Day 10: April 9, 2009

Day 10 - Lordsburg, NM to Silver City, NM: Continental Divide

Thursday April 9, 2009, 47 miles (76 km) - Total so far: 706 miles (1,136 km)

Weather: Sunny skies, temperatures 44-60, winds west at 15 mph.

Started in a slight chill in Lordsburg, at almost 5000 feet, and immediately did a slow climb followed by a steeper climb to the Continental Divide at over 6000 feet. It was even chillier up there. Afterwards, we enjoyed a looooong downhill run before making a steep climb back up to 6000 feet as we passed the Tyrone copper mine. The area around Silver City is known for two things: copper mining and as the home town of Billy the Kid. Larry and I made a tour of the town of Silver City before going to the motel. It is a neat town and looks more prosperous than most of the ones we have been through so far. That may be because of the price of copper, plus the fact that Silver City is also a college town, home to Western New Mexico University. I toured the town's museum and found that they have been hit by several devastating floods over the years. The floods have caused a massive ditch to be cut right through town, and so they have erected a nice city park around it called, appropriately, Big Ditch Park. Tonight's lodging is in a nice Comfort Inn which had a very nice hot tub that most of the bikers took advantage of. Tomorrow is the "big climb". Stay tuned!

Until later....

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear