Ascendente e Descendente: Rio Grande a Toulhin

105km to Toulhin today, a time trail, a hard effort, but the legs felt good. The streets in Rio Grande were slick with ice and I navigated to Ruta 3 without issue, losing Carlos, who took another route to reach Ruta 3. But I had to ride quickly as the gift of the good weather, I knew, can be temporary. It was 105km of paved roads with estancias if there was a problem. I figured Carlos would find the Ruta and would not have a problem, so I rode fast and furious, only stopping to urinate twice, stopping only for a few moments to snap a few photos, eating two packages of cookies while pedaling in my large chainring. I was prepared for a strong crosswind but there was none. It was sunny for 2 hours and the roads were wet with slush and snow on the shoulders. I raced and raced and raced and I encountered small rolling hills but I powered through them. I saw dark clouds in the distance but I thought at worst it would be snow, and snow isn’t a problem. But soon it began to rain and there were still 60km to go. But the rain gear was reliable and the gloves were reliable and I had faith in the balaclava and the boots, I knew the boots would hold up, and the pants, the pants were the weak link, covering over the boots, but the pants held and they did not leak. I ditched the rain hat and used the balaclava, which is waterproof and windproof. After switching to the balaclava I felt new heat and warmth and I realized that in the absence of wind the cold and the rain would not be a problem. Only a flat or a crash on the ice, I thought. I had no problems with the trucks or the cars. They were polite and cheered and when there was slight traffic they gave me space and notification. Then the rain ended and the dark clouds continued but I raced on. The clouds parted and the sun came out and I had 40km to go. I divided the 40km into quarters—I would have a 4 quarter workout. I told myself that 4 10km repeats would help me, that as a coach, I was doing myself a favor to ride 4 10km repeats in the wet and slush. I remembered my descent into Silverton in the rain and cold and realized this time I was prepared with my clothing. The thought of looking for an estancia did not occur. I saw signs for the Panadaria Union and I thought of the empenadas and the warm shower and the heat of the room that would wait for me. Soon small, twisted trees, covered in a few centimeters of snow, soon a few snow covered grazing fields. I welcomed the rolling hills. I arrived at 4 p.m. and had ridden the 105km in 5hrs and 40min. The streets of Toulhin were covered in ice and snow and I rode carefully to the back of the Panadaria Union. I asked a woman about the alojamiento for the cyclists and she looked confused, but two workers directed me to Sebastian who showed me to the 4 beds in the warm room where the bags of flour are stored. I then met Omar, who asked me what I was doing inside the Panadaria's truck, cleaning it with disinfectant, a brush, and two buckets of hot water. Ah, I wanted to help, I told him. I had seen the two buckets and I had spoken to a worker and he directed me and I wanted to help, I told him. But I soon grew cold and needed a warm shower. I did a god job cleaning the two floor mats and the entire back of the van with the brush and the big rag and the two buckets of soapy hot water and then the bottle of disinfectant. I did a god job and was thanked for my work. I then cooked myself a mate in the kitchen and showered. I met my room mate Erick, a Mexican who worked there and who was also riding. He had traveled 6 months in Brasil and told me my Brasilian Castillano was interesting. I hadn’t realized how much Portuguese I must have been speaking for the past 2 ½ months but he pointed our several key verbs and key pronunciations that were Portuguese. Carlos arrived at 5:30 and it was good that he had handled the rain well. It could have rained harder on him—the weather in Tierra del Fuego is not predictable.

It is rumored that tomorrow the weather will be feo with snow but these rumors are feo. Like a man, the weather must be experienced in person. One can not know a man by rumors alone. And verily one cannot fear a man on mere rumors. It will be 104km to Ushuaia tomorrow morning. There will be the land and with land there is sky and with sky falls sun and water. To rumor the sky and water, to rumor it, to speak of it by any manner other than my own body and my own riding I cannot. I will face the sky and water tomorrow. I will face the mountain. And the gods willing I shall descend tomorrow into the great city of Ushuaia.

The empenadas at the Panadaria La Union are the richest. I tried the choclo (corn), the verdura (vegetable), the pollo (chicken), and the carne (meat). I ate two facturas as well as they glistened with a sticky coating that is pleasing to the eyesight. The room is the warmest. The hot water from the shower, the hottest. The people of this city, the finest.