High Desert Crossing

 Wild Winter Southwest film shoot

 Cornudas! Oasis in the desert

 Desert camping!

 Hay, we slept here

 Filled up on water...onward into blue skies, yeah!

 Crossing into new watersheds!

 Southwest colorful camp

 Grand Canyon state, are you ready for this?

 Cycling requires fuel.....oh wait not that kind

 Bisbee, AZ we had fun

 Thanks Bisbee tour guide

 Puncture. I got screwed...literally!

 Italian Matteo, finally a cyclist with more junk than us!!

Sunrise, the last day before reaching Nogales, AZ.

The National Park shuffle

Rise, Shine, Rock and Dance...then Roll

Rolled up to the mouth of the Carlsbad Cavern

Wild caverns!

Stalactites...

Wild shapes on a grand scale

Found Patrick,another rider, in the cave depths...let's play some wiffle ball

Beautiful sunscapes across the desert at sunset

Just a quick hop from Carlsbad Cavern National Park

Up, up and away

Welcome to Mckittrick Canyon

Nutrient rich Water rising up from the rock...

River time fun...

Texas Madrone

Beautiful Rock peaks sprung up as we went deeper into the canyon

Rock erosion took on wild shapes...Tell us what you see!?! 

Was a long climb but northwest Texas/New Mexico was an awesome high country spur ride. Perhaps our most scenic detour to was visiting Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Highly recommended. 

Austin to Carlsbad, New Mexico

Riding into Texas

Riding Austin

 

Texas was full of great people, and we where shown excellent hospitality. Starting off with my cousin Chris who we stayed with in Austin. We had to buy some tires and pedals so we want to thank and recommend CyclEast and Mellow Johnny's cycle shops in Austin; you rock! Leaving the city of Austin a fellow cyclist; Pat; saw us looking at maps by the roadside and next thing we had sandwiches in hand and a "pilot" car navigating us to safe roads. What a send off! Much thanks Austin.

Temp's started dropping and fires started rocking...

Camp Spots Abound...

and those temp's just kept dropping...Cold morning start from Enchanted Rock State Park.

Yar!

Granite Rock

Explorations

The road goes on forever and the party never ends...

 Fredricksburg, TX to glue a tooth back in...were is that dentist office

Friends made over a Pint...Cheers Ladies!

 

Those ladies should be joining us any moment now right!?!

 Yes, we ran out of fuel, or should we say, Wal-Mart needs to pay full-time staff to better restock shelves.

 Cold Starts...Yeeeeha!

 I found myself in Texas!

Campfire boogy

Office Meeting

 Crossing into New Mexico

Warmshowers delivers again!

We have now landed in Carlsbad...Thanks so much to the Leak family for hosting us! This is roughly our half way point of this inspiring journey. We are looking to explore the Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe National Parks then continue on through the badlands of the southwest. Riding has been smooth for much and a true challenge through some...great to have a friend to commiserate with over a well deserved beer. Much Love and may your explorations take you to some place wonderfully unexpected!

 

Starting Off: New Orleans to Austin

The ride: Start in New Orleans just before Christmas; arrive in Austin to celebrate the New Year; cross West Texas as fast as possible; travel North to Carlsbad Caverns; stay in Las Cruces, NM; head south to warmer weather in Arizona; and ride for the setting sun on the Pacific Ocean.

 Food is fuel. Our adventure on bicycles is full of stories about people and places but it mostly involves the simple pleasures of good food, good company and a good nights rest. We are excited to ride through the Southwest in the winter.

Lunch break with some new friends.

 The Louisiana rains came, so we found a humble shelter.

 Watch out Texas! You about to get rode......

More rain, more awesome accommodations.

We didn't eat here, but got this great smile, despite the weather:)

Warm and dry, thanks for the early Christmas Dan.

 We met this guy in the woods, and met Patrick on the road, fun guy from Berlin, riding from Miami to L.A. 

Rain, Rain go away, or else we have to sleep underneath bridges.