Day 23 distance: 81miles
Total miles: 1271
Elevation gain: 2276 feet
Map of today's ride:
Today's 81 mile ride from Sanderson, Texas, to Seminole State Park at Comstock, is a day that everyone had been warned by Bubba is a difficult day. It is known for having a headwind and many climbs. As it turned out, we were awakened during the night (in the Sanderson gym) by very loud winds. When we got up, the outside temperature was very cool, slightly below 40 degrees, and the wind was still very strong. But, fortunately, the wind turned out to be a tailwind that at the start of the ride was blowing 35 mph! We flew out of Sanderson with the biggest concern being that an occasional strong gust of side wind could blow a rider over. As the ride continued, the very strong winds calmed to 17-20 mph, excellent for a fast ride! In the first two hours of riding, up and down hills, but with little effort, I covered 39 miles of the 81 mile day! Overall everyone had a fast ride to Seminole State Park and even Bubba said he had never previously seen all the riders arrive as early as they did.
Shortly before reaching Seminole State Park, we crossed the Pecos River. The Pecos is considered the eastern boundary of West Texas, so we knew the terrain would be changing in the near future.
Sunday was Easter, which many of the coasters observed. Devotions are held every Sunday on a C2C, this year led by 2015 coaster and SAG member, Beth Thomason. Beth led an inspirational Easter Devotion and coaster Gene Ice played his guitar and sang. Bubba also observed a secular Easter with everyone waking up in the gym to two 6 foot high inflatable Easter Bunnies and a small 4 inch high stuffed bunny and egg besides their air mattress. The evening meal was an excellent traditional ham dinner prepared by Anne with strawberry shortcake for dessert.
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| Someone was busy during the night in the Sanderson gym as when the lights came on at 6:00 am Easter morning, two inflatable bunnies greeted us. |
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| Everyone had a small bunny and an Easter egg beside each air mattress. I think that Bubba's bunnies were busy! |
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| The sun was just starting to hit Sanderson as I started the day's 81 mile ride. |
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| Another early sun image a few miles outside Sanderson. The wind was blowing hard! |
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| Bubba was at the first SAG stop to greet us. He definitely was dressed in his Easter attire! |
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| The desert is getting greener now. Can the end of it be close? |
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| Finally! A legitimate road side flower! |
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| Another view of a green desert. |
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| Almost beginning to look like Texas Hill Country, but I don't think we are officially there yet. |
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| Crossing the bridge over the Pecos River. We may not be in Texas Hill Country yet, but according to Texans, crossing the Pecos River, going east, means we are officially out of West Texas! |
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| A field of flowers greeted us in Seminole State Park about a quarter mile from our campsite. The Park Ranger had not walked out to them so she did not know what kind of flowers these were, but said that last year the same area was covered with purple flowers. |
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| Aaron Anderson, a Wolf Pack member, is starting to set up my tent. |
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| The inner tent shell is almost up. |
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| The rain cover is almost on! Apply to Bubba for a job if you would like to put up and take down about 55 of these tents every day we camp! |
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| A couple of the many different flowers in bloom around our campsite. |
LINK to Day 23 of my 2015 C2C blog.
Today's 81 mile ride from Sanderson, Texas, to Seminole State Park at Comstock, is a day that everyone had been warned by Bubba is a difficult day. It is known for having a headwind and many climbs. As it turned out, we were awakened during the night (in the Sanderson gym) by very loud winds. When we got up, the outside temperature was very cool, slightly below 40 degrees, and the wind was still very strong. But, fortunately, the wind turned out to be a tailwind that at the start of the ride was blowing 35 mph! We flew out of Sanderson with the biggest concern being that an occasional strong gust of side wind could blow a rider over. As the ride continued, the very strong winds calmed to 17-20 mph, excellent for a fast ride! In the first two hours of riding, up and down hills, but with little effort, I covered 39 miles of the 81 mile day! Overall everyone had a fast ride to Seminole State Park and even Bubba said he had never previously seen all the riders arrive as early as they did.
