Day 31 - Pie Town, NM to Apache Creek, NM

After yesterday's long slog along the GDMBR's gravel to Pie Town, last night we decided to consider a slightly longer route today, but sticking to paved highway instead of unpredictable gravel. Whether peanut butter mud or peanut butter powder, neither was something we wanted to experience at this stage of our journey!

So after a pretty good night's rest at the Toaster House, we set off for Apache Creek along US 60 at about 7:00am.  Today we were not too worried about heat, as we would begin riding at about 7500' under oddly overcast  skies, and then climb to more than 8200' at Jewett's Gap, so for most of the ride we would see comfortable temperatures.  The wind was another thing though...but we apparently got lucky on that count for once!  The daily breeze didn't really kick up until after we got to Quemado and headed south.  Starting as a quartering tailwind, by the time we were descending along the San Francisco River, we had a full on tailwind:-). There certainly haven't been many of those on this trip, and this one was much appreciated!  Also, our climb up from Quemado to Jewett's Gap was mercifully easy in gradients, rarely exceeding 5%.

Today's landscapes were typically diverse.  We started in mixed juniper and pinon pine forest, the descended into open high desert prairie approaching Quemado, and the climbed up into the Apache National Forest where ponderosa pine forest dominated.  Finishing at Apache Creek, we settled into a nice sheltered campsite under towering ponderosa pines.

...and it a good thing our campsite included a nice shelter, as today, New Mexico's famed summer monsoons arrived right on schedule.  We were aware that a t-storm was possible this afternoon (the first time since leaving Colorado), but we didn't really worry much. And when the rain started, it looked like just a passing shower as we've seen many times the past few weeks. But this one turned into a genuine fully washer for nearly an hour.  Now we're REALLY glad we didn't take the gravel roads. If for some reason we'd be delayed and cought out there, it would have been serious peanut butter mud for sure!
Finally, today's wildflowers added a few new species to what I've seen along our journey. In general, probably due to the relatively dryer and hotter microclimates here in New Mexico, the wildflowers have been less abundant and colorful than most of the northern states and provinces we've transited.  A few today, however were quite interesting!
So... Tomorrow we'll begin descending into lower altitudes, going below 5000' for the first time since Montana, along the northern edges of the Sonora Desert.  This will also likely bring our warmest temperatures of the trip, with afternoon temps predicted well over 100F.  Our plan is to make a relatively short day of it, starting early, and hopefully finish before noon. 

Until then... Cheers from the GDMBR :-)

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