Day 23- Marathon TX

 During our impromptu map meeting this morning to bring Carl up to speed, Ankur talked about the possibility of flooded roads. What he said was (and I’m paraphrasing) “99.9% of water on the roads will be something you’ll be able to get through. But, if you think your life is in danger, of course call the van.”

What I heard was, “if you haven’t been clinging to a log for half an hour, don’t call us.” Duly noted.

As it turned out, there were no flooded roads, but Texas had other obstacles in mind. She started with winds between 10 to 20 mph that shifted from cross winds that blew us into the weeds to headwinds that made forward progress difficult. When she’d had enough of THAT fun the rain started and by the time we hit Alpine the visibility was near zero.

We thought it would be a good idea to stop at Pennys Diner for lunch and a warm up, but with a crowded seating area and one poor waitress it became crystal clear we could be there all day. I canceled my much wanted grilled cheese, slapped a five dollar bill on the table for my hot chocolate, and slid myself back into my sopping wet clothes. I had 28 miles left to go and two sandwiches in my bag. Good enough.

It dried up fairly quickly after Alpine and the road was quick. This was just a Texas tease. As soon as marathon came interview, Texas said, “you can look, but you can’t touch.” And on came the wind again. I had to peddle downhill to hit 7 mph.

We’re at the Marathon Motel and RV park. It’s a lovely spot. 

Ann and I have a room thank goodness because it’s cold and damp outside. 

We enjoyed laughter outside around the fire after dinner and we’re ready for whatever else Texas has in store tomorrow.

Things I learned today:

• Tell people what you want and they will often deliver.
• Water resistant clothing is useless