deCycles Mexico to Canada 2013
Journal Entry
Date: June 23
Day3: Sunday
Departure: Truth or Consequences, NM
Arrival: Soccoro, NM

Distance:  87-miles.
Climate:  Cool morning.  Hot afternoon at 99-degrees.  Sunny.
Overnight:  Epiphany Episcopal Church

Woke up 4:30 am under a forest fire cloud of smoke.  We are getting aclimated to the extremes of the desert.  Very cool starting out at 6am.  Sun is not up yet.  Trying to beat the afternoon sun and heat.  Today was the  toughest day yet with longer distance and rolling hills.  Some hills were steep.  Rookies looking good.  A couple are struggling.  Today was a measure of how well the riders prepared in training.  

When we climbed out of the valley at 5000-ft, we were above the smoke clouds and into the deep blue skies of the NM desert.  The group stopped at the El Camino Natural Wildlife Preserve and watched a 15-minute movie at the visitors center.   That put most of them asleep.  The final 22-miles to Soccorro was with a powerful tailwind.....hot, but at least behind us.  We arrived 2:30pm to a wonderful host at this Episcopal Church.  He took us to the pool and showers at nearby university campus.  The Freewheelers prepared an Asian dish.  We did laundry for the first time which is always a challenge.  In bed by 10pm.

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