Mo’ Hills on the Way to Mo-Ranch

The next day began ominously. Bruce’s knee rebelled against the previous day’s hiking and 4 mile climb out of the deep valley and was swollen and considerably painful. We had planned on going to Hunt, TX today, but all lodging required a 2 night stay when we were planning the trip this summer. So we had booked a rustic cabin at Mo-Ranch, but it was 11 miles off course! That sounded like no big deal when we were planning, but now... Of course that would add 11 miles to the next day as well. We got on the road, and encountered some brisk wind that accompanied us much of the day. And although we thought we were sort of leaving Hill Country, there were still quite a few hills, some daunting. Bruce took his prescription anti-inflammatory for the knee. The ride was beautiful, and we stopped for lunch under a huge 150 plus year old live oak tree by the side of the road, next to a cow pasture. It was so peaceful- we really felt renewed after lunch! Despite the wind it was a beautiful crisp Fall day with huge fluffy clouds in the sky. Late in the afternoon we went through Ingram. On the outskirts of town there is a replica of Stonehenge. A fella started making it when he needed to get rid of a chunk of limestone leftover from a home project. We stopped to admire it and met a guy who was riding west to east with a group raising money for MS. We chatted for a bit, and he told us all about the road conditions, nothing about the scenery. Soon we were in Hunt and began our detour to Mo-Ranch. We were not prepared for what we were about to encounter. We crossed the Guadalupe River multiple times. Each crossing was more spectacular than the one before, with beautiful cypress trees lining the banks. It was already worth the extra mileage! At one point, a huge herd of spotted, antlered deer came running across a field, crossed the road, leaped a high fence and scampered up a cliff. We had never seen so many deer at one time. Unbeknownst to us, a woman was behind us when the deer crossed. She passed us and went on her way. But soon she was back. She pulled over and asked if we were taking donations. Dana Armistead saw the signs on our bike, ran home to get some cash, and raced back to meet us. Needless to say, we were awed and humbled by her kindness. She is working hard to help Beto get elected in Texas. Good luck, Dana! We got to Mo-Ranch after dark, and as usual there was a hilly road back to the check in. When we got there, a woman pulled up and asked if we needed a room. We told her we were camping. It turns out Gema Lopez is a housekeeper at Mo-Ranch. She told us there were no sheets or towels in the cabins, which we expected. She still offered to get us some, which we were grateful for. She also led us to the campground- back down the hilly road and across the main road. We would have never found it without her! She came back with sheets, towels, pillows, soap, shampoo, plastic cups and a box of tissue! We would have been set for a few days! Total cycling mileage: 61 Total hiking mileage: 4