Mad About Cycling

Greeting from the Big Bend area in southwest Texas. The Big Bend area takes its name from the Rio Grande River which flows southwest until the park where it bends to flow to the northwest. The National Park abuts the river and the Chisos Mountain Range. It is the size of Rhode Island and is among the least visited parks in the lower 48. I did not see the Road Runner or Wile E. Coyote on our 3+ hour drive south, but I thought I caught a glimpse of an Acme truck unloading an anvil.

Today we cycled from the town of Presidio to Terlingua on a near traffic-free road along the Rio Grande. The scenery was beautiful, but unfortunately our 37 mile ride was neither downhill, nor close to being a flat course. We had 19 short and one long climb with 10 to 12 percent inclines. It was a very hot 90+ degree day, the hills were relentless and I knew I was very dehydrated before lunch. When you realize you are dehydrated, it is usually too late and that is what happened today. The last 12 miles were not pretty, but I was grateful that a nice couple on our trip stayed with me and offered encouragement while dark thoughts were running through my mind.. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Here are some scenes from today’s ride:

Our friend Art coming up one of the climbs. And here is the mighty Rio Grande:

And while I was suffering on the climbs, take a look at this picture. Who smiles on a brutal climb??? (Taken by our friend Serge — I was a few miles behind by then)

But let’s talk for a minute about Mercury, or even mercury. What? Yes, Mercury is the God of travel and I do like traveling. More to the point, the Big Bend region is so remote that it is an “International Dark Sky Reserve”, the darkest nighttime area in the lower 48 and perfect for seeing Mercury, other planets or stargazing:

The Big Bend region also at one point had the highest concentration of Cinnabar in the United States. Cinnabon stores? Many of you are probably still wondering how a guy who spent much of his high school physics class in the cafeteria had the chutzpah to blog about physics during our trip last summer. Stay with me as I’m on more solid ground when it comes to chemistry:

Chemistry? Mercury? What on earth does this have to do with Big Bend? Well, mercury (periodic table symbol Hg, atomic number 80) is mined from red Cinnabar rock. Cinnabar is plentiful in the Big Bend region and in the late 19th/early 20th centuries it was one of the biggest mercury mining centers in the United States. Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature (nicknamed “quicksilver”) and was once used extensively in manufacturing, most notably as a component for explosive shells during the Wold Wars and to stiffen felt used in making hats.

How in the world did someone figure out that this pretty red rock contains a toxic liquid metal? And how did someone come up with the idea to dissolve mercury in a solution of nitric acid and alcohol to form crystals that create an explosion when rubbed together? And what were the odds that a persistent 19th century geologist would ride 300 miles on horseback through arid Comanche territory in a quest for Cinnabar? What useful things have I done with my life?

True, exposure to mercury causes neurological damage. But in those days when America was great, there were none of those pesky OSHA regulations. For you Fairfield County friends, have you ever wondered why sports teams in Danbury, once the hat-making capital of the United States, are known as the “Mad Hatters”?

Big Bend National Park was created in the late 1940s after mercury mining declined. We’re staying tonight in the former center of mercury mining, Terlingua, which is now pretty much a ghost town. The scenery and landscape around here are really spectacular. It is a place where, if you’re not already, you’ll soon be mad about cycling.

It is also good to know that folks around here have a sense of humor. Here is what I passed this afternoon on our desolate cycling road, right when I could have used some caffeine: