Day 16 Friday April 3: Sanderson, TX to Comstock, TX

Miles Today: 87 Total Miles: 1,268 Terrain: Undulating hills

Temp: hi of 87 f. Time: 10 hrs 15 min

What a brutal day! A steady wind of 25-30 mph blew head on the whole, long, miserable day!

Excuse me if I elaborate for a moment to my fellow bikers. Stayed in small chain ring for 84 of the 87 miles. Stayed in the granny gear most of the time. Never spent so many hours in the saddle going 7-9 mph! Couldn't stand in the pedals because resistance was so great. It became apparent early that we could not make it to Del Rio before dark, so Comstock became our destination.

The landscape was stark and barren for the first 80 miles. The only thing of interest was the constant stream of Border Patrol vehicles patrolling the miles and miles of parallel dirt roads. Each day the border patrol drags tires over the roads to remove all tracks, then the next morning they slowly drive the trails looking for signs of activity. Often we saw officers standing on roof tops of their trucks with binoculars searching the surrounding area. Helicopters were also in evidence. Considering the sheer numbers of patrol vehicles, obviously huge resources have been expended in this effort. We were quite shocked!

Penny found the cactus were just beginning to bloom.

Took a much needed break at Langtry, home of the legendary Judge Roy Bean, who renamed the town after the British showgirl, Lilly Langtry. His courthouse and saloon have been preserved from the late 1880s and are part of a museum maintained by the state of Texas.

Towards the end of the day, we crossed the Pecos River, the first water we had seen for some time.

We finally arrived at Comstock at 6:30, tired, but still enjoying the adventure. After this very difficult day, we will be taking a rest day Saturday. Don has to repair two tubes and his air mattress. Also Penny needs to restock supplies, particularly band aids for the numerous nicks and cuts out of Don's fingers. Apart from that we are in good condition.

Sunday after church, we will be setting off for Montell, TX (man plans, God laughs!!!!!).

Yours on the Road,

Don and Penny