TX HILL COUNTRY

Tough riding for the past few day, but beautiful country and great fun on the long down hills. I rode with Michael, or perhaps I should say tried to keep up with Michael, for three days. I walked up some of the hills because I simply could not cycle them. By the end of the day I could barely get up small hills, but I made it. 

One night Michael and I shared a hotel room in Camp Wood (apparently I still snore) and last night near Vanderpol we camped behind a general store. The only thing to recommend it was that it was that we could stop going up hills. Tonight, Friday, Michael stayed at a Warm Showers outside of Kerrville while I am at a hotel nearby I-10; I needed wifi and a warm bath. 

Not much to report although I do have some photos, in no particular order, along the Texas Hill Country Trail. This road reminds me of VT in the early fall or the Shenandoah Skyline Drive in VA.

  

There are even a few flowers along the way. 

This sign was at the beginning of
the trail, to remind you that
the road is narrow and you might die. 

This is Michael Lane (below), a bike messenger from London and my riding champion on and off for a couple of weeks. He is a  strong and relentless cyclist. Also, note his gear, there is not much of it. Michael has politely but repeatedly mentioned that I'm carrying too much weight on my bike. And he is right. I thought that my hiking experience would help in this area, it did not. So I'm trying to cut my gear weight. 

A few people have commented on my choice of a mountain bike for this ride--one might even say lightly ridiculed--but here's the thing, Michael and one other guy I met riding road bikes have each gotten over 20 flat tires: Michael in about a month and the other guy over a period of three months. I have not had a flat yet and I ride where I want. I'll take my bike any day, just with less weight. 

In honor of Michael, apparently, the town of Ingram put up a full scale
Stone Hedge reproduction at the local art center.  

Cowboy boots on every fence post on both sides of the road for half a mile or so. 

There are many "game reserves" along this trail. They are easy to pick
out because they have high fences and contain huge acreage--perhaps thousands
of acres each. I saw--but was not fast enough to photograph--many deer and a few of what
I can only describe as a small Ibex. One reserve had a small herd of them hanging out by the road.