Unbalanced Balance

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Lost Maples RV Park to Jellystone RV in Kerrville, TX

Today started with heavy dew and fog. My tent was wet and my clothes did not dry overnight. No worries we packed everything up wet and managed to be on the road by 8:20. Another day in Texas Hill Country, lots of climbing with the first hill about an 8% grade. That was painful! Once over the top, the rest of the day was up and down small hills. We passed through Hunt, TX, per the Adventure Cycle America group we ran into: The Halfway Point of our trip.

We also stopped and saw Stonehenge II, a cool art project.

A bit further down the road we were in Kerrville, TX where we started looking for a hotel, no such luck so we stopped at Jellystone park, with a water park and they are celebrating Halloween. We managed a tent spot for the low, low price of $91. We did mini-golf, used the water park and had pizza in their “Pub”. We tried hard to get our $$ worth.

We are in a bit of a food desert again, but I did find a Fruit Cup across from Jellystone.

Tomorrow more Texas Hill Country…

*I did find the problem with my odometer failure. If I charge my phone from a battery pack near the odometer it fails to receive a signal. The phone and battery by themselves do not cause any issues.

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/zIJKLuhwBkb

Friday, October 22, 2021

Camp Wood to Lost Maples RV park and Country Store

Today we hit Texas Hill Country and did 3100 feet of climbing. It was a good day with lots of up and down. We started again with the TDA Global Cycling group in Camp Wood. We saw them most of our ride, they continued on another 40 miles after our stop in Lost Maples RV Park. The climbing was hard, but produced great views and breathtaking decents. The climbing was also breathtaking, but not the same. TDA offered us lunch on the road, but we had just had PB&J bagels (which will be repeated until we run out of PB&J).

When we got to the RV park we found a Coney Island food truck outside, the women who owned it is from near Clio, MI. The coney dog was great.

Normal post ride camp day, eat lunch, put up tents, shower and wash clothes, check the bikes, find a snack, chat with neighbors, eat dinner, wash up, blog and bed.

Still waiting for my phone to upload a hyperlapse video of the first climb and decent.

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/Dlao7mCMzkb

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Brackettville (Fort Clark Springs) to Camp Wood Tx

Today was mostly uneventful, we left Fort Clark Springs and started riding Texas hill county. Not many major hills today (that starts tomorrow). A few historic markers and we rode into Camp Wood, TX about noon. It seems to be a fairly prosperous small town with fruits and vegetables in the market (gas station) and a few restaurants. We stopped at the cafe and both had the Pattymelt special. Then we started seeing the TDA Global Cycling folks and camped in the same spot (we got a cabin). Again we were invited for dinner and given the food they offer we could not resist (it would have been futile). Dinner was a delicious Spanish mutton stew and salad. I also spent time maintaining my bike and making sure I had my lowest gear working, lots of climbing tomorrow. We also picked up more bagels and fruit for the road. PB&J on bagels is a great road snack. The best thing about the meeting up with the TDA group is the conversation, so many well traveled people.

*My one regret of the day - we were riding along and I was feeling tired when we passed a tree with 10-15 vultures on it and a large carcass nearby. I was 1/4 mile past when I realized how cool a photo it would make. The photographer in me lost and the tired legs won 😕

From a few days ago on the gopro Seminole Canyon State Park ride

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/xK7f3DR9xkb

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Del Rio to Fort Clark Springs - low winds - green!

Today is one of those days that make the trip fun. We started heading out of Del Rio about 8am with the temperature above 70. We took a back road out of Del Rio to avoid traffic and stopped for coffee at the edge of town. Some of the best gas stations coffee I have consumed. We then jumped onto TX-90 that had low traffic and a good shoulder. As we biked we noticed a lot more green then we have seen in weeks. We had time to stop at a few historical markers along the route and to stop and look at one hairy big spider. We spotted and talked to a few Adventure Cycle America folks and found the were doing a 75 mile day vs our 35, they missed seeing Fort Clark Springs and Ziggy’s BBQ. The BBQ was excellent and then we went into Fort Clark Springs and were going to stay in their campground. We found the motel (old barracks) and decided not to rough it. Nice rooms at a very reasonable rate and a shorter walk to town. I also found out about half of the rooms were rented to State Police helping patrol the boarder, the scale and cost of Congress not having/wanting a solution is unimaginable.

Fort Clark Springs is a very cool place, an investor bought the fort and setup an Home Owners Association where lots/homes are sold but maintained. It has a motel and RV park and 50 miles of trails. It also had a spring feed pool that is 68f all year. Someplace I will come back to with Renee.

Better imagine quality here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/cdrdwd/

Jim in the spring

We found him on the road, can I keep him?

Our room at Fort Clark Springs

Getting near the halfway point

Lunch!

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/t81mhxWtwkb

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Seminole Canyon State Park to Del Rio - more winds few hotels

Last night was warm and windy with gusts in the 30s, my Nemo one-man tent held up fine, but flapped loudly in the wind all night.

Today we enjoyed a chef prepared breakfast and great coffee at Seminole Canyon State Park complaints of TDA. We departed about 10am into a 17mph headwind. Jim and I traded pulling (guy in front does more work then the guy behind drafting) every 2 miles. Still we averaged less than 10mph (the winds were bad enough TDA decided to shuttle their folks to Del Rio.

We arrived to discover that almost all the hotel rooms were booked by Boarder Patrol & National Guard. They are addressing the boarder issues until Congress does it’s job, so hotel space could be limited for a long time. We found a real dive (Cielito Hills Motel) that should be avoided at the cost of another 20 miles of headwinds. After buying a few new spare tubes, chain lub and some fresh fruits, I worked on cleaning up my bike ( a daily task). We did a DQ dinner and then I headed to the laundromat, all my clothes are now clean! A good way to end the day.

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/ZsOmgZaWukb

Monday, October 18, 2021

Sanderson to Seminole Canyon State Park - New Friends

Today was our hardest ride yet, 80 miles of no services (food/water) arriving about 5:30pm to a campground with showers. We brought our own “gas station market” food and had several PB&J’s on cinnamon raisin bagels along the way. The Adventure Cycle America group checked in on us and provide water along the way. Always the kindness of strangers amazes and blesses me, but wait there’s more. We were also cycling the same route as TDS Global Cycling (https://tdaglobalcycling.com/) and when we arrived at the park they invited us to a Chief prepared dinner, some of the best food and conversations of the trip. The group has about 20 people from Canada and the US, many repeat travels and after sampling the food and hospitality I understand why.

A few stats:

*I am at 5000 miles for the year and over 1300 for the trip!

*I have had 8 flats so far: 4 goathead thorns, one roofing nail, one wire brad, one unknown and one blowout. Two of those were today 😫

Tomorrow is 45 miles to Del Rio and looks to be another 15mph plus headwind day. We will restock supplies and do some bike maintenance and possibly move another 20-30 down the road the next day. All depends on how our legs feel tomorrow.

The Pecos River, the first River with water we have seen in a long time