Look Out Texas

[Sky King]

Happy to announce we had an executive board meeting (yes there was beer involved) and it was voted that a bike trip in Texas is in order. With historic cold temps and snow already in place we
think going in December is just the ticket. Today we start training our part time employee so he can hold down the fort for 3 weeks.
Pretty excited that I am :) We have no solid plan other than we will be starting somewhere in the neighborhood of Alpine Texas. We are taking the truck and the tear drop so we can have a base camp. Envisioning day trips plus some 2-4 day overnight bike adventures.
Is funny, even though are kids can't get away for Christmas they are both saying "you are doing what?" At least we will see them for Thanksgiving so will do some early Christmas celebrating too.

Will send photos, etc once we are underway.

[Pax]

Sounds wonderful!!

Some friends just did a motorcycling weekend out in Big Bend, gorgeous pics.

[cosc]

I'll be curious to see how your Texas excursion goes. My DH and I plan on doing another section of the Southern tier starting a little east of Alpine in January. Weather was a factor that slow us down last year. We have a van and car so we can play hopscotch and have a inside warm place to camp for nights. Last January we rode from St. Augustine, Fl, - Kerrville Tx. Here's hoping winter weather will moderate a bit. I miss warm weather camping, but am thankful my DH can get away in the winter.

[Sky King]

Will do, I keep saying I have no plan but the DH apparently has a plan - Ha. Let's hope for good weather. Having the Tear Drop will help but I really do want to be out on the bikes touring and camping as much as possible.

I'll be curious to see how your Texas excursion goes. My DH and I plan on doing another section of the Southern tier starting a little east of Alpine in January. Weather was a factor that slow us down last year. We have a van and car so we can play hopscotch and have a inside warm place to camp for nights. Last January we rode from St. Augustine, Fl, - Kerrville Tx. Here's hoping winter weather will moderate a bit. I miss warm weather camping, but am thankful my DH can get away in the winter.

[Sky King]

I am in love... Our Texas Bike Ride was a huge success. The weather was fabulous and the rides were mind blowing. We spent a week in the Alpine area, did a simple, relaxing, 2 nights, 3 day loop - Alpine to Fort Davis State Park to Marfa and back to Alpine. Then we relocated to Study Butte, took a fun day ride up to Terlingua Ghost Town. We were able to leave our truck and tear drop at the RV park in Study Butte for no cost and spent 4 days and 3 nights biking in Big Bend National Park. I think we timed it perfectly as the Holiday Traffic hadn't started yet. We opted to not climb the Basin Rd so will have to go back for that. Next trip we also want to take the Surly ECR and the big fat Dummy so we can ride the River Road. We did ride a section of the road and then turned onto Glenn Springs Road - which was hell - The Grader Man needs to learn how to operate a grader - it was all torn up with deep sandy,gravel pockets - fell over 3 times. On the flip side, the old maverick road - also dirt wasn't so bad. I could go on and on, The Bike Hermit has some of the trip documented on Crazy Guy (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/15313) and we have a couple posts on our blog (http://biketouringnews.com/our-trips/texas/the-roll-your-a-tour-west-texas-and-the-big-bend-of-the-rio-grande/) (more to follow) We also spent two days in the Big Bend Ranch State Park - they are really promoting trail riding in the park - just a note some of the trails we hiked would not be ones I'd ride a bike on but am certain there are some that make for great rides - again will try those when we take the Surly's. Here are a few photos and I will post more later. The mouse photo - we rode up to Indian Lodge in Ft Davis state park to hang out, upon returning to the campsite I turn around to shut off my tail light and there is a mouse hanging on for dear life on my rear rack! The cowboy hat was my Christmas present and the t-shirt is the one Surly sent me, the shirt isn't exactly my style but it is comfy
1749317494174951749617497

[salsabike]

Love the mouse!

[rebeccaC]

the crazy guy write up/photos really took me there!!!! makes me want to go do a weekend ride in the mojave here again.

thanks for sharing and PLEASE post more photos when you have them ready!!!!!.....+2 on luv'in the mouse, isn't west texas also javelina country?

[Crankin]

Maybe it's me, but after looking at your pictures, Sky King, and reading parts of your Crazy Guy journal, there is nothing about Texas that entrances me.
I know it's a prejudice, but...

[thekarens]

Big Bend has been designated Epic by IMBA. It's a very cool area. We also love FT DavIs, but more for bird watching.

Personally, I love Texas and you couldn't pay me to live in the NE, but everyone has their preferences.

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you had a great trip!

[rebeccaC]

Big Bend has been designated Epic by IMBA. It's a very cool area. We also love FT DavIs, but more for bird watching.

The Sonoran desert has some beautiful landscapes too and I luv Joshua Tree in the Mojave desert but yeah from the photos I’ve seen including sky's trip the Chihuahuan desert can also be beautiful, peaceful and looks like some great riding.

[Crankin]

The Sonoran Desert is beautiful and so is Joshua Tree. I've never ridden in either, though.
After living in warm climates for 23 years, weather doesn't enter much into the equation of what I like, though. I like change! I'd like to ride more in the PNW. As I get older, I find that I mostly enjoy visiting places where I would feel comfortable living; beautiful scenery is one thing, but if I can't deal with the values of the place, I can't get past that. Maybe it's immaturity, but since I've become more like this as I age, it's more than that. My son and DIL just came back from a road trip/visiting her relatives in 2 different states and kind of said the same thing last night. He has traveled quite a bit and lived in Europe for 6 months. She has not been to that many places, though. I don't necessarily think where I live is "the best" for everyone and everything, but in those 23 years I lived in the sunbelt, I never felt comfortable, despite good jobs, friends, nice home.

[Sky King]

Well it took the DH 4 years to convince me to go to Texas - I thought it would be to hot & to dry - nope - Alpine Texas has better weather than Boise - not as cold in the winter and not as hot in the summer. I totally appreciate everyone's thoughts and opinions - I grew up in Yellowstone National Park, another type of scenery I love. Lived outside of Baltimore for 7 years, that was my least favorite - too humid, too crowded and very claustrophobic due to all the trees and underbrush :) Talk about "values of the place" well having lived in Idaho for 24 years I find one has to seek out pockets of like minded people - sometimes those pockets are really tiny...

Am working on my blog post and we'll put a flicker page together.

A note on the Javelina's - we met some great fellow bike riders who live in Alpine, Max let us park our truck and trailer at his house for 3 days while we went riding. I was telling him about seeing some Javelina's and I said Jalapeno instead. I immediately realized it and we were just roaring with laughter - I said well, you can sure tell I am a tourist. Haven't been to the Sonoran on my bike yet, Death Valley last year was also a fun ride.

[Crankin]

You are a better person than me, Sky King! Really. I got so tired of having to explain myself to people in AZ, I sometimes thought I was an alien! Seriously, I was fine if I stayed within my own little community of friends, but at work and out in the world, no. Living in a college town helped, but I remember even when I transferred to ASU, as a senior, listening to some of the other women students made me shake my head in wonder.
But, I still have plenty of places I want to see. In the process of researchig a trip to France for the summer.

[thekarens]

I am openly gay, and a liberal and have lived in Texas 16 years and have never had to explain myself. Mostly I hang with like minded people, but when I don't we agree to disagree.

Seriously, if people only lived in like minded communities segregation would be alive and well. For change to happen you have to live in the communities that need change.

[salsabike]

I am openly gay, and a liberal and have lived in Texas 16 years and have never had to explain myself. Mostly I hang with like minded people, but when I don't we agree to disagree.

Seriously, if people only lived in like minded communities segregation would be alive and well. For change to happen you have to live in the communities that need change.

:) Well said. I have a Latino niece in Houston who is part of a passionately liberal arts community there, and they are definitely shaking up the place! Making the world a little better.

[Crankin]

I guess I just get so annoyed and upset when I see others being close minded, I just decided that I wanted to be where just about everyone thinks like me, even the person who waits on me in the grocery store. I know this sounds stupid. Maybe I burned myself out marching on the Boston Common and in Coconut Grove Park in the 60s and early 70s? I'd like to think my contribution has always been doing work that many others don't want to do, with populations that are often forgotten, wherever I have lived. I am sure you are all laughing at my reasoning, but I'm not going to lie.

[salsabike]

I don't know, Crankin--I don't find that reasoning laughable and I think it's understandable. Political frustration accumulates over time, and it gets harder to stand some of the same old ugly stuff. There's real comfort in being around people who care about the same things you do. I have often wondered how my friends in Arizona and Texas keep their heads from exploding given Governors Brewer and Perry. And I also believe that the work you do also helps make the world a better place. I would just say, though, that there are like-minded people everywhere, including states that appear to be conservative--they're not monolithic and you would find people in all those places who care about the same things you do.