Three Days Over New Years or, logistics

Sitting down earlier today to write this ride report, I drew a total blank. Despite riding over 190miles/300kms over three days on single-track, paved roads and seemingly endless dirt roads, I couldn’t think of what to say. There were many miles I’d never seen before, others I’d not ridden for many years and some I ride all the time. Still nothing. I met new people, saw another remote part of this wild West Texas landscape and soaked-up the beauty this amazing planet has to offer. Nope, got nothing to say. When in doubt, ask a smart person. “Tim, I’m stumped, help me.” Without hesitation, Tim replied with just one word; logistics.

Unable to find a place to park the van for the summer, I was forced to rent a room. Upon the walls of that room, above the desk where my computer sat, I pasted but one thing; the Big Bend Ranch State Park Discovery Map. I would sit there after a long hard day of work, enjoy a tasty adult beverage and stare at that map. Rather than looking at new ways to link the trails I know so well, my eyes kept wandering to the isolated roads that extend north out of the park. “I’m going to ride those roads” I would say to myself. That’s where it started, that’s where the planning began.  The first thing I needed to sort out was the route.

Once I arrived in Big Bend I started asking those in-the-know what it’s like way up there, what are the roads really like? Right away I hit a wall. Nobody knew anything about that area, even the most seasoned hikers in the region could offer little insight. After several emails and a couple phone calls, I learned that Bandera Mesa Road and Casa Piedra Road were in excellent condition, great for cycling with a mountain-bike. It was also pointed out that once I reached the most northern point on my proposed route, Casa Piedra Road would be downhill most of the way. Counter-clockwise it is! Knowing I needed reach the gate at the north-east corner of the park, I had to decide how I would get there. Yes, I suppose I could have taken the typical “Epic Loop” mtb route, but I wanted more miles than that would offer and was less concerned with riding single-track. The only other way into the Park would mean more than 60 miles of trail, pavement and dirt roads. Perfect, that’s my entrance and that decision decided my route. I would ride trails from Terlingua to Lajitas then pavement to just beyond Redford. From there, dirt roads would begin. Bofecillas Road north and thePark Road east and north to Los Alamos and the Park gate. Taking the counterclockwise loop of Bandera Mesa Road and Casa Piedra Road, I would return to where Bofecillas Rd intersects the Park road. Perfect, there’s my loop with the same route to-and-from.  Doing a quick sum of the miles, I figured I could knock it out in three days, 65-75miles a day. With my route figured out, the hard work was before me.

Water. Where in the hell would I get enough water to ensure I could actually finish the ride without dying somewhere out in the desert? I knew I could get water in Lajitas but after that, nothing for about 80miles. Riding the mountain-bike fully loaded, I knew my pace would be slow; no way could I ride 80 miles between water resources. With that in the back of my mind, I also learned there would be no water from the time I left the Park gate until….well, Lajitas..another 90 miles. Nope, impossible, I needed to figure something out. That’s when someone offered “Hey, you should ask Charlie Angell, he knows people in Casa Piedra.”  And he did.

Charlie reached out to a few people he knew who lived way out there. One couple, Vince and Stella Fuentez, said they would be happy to provide me water, even food as they would be hosting a new year’s eve party. Excellent. But that still wasn’t enough. Again, Charlie was able to help out; “I have a place in Redford, you can stop there and get water.” Amazing! But that would still mean a long stretch without water from Casa Piedra to Redford. I needed just one more source. I looked at my map and considered my route. “If I could get a water-drop where Bofecillas Road intersects the Park Road, I could use that both on the way in and the way out of the park, on day one and three respectively. Who do I know up in the Park?” I asked myself. David Dotter, that’s who.

David, Park Law Enforcement Ranger and fellow cyclist, was only too happy to help out. He took a couple of gallon-sized milk jugs full of water and dropped them at that intersection. He even called Border Patrol to ensure they didn’t collect the water thinking it was left to facilitate the migration of “undocumented” visitors coming up from nearby Mexico. Between David and Tim Gibbs(smart person and Park Archeologist) I was finally able to confirm that I could also get water at the Los Alamos residence located very near the north-east gate.  Putting little purple flags on my map to indicate all the spots I could get water, I finally knew this ride would be possible. Yes, I was getting excited.

The final task on my list was “emergency preparedness.” What if it all goes to hell? What if I break my leg out there? What if the Fuentez folks have to leave town, what if someone steals the water David was going to drop, what if..what if..what if? Being a trained medic with a first aid kit would be helpful but not enough. So, with Becca’s satellite phone in my kit, I put together a list of all the emergency numbers I might need. Then I told many people/agencies about my route; Desert Sports, the folks at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center in Lajitas and others in the region. I would stick to my planned route and if it looked like I would be delayed, I would call folks to let them know. It was all coming together.

Sorting out food, clothing, camping gear etc was easy, especially with the logistics of route, water and emergency preparedness taken care of. That said, there were a few last minute items I needed to grab from Desert Sports to make the trip possible. The only thing I was missing was some way of celebrating the fact I would be riding over new years; December 30, 31 and January 1st. At 9pm the night before my ride, as I finished getting everything ready at Desert Sports, Ceil walked in with a shiny little bag in her hand. In it was a tiny bottle of Champagne and a cycling jersey printed to look like a tuxedo. Amazing, the perfect wardrobe for this great adventure, adding a bit of class to the whole affair.

Friday morning at 7:10, with lights on and the sky still dark, I rolled out of the Desert Sports parking lot and began turning my pedals. I knew the next few days would be tough going, with long miles over remote terrain. But I had a smile on my face. Not just because I was on my bike, but because I felt confident that everything that could be taken care of, had been. I was confident in my route. I was confident I would have enough water to survive the trip and had everything in place in case it all went to shit. Yup, with the confidence of well planned logistics, all I had to do was ride my bike. And so, that is what I did.

[There were many people who helped make this adventure a reality, all of whom I owe a great deal of thanks. While I’m sure there are others I’ve missed, I wish to thank the following fine folks for making my Toronto dream a Texas reality: Mike Long and Desert Sports. Tim Gibbs, Amber Harrison, Barrett Durst and David Dotter at the Big Bend Ranch State Park. Charlie Angell and his kind friends at Casa Piedra, Vince and Stella Fuentez. Mark Yuhas for coffee and company on those first 15miles. Cindy for the tasty, protein-rich muffins and of course Ceil for the fantastic jersey. Jeff and Rebecca for giving me a place to plan my route and pack my gear, and Becca for the sat.phone. Thank you all, much love.]

Ride data:

BWVC to Canon de los Banditos https://www.strava.com/activities/823242266

Canon de los Banditos to Sauceda https://www.strava.com/activities/823242257

Los Alamos to Bofecillas Road https://www.strava.com/activities/823242365

Bofecillas Road to BWVC https://www.strava.com/activities/823242415