Great Divide Day 25

Getting up early was much easier knowing we'd make it to our final destination today. We arrived at McDonald's at 4:15 and started pedaling just behind Cameron. 

We had a long, gradual descent and then a flat day ahead of us and the wind gave us a bit of help with a cross/tailwind. We had 20 miles of pavement, 40 miles of gravel, and 65 of pavement to finish up the route. We rode through the desert with cloud cover, another lucky day in New Mexico. 

About 25 miles from Antelope Wells, I looked over my shoulder and saw a white SUV that slowed way down. That must be Andrew's parents. They took pictures and cheered out the window. When they stopped on the road ahead to offer us water, I thought Andrew might want to stop and say hi, but he was on a mission to get to the border and I hung on for dear life. The rest of the time I was staring at Andrew's rear wheel blinking back tears. I was happy and proud to achieve what we did and I'll miss the time riding bikes everyday in the mountains with Andrew. 

Mike and Gary were already at the border sign when we finished and Cameron rolled in right behind us. We exchanged congratulations, hugs, and contact information. 

The Great Divide was an awesome experience. We're glad we started the same day as the Grand Depart because we met some wonderful people. Our bodies are ready for a rest but we'll miss our friends and the mountains.