Day 9 of 28: Socorro, NM - Ruidoso, NM

Challenging today: 109 miles, 8:24 in the saddle, 6700 feet of climbing, headwinds most of the day, some steep climbs near the end, rain and 3 flats between miles 25 and 50! But cyclists are very helpful and I was helped a lot. Jose, the PAC mechanic was awesome—we finally put a new tire and rim tape on—and he was actually riding with us when I had the flats. Tomorrow should be better for me—much less climbing, actually a lot of descending, and more favorable winds are forecasted. All good—good night!