March 6th, 2008 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (Texas)
Today’s distance / ???????: 45 miles / 72km
Average speed / ????: 7.7mph / 12.4km/h
Time on skateboard / ????: 5h 45m
Total skateboarding distance to date / ????????????: 3208mi plus 280mi (?) / 5163km plus 450km (?)
Ascent / ??: 190
Descent / ??: 170
End-of-day GPS coordinates: N31.45.43.0, W106.29.16.5
If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. Smooth surfaces today, but what a wind. Cold and strong, right in my face. All day. Time to turn the mind off. Think nothing. Just push. Push. Push. No! Don’t think about Dave Cornthwaite and his support vehicles he had to shelter behind. Just push. Push. Push.
The surrounding countryside kept me sane. Pilfering Poaching Pecan Pickers apparently will be Prosecuted Profusely in Profound Practices of Pious yet Profane Poetry in Fabens.
If you need a spare airplane tyre, make a visit to Tornillo.
And if you’re sick of mowing the lawns, move to Clint, Texas.
Funny, it wasn’t until I was about 10m past the El Paso city limit sign when it hit. I broke down in tears. More or less done. Texas. Once again to borrow the late Sir Edmund Hillary‘s words “I knocked the bastard off”.
I think it is worth noting that no, it is not worth your time or effort to skateboard across Texas. At least the southern section anyway. Just don’t do it. It is a waste of fabulous, mind blowing scenery. I only got half a glimpse of what could have been. Cycle across the state. Be awed by the amazing, massive landforms. The vast deserts. The challenging climbs and the what surely would be blisteringly fast, wonderful downhills. Texas is an awesome state. I will be back some day. On a bicycle. I value efficient human powered transport. A skateboard is not an efficient form of human powered transport in the boonies in Texas.
I pushed on for a further 15 miles to the center of town, against the horrid headwind. I didn’t have an opportunity to contact anyone in El Paso from Couchsurfing.com, so I decided to stay at the El Paso International Hostel. US$19 a night for a comfy bed. Safe from the drug runners in Mexico. Helicopters fly overhead, over the barbed wire fences separating El Paso from the city of Juarez on the Mexican side.
So glad you've got through Texas. It will be interesting to see what the roads are like from here on. Hope it's all smooth, happy skateboarding!
congratulations. i'm sorry it wasn't a gorgeous and fulfilling ride for you. but you did it and i'm proud of you. so many hardships. but wow. i'm thoroughly impressed.
may the roads ahead of you through new mexico and arizona be smooth and asphalty. I have a friend in Scottsdale AZ if you're headed that way. It is near Phoenix. They may be able to host you, or to find someone to host you, if you need.
Christine, thank you for the offer. I have a place sorted out for Phoenix, so I should be OK there! Cheers, Rob.
I've been checking on the map and see that you won't be doing many miles in new Mexico. Most of the next leg of your travels will be in Arizona. I dare say a lot of the country side will look a bit like Texas.
Hee hee, laughing out loud in an empty office about the spare aeroplane and lawnmowing photos. All class, dude.
Congratulations on being done with the trip across Texas. May it not leave a mark on your experience of the journey that taints the rest of it from here on.
You being in El Paso brings back many memories of my trip there. I've also been to Juarez in Mexico. Typical border town. It's interesting that you will also be in Phenoix as I stayed with friends there for about a week. Quite a nice place, but very hot!!! I visited a school there that had no windows …. helped the aircon work more efficiently. I'm afraid to say that the scenery between El Paso and L.A doesn't change very much, or I didn't think so anyway! But it was very flat.
