Where cowboy (and cowgirl) boots go to die...West of Hunt, TX
West of Hunt, TX. Hwy 39 is a great bicycling road. Although there wasn't a shoulder, traffic was almost non-existent.
This ranch sign was at the intersection of Hwy 39 and Road 187. I was headed to Leaky, TX. Turning left on Road 187 would get me there in 31 miles. I noticed a green highway sign a quarter mile down Hwy 39 reading "Leaky 28 miles". This happens often when following Adventure Cycling Maps. Obviously, following Hwy 39 would be shorter, but would it be quicker. I knew Road 187 was going to take me into some hilly country. Would following Hwy 39 be easier or would it have even more hills? I decided to stick to the route and follow Road 187.
Road 187 provided some great views of The Frio River Valley
The Frio River...Leakey, TX.
Cactus...a common sight over the last few days.
Road 337 between Leakey and Camp Wood...The road went on forever. It was very demoralizing seeing a vehicle come toward you as it disappeared as it went down each hill. At times I counted 5 times when I spotted a vehicle in the distance driving toward me disappearing then appearing following the roller-coaster hills.
Camp Wood Creek...North of Camp Wood
One of the more interesting graveyards spotted on the Southern Tier
As I pedaled into Camp Wood I quickly smelled and then spotted Two Fat Boys BBQ. Once I entered Main St. I smelled and spotted Holy Smoke BBQ. This was going to be a tough decision as both BBQs had my mouth watering. As I pedaled into my lodging for the evening I was welcomed by Jack and Bill (below). They began cycling in San Diego and are headed to Austin. Before I could dismount from BIG RED, Jack had already poured me an adult beverage. As we chatted I told them of our predicament. They had not yet pedaled by the BBQ joints. Which one to choose? We decided to meet in an hour and they allowed me to choose where we would eat. I decided ask 3 locals where they would eat. The best 2 of 3 would win. I didn't need to ask the third person. The owner of the hotel and a gas station attendant all agreed...Two Fat Boys BBQ was the best. When Jack, Bill, and I walked into the parking lot of Fat Boys there was a huge individual tending to a large smoker. I yelled "Are you one of the Fat Boys?" He replied "The two Fat Boys have the night off...So they got the fattest man in town to help out". In the end...the ribs were excellent. I ordered seconds.
It was a tough day of riding. The day had 3 major climbs. The first was one of, if not the steepest grade I've ever encountered. I had to stop several times to gain my composure. The heat was intense, luckily, there was no wind. After a day like today there are only 2 remedies...sleep and a rack of ribs. Big Red and I finished the day with 80.81 miles pedaled. Of all the on-line journals I've read most cyclists divide this 80 mile run into 2 days.
TRIP STATS:
Total miles pedaled: 1621.25
Route miles pedaled: 1618.5
Days ahead of schedule: 2
Saddle time: 115:05'01
Racks of ribs consumed: 7
1 comment:
What is the rack of ribs count for the trip thus far?
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