DAY 22 – Beaverhead Work Centre camp to Separ camp (120miles)

I use a lot of water in the night and in the morning to eat and get hydrated so am a little concerned about it as I set-off for the day. An uneventful morning passes until I look down to see I’ve no map. My map board was designed to hold thin route cards and the thick map has fallen out. Where though? A three mile ride uphill later somewhat panicked and I’m relieved to see it in the middle of the trail. Panic over, but I photograph each instruction set just in case that happens again. Without the map out here things could potentially get serious. I don't think I've seen another person since Pie Town.

I head on, now low on water and worried about it lasting to Mimbres. At some point the hard day I thought would never come arrives. Boredom, hunger, and dehydration make the miles pass slower than ever. I reach Mimbres out of water and totally dehydrated, a long time out of food with a deep hunger, and feeling a sorry state. Despite my condition I was still able to appreciate some beautiful country out there and am loving New Mexico, especially that there are no mosquitoes here. Woohoo!

At the store in Mimbres I get two bottles of Coke straight off and as the caffine, water and sugar get into my bloodstream my spirits pick up. I shovel down an ice-cream and handfuls of high calorie junk food and I eventually come around and feel my strength returning by the mouthful. I totally underestimated the food and water to cover that ground without resupply and paid for it dearly. The climb out of Mimbres is gone in a flash and I roll into Silver City feeling on top of the world after a beating this morning. I’m onto the final side of the final map at last!

After eating until I can hardly move at a Chinese on the road into town I waste an hour trying to sort a pickup from the Antelope Wells. I eventually call my dad at midnight in England to ask him to do it for me for midday tomorrow. Since I know Bruce can't be far behind me I’m not happy, but eventually get going, only to be delayed again by meeting the pick-up guy my dad has called on the highway. He wants to chat for half an hour warning me how harsh it is out there and will take me until 6pm the next day. I tell him 12 again but he’s not hearing me and almost talks me out of believing myself. He clearly has no idea what I’ve been through the last three weeks and I can't explain now, so just arrange for him to pick me up where he meets me on the road at midday. He knows that will be 40 miles from AW, and I know I’ll have been at AW an hour at least by then.

I wanted to make Separ before dark, but lost so much time I’m 15 miles short as the last of the light disappears. I decide to ride in the dark a little, but after a scare with a rattlesnake decide pushing on into the night is not worth it so camp up 10 miles short of Separ. I set the alarm for 4am instead and hope the wildlife has gone to bed by then.

My mind is wired and I can’t sleep. I set up my tent inner to keep the wildlife out and through the netting can see the stars well in the cloudless sky. The night is so warm I don't get out the sleeping bag. I wonder if I prefer deserts to mountains. I think about my GDR 2008 kit list and schedule. And I come over in a bit of a panic when I realise this adventure is about to end. I’m not ready for it to! There seems no conclusion to this route, like an ocean signalling you can ride no more and the journey has to end. A political boundary in the middle of the desert just doesn’t seem right and in my heart I have an ‘unfinished’ feeling.