After descending from Platoro, Colorado, the Great Divide route goes over La Manga Pass and then takes off into the New Mexico boonies toward El Rito and then Abiquiu. We had hoped to go that way, but feared that the afternoon rains we've had every day would make it impossible.

Well, we tried to go that way today, but got a mile or so down the route and talked to a rancher who had turned around due to the incredible slick and difficult adobe mud he ran into. He thrilled us with his description of the territory - he talked like something out of an old movie, describing the places and how awful they are. But we decided that discretion is the better part of valor and turned around.

We've experienced adobe in the bicycles before. What happens is it gets all caked around your tires, then fills in the spot where your brakes are, then your wheels won't go around any more. You have to poke it all out with a stick to even push your bike again. Then you get more. It just wouldn't work. So we took the alternate route to Chama, NM, and will ride to Abiquiu on the highway tomorrow.

By the way, Ron's road rash is healing nicely, and he's riding strong. He still has no feeling in the two little fingers of his left hand, so hopefully that will come back.