March 10 - day 10

Today was the toughest day of climbing yet, but it provided some of the best scenery.  When you "earn" the scenery on a bike it even means more.  (click on the pictures to view them full sized)

We went through several switchbacks and hairpin turns

We made it into New Mexico today and crossed the continental divide.

  

After 78 miles, we stopped for the night in Buckhorn, NM.  The picture below is where we ate supper and camped in their parking lot.  Its the Last Chance Liquor / Grocery / Restaurant / Convenient Store.  The owner made us a great pizza and we all shared stories over supper.  They have a huge wood stove that heats the building, it has a regular sized opening, or you could open the whole face of the stove to pitch in larger logs.  Normally they have relatively mild winters, but they got down to -15 degrees once this year.