185: and I - I took the one less traveled by

Roger and I have been "off the radar screen" from time to time but today, we were literally riding off the edge of the map. That is to say, we rode a huge swath through the Navajo and Zuni lands, taking a road to cut off some of the miles from the Adventure Cycling guide. In so doing, we were not "on the map" anymore - although of course we were, in fact, riding on roads that show up on other maps - and we had one of those with us, just in case. 

El Morro

We have been past the Laguna and Acona Pueblos in the past couple of days, and our trip over the Continental Divide through the Malpais National Monument took us away from the Interstate into the quiet lands where the mesas rise up and the sage and juniper scent the air. In fact, the fragrant wood smoke this morning as we rode through the cold of the morning was a benediction to me, like the incense we use in church sometimes!

Looking back - the road less traveled, for sure!

It was a solitary ride. We had cars some by from time to time, but we mostly rode alone on these roads.  We are always watching the weather; there is a front headed in so from time to time it looked like there might be some rain coming down off to one side or another. For us, it was just a bit overcast most of the day, which kept the temperature comfortable. (The weather app says that we may get a thunderstorm tonight - Roger says, "bring it on!")

And looking ahead - somewhere in the next few miles we'll cross the border to Arizona

Since we were out in desert last night, I stepped outside the cabin several times during the night in hopes of catching a shooting star. We were just past the peak days for the Orionid meteor shower, but in that environment, it's probably easy to see a meteor most any night. I didn't see any last night, but oh my - the stars themselves were such a show! I always delight in finding the constellations that I know and they were so bright last night - it was amazing.

Approaching Zuni

We were not able to get in to the base of El Morro this morning - the park office did not open until 9:00 am and we didn't push past them to the trail - but we did get a great view of the headland rock as we rode by.  Certainly this feature would have been a landmark for any traveler coming through. 

The day's report:  El Morro to Chambers, 86 miles/8819 to date

The road less traveled

Another couple of milestones:  We have reached Arizona, and because the state doesn't recognize Daylight Savings Time, we are also now back in the Pacific Time Zone! 

Looking for weather out there somewhere

My blog post title today borrows from one of my favorite poems, The Road not Taken, by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.