Springerville, AZ to Seneca, AZ 11635 mi I enjoy a morning of calm wind. Sunny and warmer than yesterday. A cute waitress in Springerville takes good care of me, gives me water, cash back, and makes sure I don’t forget anything. I’m among the high, dry area of the White Mountains. More seas of yellow…

Datil, NM to Springerville, AZ 11523 mi Coldest morning yet. I was close to shivering when I woke up. I begin my ride all bundled, one gloved hand at a time in my pocket to restore circulation. I worry a bit about my icy toes. I climb over one crest thinking it’s the divide. But…

Socorro, NM to Datil, NM 11441 mi A nice calm morning greets me. I fill up on cereal and donuts at the motel then head for the mountains. They make it look like I have a tough climb ahead, but after about 1000 feet I pop out into a valley headed west, the peaks on…

Cedro, NM to Socorro, NM 11369 mi Dave and Wendy are off early to work, so I bundle up and ride before sunrise. I climb some more to Escabosa, just high enough to be snow covered with some Ponderosa pines among the pinon, juniper, and cedar. The wind comes up from WNW, not too debilitating.…

Sante Fe, NM to Cedro, NM 11258 mi I’m the first up in the house, reading and quietly packing. Ann is next. She makes me a latte without asking, then worries that she’s forcing it on me. I hug her and tell her I’ll miss her coffee almost as much as I’ll miss her. I…

In the morning Ann makes me tea and toast and I read in bed for an hour while Wes sleeps. I find this extremely pleasant. Wes makes his breakfast, then Ann and I do a miserable job of frying eggs for ourselves. We eat them with the pumpkin waffles Bill sent with me while Wes…

Dixon, NM to Santa Fe, NM I have been finding excuses to stay at Bill’s. Snowstorms, then unusually cold nights. One last trip to Taos for food, coffee, and eye candy. It finally takes something outside of the bike trip to draw me away. I’ve called a girl in Santa Fe that I once fell…

Bill shares his life with me as he has in the past. His daughter Megan, now 15 and full tilt into puberty, comes home. On Sunday we pick up Sage, 6, and Tyler, 4. All beautiful, spirited girls. My dad gets a taste of how Bill and I operate before leaving on Monday. Life is…