Endless Vistas to the WestToday was one of the longer days we have done mileage wise. Not as long as the 89 miles between Brawley and Blythe, CA but a lot more challenging in terms of climbing and riding conditions.
We started out of the motel driveway with a long slow 5 mile climb so the lactic acid burn started immediately before the muscles even had time to wake up. The road was curvy and very busy with heavy local and cross country trucks. The shoulder was moderately wide, which was a saving grace considering all of the big trucks climbing out of Globe alongside us, but because of the heavy traffic and many gravel driveways and side roads, the shoulder was also full of puncturing junk. The surface was chip seal and there was a teeth jarring rumble strip along the side. To add to the fun there few cattle guards and railroad tracks, all at oblique angles to the road, requiring a swerve across the rumble strip into traffic to be able to cross at the proper none accident causing angle. Then there were the pot holes and random bushes across the shoulder.
It was like riding in a video arcade game. Peddle frantically to get up speed to dodge out into traffic to avoid an obstacle, swerve back in dodging a bush and another rider, get caught in the rumble strip and try not to bite your tongue, get back onto the shoulder, remember to breath, brake to avoid another rider trying to get back in or out to avoid obstacles, peddle frantically to get some momentum for the next cattle guard swerve, check back over your shoulder, look ahead to see a car coming the wrong direction in the lane closest to you trying to pass the traffic coming down the hill and avoid the car behind you trying to pass the slow uphill traffic. It was a scary, hairy five miles and it was no consolation to know that although we were strung out for safety’s sake, everyone of us was dodging and darting and chattering teeth for similar obstacles.
There was a general regrouping at the top of the climb and a universal sigh of relief when we looked forward and saw a long gradual straight downhill with the heavy traffic taking off to the south about a mile away. By this time the sun was up over the mountains and high enough not to be directly in our eyes so the downhill was a lovely respite, in spite of still having to dodge bits and pieces of road junk.
We crossed the San Carlos River, entered the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and started another 3 mile climb, this one much easier because we were warmed up, the road was straight and there was minimal traffic. As we left the first SAG stop, at the one and only grocery store in the area a couple of the local residents were standing at the side of the road, waving smudge sticks and calling “ I pray the breath of Jesus on you that you will travel in safety.” The sentiment was greatly appreciated.
The next 40 miles were alternating climbs and down hills with endless vistas of mesa lands and mountains in the distance. As we got closer to the edge of the reservation and the start of the Pima Indian Reservation we began to see fluffs of Pima cotton along the road, caught in the bushes and fences and occasionally blowing across the road from the dry plowed fields.
The only breaks in the day were passing through the town of Fort Thomas, home of the founder of Lion’s Club International, with a large plaque and monument to him and the excellent Arizona State rest stop with tables in the shade , water for the water bottles and flush toilets. Our rule of the road is never pass water or a flush toilet so we were glad to have a break to use the flush toilets, fill our water bottles and generally take a rest.
The ride was very difficult for me because I started out depleted and never really caught up. It was hot, bright and sunny, and there wasn’t much of a cooling breeze. Although riding through the agricultural areas on the Pima Reservation were interesting, after 20 miles, even dry plowed fields on one side and green fields of fodder on the other side can get boring. It was one of those rides where I had to talk myself into doing the next 10 miles, 5 miles, 2 miles and so on. I ran through “99 bottles of beer “up and down in Dutch, French, Spanish and by Fibonacci series numbers, along with “the ants came marching 1 by 1” up to 500 up and back just to keep a pedal rhythm going. Fortunately about the time I was seriously ready to call in a SAG, we hit the town of Pima and the Taylor Freeze (famous for our green chili burros), which gave me a chance to sit, have a coke float and a burro and really begin to feel like I could actually tough it out for the next miles to the motel.
The last bit of the ride was brightened by the fact that three friends of Mary Jo, one of the riders, had driven into town and were standing on the corner waiting for her with flowers and balloons and waving and cheering for each of us as we passed.
Endless Vistas to the East
Today’s Stats
Mileage 83
Ride time 5:42
2190 feet climbed so we just kept climbing the same 2,000 feet over and over
2960 feet descended
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