Southern Tier Part 2

April 09, 2022

Southern Tier Part 2 - Day #16
April 28, 2022
Marfa, TX to Van Horn, TX 75 Miles
Start 7:57 AM Finish 3:00 PM
Ride Time 8:02
Ascent 846 Feet
Descent 1,494 Feet
Tour Total Miles 1394
Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/88472243

I slept great on a couch in the front room of Warm Showers hosts Manu and Jane in Marfa. Last night after dinner we had sat outside and listened to the roar of distant thunder. I got up this morning when I heard Manu making coffee. I took a wefe before Jane headed off to work. It was clear and sunny, and 58°F. The wind was forecast to be out of the north today. In addition to the usual I was wearing my sweater, leg-warmers, and socks. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I rode back into the center of town to return to the route. I then stopped at a Stripes for a Starbucks Triple Shot Energy Cafe Mocha, an Orchard pure 100% orange juice, and a pack of Hostess coffee cakes.

I was on US90 heading north to Van Horn. There would be no services the entire seventy four miles. The land was flat and the highway was a perfectly straight line. There were distant hills to both the east and the west. Amber grass and scrub filled the valley. There was a train track to my right. Freight cars were lined up on a spur for about a mile. I had a gentle headwind.

A few miles out of town I was delighted to come upon ‘Giant Marfa’, a plywood billboard tribute to the 1956 James Dean/Liz Taylor film "Giant," erected in 2018 by artist John Cerney. Parts of the movie were filmed at this spot. A solar array was playing music by Patsy Cline. It was now 84°F and I was now hot. I used the stop as an opportunity to remove my sweater and leg-warmers. I lathered myself with sunscreen and put on my arm protectors.

US Highway 90 was two lanes of motor traffic with wide shoulders. The traffic volume was light. I became captivated by a strange object hovering in the sky far in the distance. It seemed like a tethered kite or blimp. After many miles I was able to see what it was, a tethered Aerostat Radar System - a low-level airborne ground surveillance system. I was continuing to see Border patrol pick-ups on the highway.
After twenty eight miles I crossed into Jeff Davis County. Blue green lizards were darting across the shoulder. I passed the turnoff for the highway 505 towards Fort Davis. I eventually pedaled into Valentine, population 134. There were no services, and the little town had seen better days. A few miles later I came to Prada Marfa, a sculptural installation by artists Elmgreen & Dragset. I had known about this, but hadn’t realized how remote it was. I delved into Danielle’s goody bag from yesterday and drank some water. Two other motorists stopped for photos. Love locks were attached to the fencing around the small building. I was halfway to Van Horn.

I ran into east-bound cyclists John and Depi. John was from Wales and Depi was from Greece. They had started this morning in Van Horn and were heading today to Marfa. They had started in San Diego and were looking forward to green scenery. John and Depi had had nine flat tires and two broken spokes. They were now traveling with six spare inner tubes. They had a great experience with Crazy Cat Cyclery in El Paso where I would be getting my bike box. I was asked about dogs, and told that I shouldn't worry about goat heads. They mentioned the brutal wire filaments on Interstate 10, where I would be riding tomorrow. An Amtrak train went speeding east.

I passed the intersection for highway 2017, and then crossed into Culberson County. The highway surface became considerably smoother. The train track split away from the highway and I passed a large grove of pecan trees. I noticed a yellow plane spraying the trees. Another Border Control passed me.

At 3:30 PM I could see Van Horn ten miles in the distance. The town was set against the Guadalupe Mountain Range. I passed the intersection for Highway 1523. The train tacks crossed the highway and split to the west. Five miles out I could see the water tower and Interstate 10. I was parched and stopped at a Pilot Travel Center for a large Coke on ice. Van Horn is the western terminus of US Highway 90. Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin landing site is located 25 miles to the north. I noticed a giant V up on a hill. I rode into town and went to the historic Hotel El Capitan, where I sat at the bar drinking Dos Equis, while editing this report.

Afterwards I rode around town looking for a decent place to have dinner and finally settled on Chelas, back across from the Pilot Travel Center. I had the chicken enchiladas with a Modelo. I found a hotel for $40, which was a better value than camping in the RV park. I pedaled over to the Sands Hotel and took a shower.