After light I finally started to get packed up. After packing most of my gear I visited the restroom, forgetting to zip my tent closed.
After coming back I climbed into my tent and started to fold up my air mattress. It was then that I was first introduced this guy, who Sarah, my daughter, identified as a Sun Spider. Not poisonous, but about 1 1/2 inches long. I quickly exited the tent, showed the little guy out, where he scurried under my tent to hide. Later on when I started getting the rest of the tent put away he came out and I snapped this picture of him hurriedly leaving the premises.
The wind, at least where we are camped seems to have changed directions from the day before. We are hoping, but not counting on, it being a tailwind.
I finished packing up and left camp. On the way out the road winds a bit and so I had both head wind and tail wind. Upon arriving at the highway it appeared to be a tailwind. The road to Comstock, our first opportunity for a store, was mostly uphill. When I arrived at Comstock there didn't appear to be anything open, although apparently there was a store that I didn't see.
Up to that point I was averaging just under 10 miles per hour. But as soon as I got through Comstock the road started to be more flat with a general trend downhill, plus it was very smooth on the shoulder until I hit the border patrol stop several miles later. At about 20 miles in I noticed that my average speed was approaching 12 miles per hour.
Given that when I started out I was feeling like I didn't have the legs that I had the day before the rapid rate that I was moving along was refreshing.
I rapidly covered the remaining miles, including a somewhat long bridge just before Del Rio with an almost continuously strong tailwind. About 5 miles out I encountered Hal stopping for a snack. I think this was the first time I actually put a foot on the ground since the start of the day. We then proceeded on into town looking diligently for the campground, Buzzards Roost, but we missed it and were about 2 miles beyond when we finally stopped and checked with Google Maps to see where it was at.
Turning around, we started to see several who had arrived before us heading into town riding light. The ride back to the camp was really hard against the head wind. We got to camp, set up tents. About that time Mitch showed up and announced he was going to find a large hunk of meat to eat. We were already contemplating riding back to town.
About the time we were leaving we noticed Alisha riding by and tried to get her attention but failed. Since I was already on my bike I chased her down, but it took about a mile to catch her even though I wasn't loaded down.
We ended up going to Rudy's and I had the brisket and sweet tea.
Then we rode back to camp, again against the head wind, but it wasn't quite as bad with a full stomach and no load.
Shower, laundry, a few drinks in the bar while the laundry was going, and then dinner was being prepared. Dick is a really good cook. We had some sort of Thai curry chicken. Delicious. Here Dick is starting the rice for dinner. Note the two MSR camping stoves and pretty much all of our pots and pans that we carry with us.
Sally showed us how to make a cooler from a beer box and Wallmart grocery bag.
Tomorrow Hal and I cook. We will need to haul groceries from Brackettville because the pickings nearer are pretty thin.
It will be another long day, over 70 miles, with a small amount of elevation gain. We are hoping for favorable winds.
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