Tucumcari, New Mexico

35 mph headwinds were forecast to develop today, so at dawn, we were in Liberal, KS fueling up for the day's run.  About half an hour up the road, a semi we had just passed came steaming past us, then sat beside us, with the rear trailer axle two feet off my drivers window.  I looked over, and saw the wheels vibrating violently.  I flashed the semi with my lights to alert him, then hit the brakes and pulled right, as the tire disintegrated into an explosion of rubber and steel cord.  We're not talking a nice retread-peeling-off-the-carcass-like-a-snake, but a Ker-Pow!  We managed to slalom through the bouncing wire and rubber remnants without incident, as the semi slowed and pulled over.

Our early start gained us an hour and a half of light headwinds (SW), but they quickly grew to the forecast 35 mph.  On a two lane highway, with oncoming semis also doing the watusi in the wind, it behooves one to concentrate on one's driving.  The land changed quickly, with desert plants appearing along the road; first Bear Grass, then Creosote, Sage, and even Cholla (the dreaded) Cacti.

It was a rare four state day, beginning in Kansas, crossing the Oklahoma pan handle, across the top corner of Texas, and then finally into the mountain time zone in New Mexico.  We were glad to pull off the road, and out of the wind, at noon.

A little Pokemon hunting before the campground filled up. 

(You can click on photos to see a larger version)

That's more like it.

334 Km.