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Day 15 Mimbres

 Against all odds it was dry-ish when we woke this morning. We had an option today: a scenic 58 mile ride over a mountain or a quick 18 mile ride on a more direct route. Given the cool temps and iffy forecast most of us chose the shorter route. Terri and Sue opted for the longer route, declared wild, and then talked about forwarding flooded roads. I think I made the right decision on the short route.

I headed out ahead of the pack, a bit annoyed at the ripping I had to take for my rain pants. They are large, generic, and bright yellow. Probably about three sizes too big, so they poke out in every direction. 

Luckily, the road was good and while there was a lot of climbing (1500 feet over 18 miles) there was a lot to look at. Of most interest was the Santa Rita Copper mine. At one point in time, 6,000,000 tons of copper was moved each year by mule train. Now there are trucks that can scoop 60 tons out of whack. The mine is over a mile in length. It’s a little hard to fathom the scope of it.



Once I climbed past the mine there was a 3 mile downhill that dumped us into the Mimbres Valley. 


I hung out at the RV park till everyone arrived. We then took a walk to a local restaurant with a jail out front for pics. The waitress was from New Jersey and I engaged her in conversation just to hear her talk!



I’m now in the 10 after enjoying a bright full moon and a nighttime rainbow. It’s raining — shocker — let’s hope the tent doesn’t let me down.

Things I learned today:

  • A slow solo roll works well to buff the days rough edges
  • Not all roads are plowed when it snows.

  • A night rainbow is called a moon bow. Of cours

    e!

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 12, 2022 at 5:23 AM

    Girl, you rock those yellow rain pants. Haters gonna hate..haha. I have never seen a moon bow and I never even knew they existed. I am learning a lot on this adventure that Ii get to take from my comfy chair. Happy riding. Debbie

    ReplyDelete

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