Ride Day 25

As usual I started early on my ride. I planned on going from Buckhorn to Silver City today a distance of about 40 miles with a couple thousand feet of climbing. The road started out downhill and then the rolling hills started. The road was good with a nice shoulder but I found my legs were still tired from yesterday's long grueling ride. I took it easy as I went.

I stopped at a coffee shop in Cliff and caught up on my internet while I ate some breakfast. Then I hit the road again. The road disappeared off into the distance for most of the day. Very little traffic for a Monday morning. I did run into five other bikers. A Belgium couple, a lone guy from Georgia, and a couple from Switzerland were all on the road going the other way. We all talked for a while and compared notes on the road ahead of us. I enjoyed the Swiss couple because they were vivacious and trusting. We talked for about 20 minutes before we broke it off and continued our rides.

The road started to climb after our talk. It was only 10 more miles to Silver City but my legs were tired and the road was climbing at a long slow rate. I had to rest often as I am at 6000' and I was getting winded. I would just stop for about two minutes to let my heart and breath catch up and then take off again.

I made it to Silver City but I was tired for only a 40 mile ride and only a couple thousand feet of climbing. I blame it on the elevation but it is just as or more likely that I over did it yesterday on my 90 mile ride with almost 6000' of climbing. Us old men don't recover as fast I am finding out. I hope I survive this ride coming up over a 7200' pass and Emory pass at 8228 feet, then some glorious downhilllllllllll.

Ride Day 20

I spent last night camped next to the Coyote Bar and Cafe in Aguila, Arizona. The locals were complaining about the lawlessness of the little town. They have no police and rely on police coming from 25 miles away they said. Crime has been rampant and lots of people have just left the town rather than try to fight back. Sounds like Clint Eastwood could still find work. I had no problems at all.

I pigged out on food and drank a couple beers while we talked about the crime and life in general. I hope I did not stir up too much animosity with all my questions and opinions about the crime problems. I checked out early and went to put up my tent and went straight to sleep for the night.

I left before 6AM and by 8AM I ate breakfast 25 miles up the road at Wickenburg. The ride to Wickenburg was a long slow climb of about 1000' there were a few smaller climbs later that totalled maybe another 500' otherwise the ride from Wickenburg to Phoenix was downhill or flat on a good smooth road with a nice shoulder. I made it to Phoenix in only 6 hours for an 86 mile ride. Once in Phoenix however there was suddenly no shoulder, a rough road and crazy drivers. This town is not real bike friendly so far as I have seen. Cars were zooming by me with only inches of clearance and usually blasting their horns like I was a criminal for being on their road. I felt like I was back in Florida again where they are the worst in the country.

I tried to follow the directions on my map to a campground and got totally lost when the directions did not match up with the streets. I tried to use my phone but the sun was so bright and I had so much salt in my eyes from sweating that I asked a kid on the street to look at the phone and tell me how to get there. That worked out ok. The campground is nice and clean and quiet. They did warn me that several bikes have been stolen from the park in the last month, never a good thing to hear. I am here though. I did laundry and showered. I have recovered now from my century ride today. My usual burrito for dinner. Now I will catch up with my computer stuff and be off to sleep. I may stay here and rest for a couple maybe even three days...we shall see. I am taking it a day at a time.