Day 8-Riders On the Storm

Fort Sumner, NM to Encino, NM
Distance: 76.06 miles
Time: 5:39:05
Max Speed: 36.4 mph
Average Speed: 13.4 mph

I love this team. We have such a great time together. I am not looking forward to the end of summer. Today we left Fort Sumner, eternal home of Billy the Kid, and headed west, blazing our trail through New Mexico. Originally, we were supposed to stay in Vaughn tonight, wherever we could find public land to camp on. Instead, we decided to continue on to Encino today to cut off some the mileage for tomorrow's ride to Albuquerque, which is supposed to include some interesting climbs. Speaking of climbing, we climbed over 2,000 feet today in a bout 60 miles. That was pretty cool.

To begin the day, Rambeau and I bought some American flags to attach to our saddle bags at the Billy the Kid Gift Shop. They were quite a hit with both drivers on the highway and our teammates. The route was nice today, with very little traffic, smooth road and bountiful hills. It looks like El Paso out here, and it gives me a feeling like I am home. I guess I have figured out where my home is. Even the desert is not the prettiest place ever, there is a comforting beauty and serenity that I can find in it.

When we arrived in Vaughn, we ate lunch at Penny's Diner, which had very good food, and they hooked us up with ice cream and coffee! Also, in the diner were two sheriffs who we talked to and ended up getting to staying the community center in Encino, thanks to their help. We are currently in the center, living large as there is a kitchen, washer, dryer, bathroom, and hose. We had a nice group shower at the hose in the rain with about 8 people. It was quite cold, hilarious, and fun.

Coming into Encino today, a storm began to blow in, so we were truckin' to beat it. Once we got on the other side of the storm clouds, we caught an awesome tail wind, and the road was downhill, so we were flying at 30+ mph into town. It was such a cool feeling, flying down the hill, racing the storm into town. It is moments like these that I love so much and make me feel so alive. It all feels so real. Every day, we wake up, suit up, and ride our bikes. Though it sounds the same, each day is so incredibly unique and we never know what to expect. There are no filters, nothing is censored, and there is no need for a facade. All that matters is us, our bikes, and our mission. It is so liberating to be doing something that I love and believe in 100%, rather than just being a pawn, trying to please others.

Now, we are all sitting around after a delicious dinner, some playing cards, some reading, others working on applications to medical school. In the morning, we will get up and ride again, but that is where the similarities between today and tomorrow end.

Peace and Love,
Tornado Tito