This day could not be better

11/19/11
It was totally dark in the hotel room at 7am when I woke up. I have to say it was quite the luxury to wake up in a comfy bed in a warm room for the second night in a row (I hope I'm not getting soft). The sun wasn't out yet due to the time zone change, but it didn't matter much because I was on a closer schedule with the sun than any clock. I had slept well, and was looking forward to at least making it 75 miles today. The ride looked pretty baron but we were planning to meet up with another rider somewhere along the way, so it should be interesting. We put ourselves together quick and were on the road by 8.

On the way out of Van Horn we stopped at the convenient store to stock up on supplies. Due to the long stretch without any services, extra water was a must. It was pretty cold that morning and there was a lot of cloud cover. I expected that it would heat up later, but the key to warming up now was to keep pedaling. I could see up the straight road for miles, and the next few hours the ride proved to be smooth. It also helped having my two new friends to talk to to help the time pass and keep me motivated.

This was the Texas that I think of when I think of Texas. Just vast, huge open space with mountains in the distance and not much else for miles. It's beautiful around here, and feels much like a different country. Texas is that way. There's always that feeling of independence here that just a couple other states have. I don't know if it's something in the air, the water, the dirt or a little of all three but I feel like people from here will tell you that they're Texan before they tell you they're American. It's the kind of place that breeds genuine, unique and inspirational individuals. Individuals like Dex Tooke.

We saw Dex when he was about half a mile ahead of us, on the opposite side of the road heading our way. He swooped around and we all stopped and met this sensational human being. He's a thin man, of average height, with powerful legs. An obvious cyclist. Dex is about 60, but seems younger, and had just finished the Race Across America (RAAM). It's a 3000 mile race from coast to coast in the US, goes through 12 states, and has 170,000ft of climbing. It's 30% longer than the Tour de France, and done in about half the time. Dex finished it in about 12 days. He had also been an accomplished marathon and ultra-marathon runner before he got into cycling. Truly an inspirational person, and here he was riding with us.

Ryan had organized the whole thing. He had worked with RAAM for the past three years, and had known Dex for two. When Dex received word that he would be riding through his area of Texas they set it up so that we would all be meeting up along the way. I now had even more reason to be grateful for riding with Ryan and Nick...and now Dex. It felt great to be out on such a great day, in this beautiful country, with these truly amazing people. I was feeling inspired.

At about noon we came to an odd sight in the middle of nowhere...a Prada store. We were literally at least 40 miles from anything and here was a Prada store outside of Valentine, TX. Well, it wasn't actually a Prada store, it was really an art installation which I think makes it pretty awesome. It really puts things in perspective, the fact that they built this replica Prada store out in open country Texas, miles from water, food, or civilization. I wonder what the cowboys have to say about it.

Another hour up the road I was dying to eat, and we all decided to stop and snack. I think these guys travel a little different than I do. Whereas I might ride in two hour bursts and then stop for an hour, I have a feeling all three of these guys can ride all day without taking much of a break. I'm happy to be riding with them though, they keep me motivated and on my bike. After a quick meal I was feeling better and we were back on the road.

Another few miles up the road we came upon a large piece of property with a beautiful black stallion horse that seemed quite curious about us. We kind of slowed down to say hi, and he would follow us slowly and then kind of stop when we did. Dex was hollerin' at him, with his Texas accent, to get the horse to run with us. It looked as if the horse would burst into a sprint at any moment, but remained cautious and just trotted behind us. I haven't spent much time around horses, but can definitely see different personalities in them, and the whole interaction we were having was pretty cool to me.

He probably followed us for a good mile, and then suddenly just went for it. The horse looked so strong and graceful in the midst of his full on sprint. At the same time that he started running I gunned it too. I think the others fell back, and for maybe half a mile it was me and this gorgeous creature neck and neck. It was a totally surreal experience for me; one of the best of the trip. I felt bad as we approached another fence, which prevented him from running any further. I would have liked to ride with the horse as long as I could keep up, which maybe would've been just another minute or two. Either way, that made my day. The horse had plenty of land though, and that made me happy. This guy obviously just wants to run.

Not long after that, maybe another 30 minutes up the road, I almost ran over a tarantula crossing the road. I had wanted to see a tarantula the whole trip, so I turned around to check him out. The hairy little insect was medium sized, but medium sized is still a lot bigger than any house spider you'll ever see. It was on a mission to cross the road, and was moving fast to get there. I stopped for a minute to try and get some pictures, as well as play with it a little. I had my riding gloves on so I fooled with it briefly, but never actually picked it up. That was just another cool experience to make my day.

We got to Marfa at about 3:30. Marfa is a cool little art community town of about 2000 people. It's a mixture of cowboys and artists, and definitely a unique place. Riding through town we saw a bunch of art cars and old stores that had been turned into art installations. I had heard about this place, but never would have imagined it existed here unless I had seen it with my own eyes. Marfa was also famous for the Paisano Hotel, which was used to film 'Giant' the 1950's film with James Dean and Rock Hudson.

As we rolled into town, Dex told us that he'd be providing us with a hotel room. Not only was he an phenomenal athlete, but he's also a extremely generous person. Dex and his wife, Joni, had treated Ryan, Nick, and I to a big room at the Riata Inn on the east side of town. Well, mainly it was all because of Ryan and his influence...but I was super stoked to be a part of it.

We stopped in to clean ourselves up, and then the five of us all went out to a fancy Texas dinner at the Paisano Hotel. It was probably a little more expensive than I wanted to spend on a meal, but it was worth it for the great company and to eat at a place in the National Historic Registry. after dinner we all went out for Blizzards at the Dairy Queen (the real reason I love cycling) and then took a drive out to Alpine to get a glimpse of the art festival going on there. After all that, we retired to our rooms and called it an early night. Our plan was to get up early and try to make a century the next day...which seemed like a pretty lofty goal.

Miles: 75 miles

RRD: A dead badger

-D

A quick 5-days

11/14/11
Silver City-Caballo State Park
I left Silver City late, around 11am. I said farewell to Ben, whom I was very happy to meet and wished we had more time to hang out. The weather was hot that day. I had a big climb, Emory Pass, but was looking forward to climbing to over 8200ft in elevation and hopefully cooling off up there. The ride to the top was beautiful, and in particular I passed through a rocky canyon where I found my self shouting just to hear the echo and the reverb. I reached the top right around sundown, and the temperature dropped quick. I ended up riding until about 8:30pm because there wasn't too much going on until Caballo State Park. The ride was dark, smooth, and free from traffic. The moon was below the horizon all night and I saw many reflective eyes staring out at me from the darkness.

Miles: 75 miles

RRD: Baby pajamas (Why are there so many things for babies along the roadside?!?!)

11/15/11
Caballo Lake - Las Cruces
I woke just before sunrise and headed out. There was frost on my tent and it was cold that morning. I made it over 20 miles before I found a warm restaurant to go and eat. At the restaurant another touring cyclist named Andy showed up after I was done eating, and I decided to stick around until he finished so we could ride together. He was the same cyclist I met on my day off in Silver City. We arrived in Las Cruces around 1:30pm. We got some lunch and then parted ways, but took down each others contact info first. I was happy to have made it so far so early, and decided to stick around Las Cruces for the rest of the day. I hung out at Spirt Winds Coffee Bar near the New Mexico State University as I tried to decide where to stay that evening. I found a WarmShowers host who bought me dinner and gave me some patch kits for the road. I went to bed early after doing laundry and getting a warm shower.

Miles: 62 miles

RRD: A metal spoon

11/16/11
Las Cruces - El Paso
I headed out early but stopped at a coffee shop and ended up staying there until about 11am. I headed out of town, and had a wonderful ride through pecan orchards. Somewhere along the way I ran into Judy, a 72 year old touring cyclist traveling alone. She's so inspiring to me. I hope to be riding my bike still at 72. Just outside of town I stopped at a local favorite, Chope's, for some amazing Mexican food. I had planned to ride around El Paso, in an effort to avoid it, and headed north of it. I went a lot of miles out of my way but ended up getting mixed up and heading straight trough the center of town. I met a couple with a baby who had run out of gas on the side of the road. I offered to take their gas can, fill it and return, and that's exactly what I did. They offered to refund me for the gallon f gas, but it seemed to me like they needed the money so I refused to take anything. I felt like it was at least one little way I was 'paying it forward' for all the generosity I had received on the trip. I had a hard time finding a place to camp, but eventually found a secluded spot just east of El Paso.

Miles: 73 miles

RRD: A baby rattle (not to be confused with a baby rattler)

11/17/11
El Paso - Ft Hancock
The day was super windy, and I was fighting it all day. In Ft Hancock I stopped to eat at a Subway where I met the eccentric owner who was very excited about my travels. He was very nice and gave me a bright yellow subway shirt, which he noted would be a good thing to wear while riding to be noticed. Before I could leave town I ran into another touring cyclist named Francis. Francis was a bit quirky, but because of the wind I was happy to split the cost of a motel room with him. The motel was way overpriced, but splitting it 2 ways wasn't so bad.

Miles: 45 miles

RRD: A car door

11/18/11
Fort Hancock-Van Horn
Francis and I left town at a decent hour. He rode a bit slower than I was used too, but we was pulling a lot more weight than I was too. His bike was more loaded than mine, plus he was pulling a fully loaded trailer. At one point I stopped to snack and he kept riding ahead. I caught up with him outside of Sierra Blanca, TX and we rolled into the small town together looking for a place get some lunch. Our best bet for food was a local gas station, and there we met two other cyclists, Ryan and Nick. Ryan and Nick were my age and were riding more at my speed, so I decided to keep up with them the rest of the day. The wind was mostly a our backs, and we made it to Van Horn before dark. Nick offered to pick up the motel bill, which was super generous of him, and we all went out to eat at Chuy's, another local favorite for Mexican food.

Miles: 69 miles

RRD: A dead javelina

-D

It may be hard to leave

11/13/11
I slept in a little again. I think I woke up around 7:45am. Before rolling out of bed I texted Cat to see if she was awake, and to see what the plan for the day was. The night before we had made tentative plans to take a bike ride, and I just wanted to check to see if it was still on. She invited me over for coffee and breakfast, and I told her I'd leave the bike house in about 20mins. The forecast called for rain, so I wore appropriate attire, but the morning was blue skied and sunny. After getting ready, I rode the half mile over to her place and could see the clouds in the distance.

We chatted over coffee and toast, and we also discussed options. The plan was to ride up to Pinos Altos, about 10 miles north and around 1100ft higher in elevation. Seeing as how I love the air up in the pines it sounded good to me, but ultimately I just wanted to get my legs moving since I was planning on sticking around town for the day. We had both remember that Cat left her van out on highway 180 the day before, so we changed plans to ride out about 16 miles to where her can was, then drive up to PA and ride bikes up there if the weather held up.

The ride to the van was easy. The first 2.5 miles were up hill, but the rest of the way was mostly down. The conversation made it go by quick and I was happy to get a morning ride in. At the van we loaded the bikes in and head up to Pinos Altos. Along the way it had started to sprinkle, but the ride up was still beautiful. Cat had grown up in the area and was a great tour guide giving me fun little facts along the way, like showing me the intersection where another local cyclist had hit a deer while riding his bike. Although we skipped the riding because of the rain, I was happy to make it up that way and see the area. That little trip pretty much ensured that I would make plans to return to the area and check out more of the Gila Wilderness.

Back in town we were both starved so Cat treated me to lunch at Don Fidencio's, a local burrito spot where you can get a lot of bang for your buck. We also had a great conversation, and I was super grateful for meeting her. After lunch she went home to finish a report she was working on, and I headed to the bike shop. We exchanged contact info and agreed to stay in touch.

At the local bike shop, Gila Hike & Bike, I met another really awesome person named Dave. He was working at the shop but we ended up talking for a couple of hours in between the occasional phone call and customer visit. Everybody seems to know each other in the Silver City bike community, and Dave introduced me to everybody that came into the shop. At some point Dave closed the shop for a few minutes and we went back to Don Fidencio's where I got another burrito. I just feel like a bottomless pit, even on my days off. Dave told me about the community bike shop, Bikeworks, which would open around 5pm. Having seen similar community shops in Portland, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara, I was curious to check out what Silver City had to offer. It wouldn't open for another couple hours so I went to a local coffee shop, Javalina, and worked on the blog.

It had been raining most of the day in Silver City so I was kind of pleased that I decided to stick around, as opposed to riding all day in the rain. While I was able to make a little progress on the travel journal blog (it feels like two steps forward, two steps back with this thing) the sun went down, and around 6pm I headed over to Bikeworks.

Bikeworks is located on top of a fairly steep hill. I thought it was a kind of weird location, but honestly nothing seems out of the way in Silver City. When I walked into the giant warehouse I could tell right away that this was one of the best community bike shops I had been to. It was bigger and better than the Bike Kitchen in San Luis Obispo and even better than Bici Centro in Santa Barbara. There were 8 different stations each with their own set of tools, a section that was still being built for welding, shelves full of well organized parts, and even an upper section full of tires, wheels and tubes. The space was provided by the city so there was no overhead for rent, and other funding was provided through grants and donations. As a result, Bikeworks tried to give back to the community trough an earn-a-bike program as well as offering free help with bike repair.

Dave gave me the full tour of the space and although there was still a lot still coming into fruition with the place, it was still a really great space. At some point we got to talking about my bike, and I mentioned a problem with my rear derailleur. Dave seemed all too curious about the problem and we set my bike up on the stand to check it out. He showed me how to lube my cables and then we took the rear derailleur off to find out if the arm was bent at all. Before we could do that I needed to true the rear wheel. I had tried (and failed) to do it while in the bike, but now with the proper tools it was making much more sense. I feel like I could've drove myself crazy trying to perfectly true the wheel, and after getting it plenty good Dave just made a few adjustments and it was great. After that we used a tool that checks to see if the derailleur arm is bent at all, and it seemed like it may have been a little off but not much, so we bent it back into place. We put the derailleur back on and Dave showed me how to adjust the settings. We still couldn't get it working perfect, and he noticed the chain seemed a little loose. Finally we checked the chain and it was very stretched.

You run a risk simply replacing a chain as stretched as mine was. With a chain stretched a lot it's possible that the gears on the rear cassette may have become spaced as well, so replacing the chain sometimes means also replacing the cassette. If you don't replace the chain you run the risk of the chain breaking, especially on an uphill...and that could leave you stranded. I decided to take the risk with replacing the chain, and that cost me $16. I tested the bike out, as did Dave, and everything seemed alright. Luckily the gears weren't slipping, so it appeared that I would be alright with the cassette that was on there for now. With that said, I may have to replace it sometime down the line.

In the end, I had learned a lot about my bike. It was great having Dave, who is such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to bikes, to help me work on my bike. Wherever I end up living I really want to find a community shop like this one, and spend some time down there volunteering and learning as much as I can about bicycles. I'm super grateful to Dave for showing me a few things and helping me with my bike. He ended up staying later than usual just to help me out, and even more than that he just seems like a genuinely cool guy. I'm pleased to have met him and I was super happy to have my bike running smoother. Having fixed the problem in the rear derailleur, I was now curious to check out the front one as well as see how true the front wheel is. I guess I'll save that for another day.

On the way back to the bike house I picked up some salad and ice cream. Ben had made some pasta, so for dinner we had pasta and salad. Everybody was out in the living room of the bike house, and they all seemed super happy that I had brought ice cream to share. As we ate and chatted, I could see how living in that house would be interesting, because it just seemed like such a tight circle of friends. From the art and puppetry projects (the whole upstairs was designated to projects), to the rants by city council member Jamie, to having random touring cyclists like myself always passing through, I could definitely see the appeal. Not too mention how completely comfortable I felt there, and how welcomed everybody made me feel.

After going back for seconds of both dinner and ice cream I headed to bed. I was planning on getting a late start out of town because I wanted to stop by the local co-op grocery store to get a few things. Once again I retired to the guest room and laid in bed. I thought back on my day and felt very accomplished. Silver City is a cool little town, and I never expected to meet so many awesome people there. It was cold again in the unheated room, but I fell asleep easily and looked forward to getting back on the road the next day.

Miles: 23 miles outside and around town

RRD: A camouflaged left hand glove

-D

Silver City, Golden people

11/12/11
Waking up in the pines at over 6300ft in the Apache National Forest was amazing. This was definitely one of my favorite places to camp. The morning was cold, and I actually decided to stay bundled up in my sleeping bag until about 7:30am, long after the sun had come up. The morning air so brisk and fresh almost burned the nostrils as I breathed it in, but as I took some deep breaths I really felt like my lungs were filled with good clean oxygen, and I was instantly awake. I took my time taking down camp and enjoyed some granola and an apple before leaving my little mountain hideaway.

Most of the morning ride was downhill, so the absence of the need to pedal and the cool breeze kept me from warming up right away. I ended up stopping to put on my $5 gloves in order to keep my fingers warm as I continued through the mountains. I also stopped a few times to walk around and wiggle my toes as they too were getting chilly. Traffic was light, but the few trucks I did see on the road seemed to be hunters, and most of them gave a little wave as they drove by. Six miles up the road and I had crossed the border into New Mexico, and the Apache Forest changed to the Gila Forest.

Not long after crossing state lines, while continuing downhill, the forest abruptly ended and rolling hills covered with tall brown grass continued alongside the road. There were also patches of deciduous trees covered with yellow and red leaves. Their presence seemed to indicate that there must be some source of water nearby. I didn't see one cactus along the route, maybe I was still too high for that, but besides that the scenery definitely seemed different than anything I saw in Arizona. The ride was nice, although some of the hills wouldn't let me gain much momentum while coming down one and before going up the next. All that meant is that I had to work a little harder, but seeing as most of my morning was downhill, I wasn't really worried about it. At about 15 miles into New Mexico the road I was on crossed with highway 180, and I decided to stop at the intersection to snack and hydrate before heading south.

Having finished all my water, I looked at the map and saw the next spot to fill up would be the tiny town of Buckhorn, about 10 miles away. I'd survive without water for that long, and just focused on enjoying the ride. I noticed that the biggest thing in some of the towns that I had passed by that morning was the fact that they had a post office, which ended up ususlly being nothing more than a shack on the side of the road with an American flag out front. I could see how people would enjoy living out there, so far from everything, although I'm not sure that I personally was looking for that at this point in my life.

At Buckhorn I stopped at the Last Chance Liquor Store and Market, which looked like something out of the set of an old western. First thing I noticed when I walked in was the warm temperature and the wood burning stove in the middle of the store. The kitchen was open and I was hungry. I ordered a chicken sandwich and fries, which I think may have interrupted the relaxed conversation that the two ladies in there were having, but there didn't seem to be any fuss about it. They were curious about my trip, so I told them but the conversation eventually turned into one of local gossip, which must've been what they were talking about before. Both women were super nice and weren't shy about complimenting me on how handsome I was...which is always pleasant to hear. One of them joked about taking me home to meet her daughter until I told her that I was 30 years old, and then she said I was too old. Ha!

During my hour rest in Buckhorn I charged my phone, which was still without signal, and filled my water bottles. I had already made it over 30 miles and it looked as if I had about 40 yet to go. The day was still young and I figured I'd be in Silver City before nightfall. As I set out down the road I hoped that I'd get cell service soon because I needed to figure out where I was going to stay in Silver City. I had tried to contact my cycling buddy James about three days prior in order to get the contact info of his friend Ben who lived in Silver City, but I still hadn't heard back from him.

Maybe a good 20 miles down the road I finally got a weak signal on my phone, so I took the opportunity to stop and snack and check my messages. There was still no word from James, but if nothing else there was camping close to Silver City where I could stay the night. Just as I was getting ready to get back on my bike I noticed another fully loaded cyclist coming down the road. He stopped and we went through the usual touring cyclist routine of "where are you from?" "where are you going?" "where did you stay the night before?" etc. After all the formalities I noticed he was riding a Co-motion bike, which are made in Eugene and pretty rare to see...and which I coincidentally remember is the same brand that James' friend rides. I asked his name, and he said "Ben", then he asked mine...and then we both shared an "Aha" realization at exactly the same time. This was James' friend Ben that I was hoping to get ahold of! He had remembered my name from talking to James back when we were riding together, and here we were 20 miles outside of Silver City having a truly serendipitous encounter. Ha! This is the kind of thing that bicycle touring is all about.

We soon got back on our bikes and rode together back towards town. It was good to talk to a fellow cyclist, and I actually felt a little more talkative than usual. I guess I had been feeling a little conversation deprived the last few days. I learned that Ben was just coming back from Brock Canyon Hot Springs, where he had spent the night. I think we both were still reeling in the randomness of our meeting, and cracking some jokes about it when a cute blond girl with glasses pulled up in a minivan. It was Ben's friend Cat, and she was meeting him out there so that she could ride back to town with him. It seemed a little odd to me that she was just going to leave her van out there while she rode her bike the rest of the way back with us, but I also thought it was awesome that it was the kind of place where you could feel totally comfortable doing something like that.

Having two new and interesting people to talk to really made the uphill road into Silver City go by quick. We crossed the Continental Divide, and were soon heading downhill into Silver City. Ben had previously invited me to stay at what he referred to as "The Bike House" and I jumped on the opportunity. When we got into Town we split up with Cat and Ben brought me to his house. It wasnt hard for me to identify "The Bike House" as we rolled up to an artsy looking two-story house with bicycles welded together to form a fence around the front yard. We headed up a dirt road that ran alongside the hose, and entered the property through the back yard where bikes were leaning up against everything. Then we entered through a sliding glass door into a kind of covered back porch area which was filled with bikes, bike tools, and giant paper mâché creatures. Then we wheeled the bikes into the main quarters where a wood stove was keeping the place warm.

The Bike House is basically just a big house where 5 artistic bike enthusiasts live together and share resources. It definitely reminded me of a few places in Portland, and I just thought it was awesome how welcomed everybody made me feel as soon as I got there. I was really just a stranger passing through town, but they made me feel like an old friend and even offered me the spare bedroom with a bed to sleep in. I had the feeling I was really going to enjoy Silver City.

Ben invited me out to a little local place with live music where some other of his friends would be. I was looking forward to meeting some more people so we got ready and headed out. We stopped by Cat's place and picked her up and then rode to downtown Silver City and stopped at a little restaurant/bar called Diane's where we met up with two other people. I think the three of us were super hungry from the ride, so we ordered food right away, and as we waited for our meals other friends trickled in until there was a table of about 10 of us. Everybody I met that night was super friendly, and it seemed extraordinary to me that so many interesting people were all sitting together at one table in this small town. I was more or less convinced to stay an extra day in town by everybody there, and I had a feeling that I wouldn't be disappointed.

The night didn't go on too late, and soon we all dispersed. Ben and I rode back to The Bike House together, and we shared another laugh about the randomness of our crossing paths. I was very pleased to meet both Ben and Cat, and looking back it seemed like quite an amazing day. Once again I hit my usual wall after a full day of riding and went to bed early. The room I was in was unheated, but it was still warmer than if I were to be outside and I fell asleep quick in my warm sleeping bag on the spare bed.

Miles: 69 miles

RRD: A broken bicycle frame

-D

Apache Gold

11/9/11
Oh my god was it cold! This was definitely the coldest morning of my trip. I'm glad I had my sleeping bag liner to at help keep me a warmer, but the wind howled through the night keeping the temperature near freezing. I had waken periodically throughout the night and would curl up in the fetal position with my head in my sleeping bag to try in an attempt to keep in all the heat I could. In the morning a couple of my toes were numb and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I immediately took down camp in hopes that it would warm me up. It did for the most part, but my toes were still numb and I think my brain was frozen because I wasn't making the best decisions.

I set up my stove in the sunlight where It was a couple of degrees warmer, and started boiling the last of my water which was barely a cup and a half. While the water heated I tried to warm my toes over the flame, which only resulted in a burned sock and disn't really help my toes. I tried doing some jumping jacks and pushups while I waited for the water to heat up which helped a little in my body, but not my feet. When the water was hot enough I even tried dipping my toes in the hot water. I tested it with my finger and it didn't seem too hot, but when I dipped my toes in I had to pull them out quickly a spilled some of the little water I had left. Eventually I could keep them submersed for a few seconds and I was getting back some feeling.

When I looked at the water, after my feet had been in it, there was some weird stuff floating around that grossed me out. I wasn't sure when I would have the chance to get more water, so I dumped some instant coffee in there to and poured it into my water bottle in case I really needed something to drink. My toes were still a bit numb, but I felt better about them, and got ready to get on my bike to ride. I had no cell service and my cyclometer with temperature gage wasn't working, so I don't know what temperature it was. All I can say is that it was damn cold, and the wind wasn't helping. As I started pedaling out of the campground, the cold air and breeze felt like a million little needles piercing my face.

The next portion of the ride was grueling. I had yet to reach the summit of the mountain I'd started climbing the night before. My toes were still numb, and the air was freezing and I had to deal with a cross wind that continued to blow. After a rough hour, I felt somewhat accomplished when I reached the pass at Top-of-the-World, AZ at 4600 ft. The residential town there was actually really gorgeous, and the name suits it well, as I did feel like I was on top of the world...a frigid windy world, but a beautiful world none-the-less.

I wasn't looking forward to the ride downhill to Miami, AZ but I have to say it was pretty easy. The wind blew hard as I shot down the mountain and I tried to keep my feet behind my front panniers to keep them from getting too cold. It helped a little but by then my toes had been numb for about 2 hours, and I was just trying to get somewhere warm. Luckily the sun was shinning bright by now and the world around me was slowly warming up. I came up to a small diner style place just on the edge of town and figured I could use some warmth and food and water.

After filling up on water and getting something warm in my belly I looked for an outdoor store. Walmart was the only thing around and I figured it may be the only place I'd have a chance to get some warm weather clothes. I stopped in and got some wool socks, pocket warmers, some cheap gloves, and some more snacks. My rough morning was over, the feeling in my toes had returned, and the wind had even let up a bit.

The rest of my day seemed to go pretty smooth. I stopped in at a grocery store in Globe and stocked up on more food. Just east of Globe is the San Carlos Apache Reservation. As soon as you enter the reservation you reach the Apache Gold casino. I didn't have any desire to stop so I kept on riding through, but the parking lot looked pretty full. It was sad to see, but the sides of the road through the reservation were riddled with trash and booze bottles. The scenery was beautiful with distant mountains to the north and south as I rode through the rolling desert hills. The reservation is actually quite large, and I didn't expect to be making it through before the end of the day. At one point I stopped at a roadside memorial that caught my eye. I believe it was made in honor of the Apaches that lost their lives fighting in world war II. A few miles further and I was near the center of the reservation, so I stopped at the next town, a place called Peridot.

Peridot was the only town for miles, and I wanted to stop and eat. I made some lunch, and got some ice cream at the gas station. A few young locals started up a conversation with me, and despite their gang-like tattoos and overall demeanor they were actually really nice and interested in what I was doing. In fact, I'd come to find that most people on the reservation were very pleasant to talk to. A lot of the Apaches were sure to identify themselves with pride that they were indeed Apache and that they lived on the reservation. It was also common for them to end the conversation with "God bless," which was unexpected but received as a nice gesture.

The sun started to set as I got outside of Peridot, and I began thinking about finding a camping spot. I didn't expect it to be as cold as the night before, because of the lower elevation, but without a tree in sight I kind of expected wind. I found a trail that lead off of the highway, and I followed it back until there was just the faint sound of the highway in the distance. The area was very open and full of cacti and desert brush, but nothing that stood over 6ft high. The ground was a mixture of white dirt and rocks covering a harder rocky crust just a couple inches below. I swept away some rocks behind a big bush, hoping that the bush would keep me sheltered from the wind, and made a smooth area to set up my tent. The ground was hard, but flat, and the night was bright. The moon was almost full, and shone like a headlight through the net of my tent. I wasn't much bothered by it, and enjoyed looking up at the sky as I fell asleep somewhat early. I was going to work on the blog, but my phone was almost dead so I instead hoped to get an early start on the next day.

Miles: 52 miles

RRD: Lots and lots of booze bottles

-D

What a great day!

11/11/11
At 7am my alarm sounded, but I was already half awake just kind of waiting for it to go off. The motel room smelled musty and when I opened my eyes I noticed that the ceiling needed a paint job. When I rolled out of bed I was shocked to find that my rear tire was completely deflated. Well, that's my first flat...not too bad after 1600 miles of riding. I wanted to deal with it before I showered since it would be a little dirty, but getting my rear wheel off while I still hadn't quite woken up proved tricky. Eventually my brain kicked in and I decided to take all my bags off and flip my bike over, instead of struggling with is weighted down. After removing the tube I filled the sink with water and searched for the hole. I ended up finding two. I searched the tire for the cause and found one persistent little thorn, goat heads no doubt, which I was pretty certain caused the bigger hole, but I could find anything for the smaller one. After a quick patch I put it all back together and crossed my fingers that I had gotten rid the culprit.

I checked out of my room at about 9am, having been delayed by the flat, and headed over to the Main St Cafe. I swear there should be a Main St Cafe in every town with a Main St. It just seems practical. I ordered a coffee and the Breakfast Plate: 3 eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast...all for $5. That's probably the best deal I've found on the road so far. I worked on my blog and I worked on my food, and 3 cups of coffee later I was finished. When I went to the counter to pay, the giant cinnamon roll that was sitting in the display case refused to let me leave, so another cup of decaf and a cinnamon roll later it was now 11am and I was ready to set out.

It took me a while to get focused on the road ahead. In downtown Safford they had speakers on the lamp posts blasting the local oldies station, which I was quite amused by. A little ways outside of downtown I managed to roll through another bramble of goat heads, and had to carefully pick them out of both tires. It's crazy with those things, it's not like you just get one or two...it's more like ten or twenty! Then I was distracted by the 1987 Bounder RV that was for sale and looked nearly the same as the infamous RV in the show Breaking Bad. I also found it interesting that the RV was within 50 miles from the New Mexico border...hmmm, maybe I watch too much tv. When I turned North onto highway 191, I think I finally got into the groove of riding and was moving well. I could see the road ahead as wound into the hills, and thought to myself things are looking up.

For about 20 miles I was in awe of the view. I was surrounded by desert, but i found it absolutely stunning. The baron mountains surrounding me and the random rock formations, which created unique landmarks among them kept me smiling all day. I hardly noticed the climb as I went from about 2900ft up to about 4700ft, but it was still apparent that I was ascending. I had seen on the gradient profile that I'd be headed to over 6200ft, so when I started to head down into a valley my usual speedy and fun descent was a little bittersweet. Although I sometimes look forward to going downhill after an extended climb, it's always a little rough when you realize you'll be climbing even higher on the next set of hills. It almost feels as if all the hard work is for nothing...well, it would be for nothing if it weren't for the spectacular view.

At the little junction town of Three Way I stopped to get some hot coffee and a snack. I wondered why it was called three way, because it seemed to me that where highway 191 meets highway 78 it actually creates a four way intersection. I didn't think to ask about it, and just got my snacks. The two women working at the little market seemed pretty interested in what I was doing riding my bike through there. The younger one called me crazy. The other one warned me that the temperature was supposed to drop tonight up in the mountains, and that since it was Friday and hunting season, I'd be vying for camping space with a bunch of "drunk ass-hole hunters." She also told me of a place nearby where I could camp, so I thanked her for the advice and left.

I decided to think about camping closer to Three Way over an early dinner. The ranger station for the Apache National Forest was right down the street, so I headed there and found some picnic benches to make dinner. I ate 4 pesto/salmon/avocado wraps and figured that was probably good enough. I then finished my coffee and ate a package of chocolate ho-hos, and watches as a gaggle of geese flew overhead in flying V formation. By the time my meal was finished it was 4:30pm, and through my deliberation I decided to at least bike another 10 miles before setting up camp. 10 miles more today is 10 miles less tomorrow...right?

I was once again thrilled with the scenery. This area of Arizona was turning out to be my favorite on this trip. The first 6 miles of my evening ride were of a marginal grade, but eventually the hills got steeper and the road got windier. The sunset wasn't anything special. Maybe because it was overcast, or maybe because I hardly noticed since I was heading east. No matter the reason, the ride was still spectacular and as I gradually gained elevation I enjoyed the air up high more and more.

It was soon dark. The moon was hidden from view behind the mountain I was climbing, which meant the only light guiding my way was the weak little headlight I have on my bike. It seemed to be enough as the road was smooth and the traffic light. I had to stop occasionally as my mouth got dry and when the grade got steep. At times I could tell that I was probably missing out on some great views of the Black Jack Canyon below, but when i neared the summit I noticed the nearly full moon acted like a flood lamp filling the canyon with light and shadows from the mountain, making it a unique way to experience it all on its own. When I rounded one of the final curves, the stunning moon came into full view, having been hidden from me all evening, and my eyes literally needed a second to adjust to its magnificent glow.

Now with the bright moon guiding my way, I could make out some things as clear as day. The edge of the road seemed to fall off fast, deep into the canyon, but at times giant stone structures standing tall like statues would shoot up high over the road. All this illuminated by the pale moonlight was simply gorgeous. I could feel a slight thinning of air, but for whatever reason my lungs seemed to welcome it and I was able to power through the rest of the way to the top of the pass. I felt accomplished for making it up there, but was ready to take a break.

The road seemed to plateau for a bit before descending, and I found a little trail off the highway that lead up the mountain a little higher. I decided to investigate, and eventually found a great place to camp. The site would be one of my favorite spots on the whole trip. The air up at the top of this mountain was crisp and clean, and I set up my hammock up as a regular tent in between some pines. A month on the road has definitely made me better at setting up camp. Not only was the spot ideal but the actual way I setup my tent turned out to be one of the better arrangements as well. As I laid in my comfortable little cocoon, I spent some time recollecting about the day and fell asleep with the cool night air caressing my face.

Miles: 50 miles

RRD: A blue rectangular storage bin

-D

Everyone knows its windy

11/10/11
I woke up sometime around midnight to the sound of the wind howling past my tent and the moon shining bright through my tent. It was very windy, and as far as I could tell it was coming from the north. I was thinking about the day before and how the wind died down sometime during the day, so I was hoping that this wind would die down as well. I soon fell back asleep and woke up every hour or so until I finally got up a little before sunrise.

The wind continued through the morning, but it wasn't too cold. Taking down camp was difficult because every time I tried to roll up my tent, it would get blown out again by a big gust. Eventually I got it all taken care of and made some breakfast and watched the sunrise.

As I headed back to the road I came across a cactus that still had fruit on it. I wasn't sure if it was edible, but it looked like prickly pear, so I picked a couple and saved them for later. At the road the traffic looked light, and there was a decent shoulder to ride on. It's always been a concern riding east at sunrise, because traffic really has a hard time seeing me. When I got to the road I realized the wind seemed to be blowing hard in more of a west-northwest fashion...just the direction I was heading. Either way I needed to make some miles do I headed off.

The rest of the ride through the reservation was rough. I was getting a 30mph headwind all day, and probably traveling at about half of my normal speed. Just outside the town of Blythe I got bombarded by 5 dogs. I had heard them barking and seen them running in my direction from about 300ft away, but I also saw two fences and hoped that they would hold them. The fences did nothing, and because of the strong wind I was helpless at outrunning them. Traffic prevented me from crossing the highway, and three of the dogs managed to surround me. I shouted at them to go back home and looked for an opportunity to cross the road. Oddly enough, once the dogs had me surrounded, it seemed like they weren't sure what to do and they just ran back to their house. It was a pretty scary situation but now I laugh at those silly dogs that were just in it for the chase.

On the other side of Blythe, just as I was leaving the reservation another small dog ran after me. The dog resembled Toto from the 'Wizard of Oz' and actually ran all the way across the highway to come get me. Even with the wind I was able to get away from that little guy, and as a semi was headed our direction, I hoped that it made it home safe. All the wind and dogs were starting to get to me, I just wanted to make it to a town with a restaurant so I could et some warm food and shelter myself from the weather.

Now I'm not an angry person, but I was working hard to get nowhere and at some points I was shouting at the wind, challenging it. The problem with challenging the wind is that it's a loosing battle. When I would get frustrated and pedal harder, I would just get more resistance and more frustration. You really just have to accept it as it is and go at whatever speed is comfortable, even if it's 5mph. It felt as if I'd been riding all day, but eventually I made it to Fort Thomas where there was a market/restaurant/gas station where I could stop and get a burger.

At the restaurant I was able to charge my phone and update my map, as well as just eat and rest. I chatted with the people working, and I think the owner also owned the bar down the street. They were short staffed so they were closing up the restaurant at 2pm in order to open the bar. I got some more ice cream and relaxed until they closed up shop. I had hoped that the wind let up, but it hadn't, and I had to continue on my way.

If I would have been traveling the other direction I would have loved the wind, but heading east continued to be rough. My cell service was cutting in and out, but a few miles from Pima, AZ I got notice from my friend Michaelangelo that he had made a very generous donation/sponsorship. As he put it, "I'm buying you lunch." It was coming a great time, as I was over budget and beginning to wonder if I'd be able to make it all the way to New Orleans.

I was about 4 miles outside of town when the signs for Taylor Freeze started. Every several hundred yards there seemed to be another sign advertising everything from root beer floats to burgers to milkshakes to burros to nachos to cold soda. One thing about Taylor Freeze is they know how to advertise. My mouth was watering, and although I had no idea how far away I was, I knew I was going to stop and eat there. When I finally did arrive I order two burritos (the special that day) and a large milkshake. It was great to take a break from the wind again, and I think I was trying to sweeten my frustration with the ice cream from earlier and now the milkshake.

As I left Taylor Freeze the sun was getting low on the horizon. I wasn't far from the bigger town of Safford, and wasn't sure if I was going to stop there or head 6 miles off course to the campground. The wind continued to blow, and I felt as if I had worked harder that day just to make 46 miles, than on any day prior. I was sore and tired, and I think I was mentally exhausted as well. I found a motel and was curious to find out how much they would charge. I had called the hostel earlier, which was about 4 miles off course, and they were going to charge $25. I really needed a shower and to do laundry, and talked with them and eventually got a room for $35 even.

It was still early in the evening, but I really didn't want to head off course or fight the wind any longer, so I'm glad I stayed at the motel. The room was set up like a furnished studio apartment with a stove, microwave, tv, and a bed. It pretty basic and looked like what you'd expect for $35. I did a load of laundry and took a shower and even rearranged the stuff in my bags a little. I ate my prickly pears from earlier that day and they were ok, but not great. I couldn't believe how exhausted I felt and I looked forward to getting some quality rest. I don't think I had slept well the night before so I definitely needed it. The road ahead of me looked interesting, and I expected to be climbing a lot. I fell asleep around 10pm and slept hard through the night.

Miles: 46 miles

RRD: A dead dog = (

-D

A nice hike and a cold night

11/8/11
The morning was cool and I didn't want to get out from the warmth of my sleeping bag. I would look out at the sunrise periodically through the screen in my tent since I had slept without the rainfly on. The hill I was on overlooked the town of Apache Junction, and just above the waking city along the horizon was a thick line of orange, like somebody had taken a broad tipped highlighter and swiped it across the sky. Although it was cool, the amazing sunrise was telling me to get out and seize the day. I rebelled as long as I could, but by 7:30 I was packing up camp.

On the agenda today was a hike that had been recommended to me by Kim, the woman whose property I had camped on. Somewhere along my adventure, maybe it was in Santa Barbara, I had decided that I should take the advice and suggestions of the locals...especially fellow cyclists. I was able to park my bike behind the house that was on the property and started to walk out to the trail. I wasn't quite sure where the trail was or where it was going to lead me, but I was hoping it was up to the top of a ridge that I could see off in the distance. I started walking east and when the pathway ended at the top of a hill I realized I had gone in the wrong direction. After taking a few moments to enjoy the view from the hill, I set back down in the other direction and eventually came to what was clearly marked as the trailhead.

There were a few people in the parking lot getting ready to hike as well, and I said hi and walked past them like I knew where I was going. I really had no idea, but the way had been briefly described to me and when the trail split I did my best to remember what was told to me. I'm not sure if the other hikers knew where they were going or if they had seen me looking deceivingly confident, but they were close on my heels for the first portion. When the trail split again, I chose the road less travelled, followed the trail down into a dried up ravine, then caught another trail on the other side, and it probably looked as if I did know where I was going. Once on the other side of the ravine I could tell I was heading straight toward the ridge.

The whole area was covered in Saguaro cacti. The Saguaro are protected in Arizona, and a special permit is needed if you plan to remove one. The Saguaro bloom is the state flower, and they are truly a symbol of Arizona. They grow slow and may live for hundreds of years. When I learned that it may take up to 75 years for a cactus to grow an arm, I looked at all the armed Saguaros in a whole new light. For some reason they resemble tall human like figures to me, especially as I was riding past them in the dark the night before. Even on the trail that day some of them looked to have distorted faces where elf owls had made homes in the upper portion of the cactus, where the head would be. I wondered if there were any native american stories about the origin of the Saguaro.

From the top of the ridge, I could see for miles in all directions. To my north were different mountain ranges and to my south I could just make out the area where I had camped and could see the city just past that. It was a gorgeous morning and promised to be a beautiful day. The hike was much welcomed as I had been itching to do some kind of outdoor activity off of the bike. I sat at the top of the ridge for a while just taking in the view and breathing in deep the dry desert air.

Back on my bike I was riding through Apache Junction and decided to stop for some coffee, charge my phone and update my blog before leaving town. As I was sitting in the comfy leather chair at the Starbucks something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Out from behind the trash crawled a medium sized scorpion! Can you imagine my surprise?!?! I notified the staff and one of the baristas grabbed an empty cup and escorted the stingy insect outside. He said that they find them inside from time to time, but he wasn't sure where or how they get in.

Once I got out of the city, I really enjoyed the ride. The sun was powerful, but the temperature wasn't over 70F. The desert is beautiful in its own way. There's not necessarily a lot of biodiversity but it's pretty miraculous to me that all these plants and animals have evolved to survive in such a climate. Riding past all the different cactus types and desert brush, I was hard pressed to find one plant without thorns or some other type of defense system.

The climbing in Arizona is gradual. I didn't even realize I was going uphill, but before I knew it I had gained 1000ft elevation. I had gotten a late start on the day, and the sun soon set. I stopped in the town of Superior to get something to eat just as it was getting dark. I talked to some locals, and they warned me that the road ahead was steep and there wasn't much of a shoulder. After eating I set out on the road in the direction of a campground that was about 6 miles ahead, but all uphill. Sometimes it's easier to climb hills in the dark, because since I can't see much of the grade or even where the hill ends, I don't set limits on what it is I need to accomplish. I had been warned about a narrow tunnel and when I arrived at it, I was a little worried myself. I made sure I had all my lights on and that I was wearing my reflective vest covered in LEDs. I managed to time it just right so that no cars were coming in either direction while I was in the dark narrow tunnel. Just as I exited a semi followed by a line of cars all heading the same direction I was entered the tunnel, and I was glad that I hadn't taken any longer to get through.

The campground was very primitive. No water, no electricity, no anything. I was still warm from all the climbing I had done and as I looked for camp, I wondered what was sparkling all over the ground. I soon realized it was frost! I had failed to notice how cold it was up there, but by the time I found a spot and set up my hammock, I soon realized that it was really chilly. I think I was only at around 3800ft elevation, but there must have been a cold front coming in because it was easily becoming one of the colder nights I had encountered. My tent was set up like a hammock, in between two trees, but on this particular night I probably should have set it up like a tent. As I lay in my sleeping bag trying to stay warm, the wind began to whistle between the trees and my rainfly began whipping about as the wind swelled. I slept as best as I could, but the hammock sitting in the course of the wind didn't provide much insulation and I would wake up occasionally shivering from the cold.

Miles: 50 miles

RRD: A dead rattlesnake

-D

It took all day just to get across town

11/7/11
Sleeping in a little bit had me feeling refreshed, not to mention sleeping in a comfy bed. After saying good morning to Dave, I took a shower and gathered my things. To see me off on my way Dave had offered to take me to breakfast, which was an incredibly nice gesture. We were going to his favorite breakfast place in the area, Bobbie's. I had the Baja Chicken Hash which was amazing, and as we ate we discussed my route options. He offered to drive me to a spot where I'd get on the designated bike trail that goes through the canal, another super nice gesture.

On the way to the bike trail I was playing navigator, but because I didn't know the area, I ended up leading us in a massive loop. Eventually we made it to the drop in spot, and we said our goodbyes. I wouldn't have minded staying another day, and I think Dave would have welcomed the company, but as Dave put it I was "a man on a mission."

I found the canal system trough the Phoenix a pleasant way to get across town by bike. The city had set it up to be a bike path, as well as using the space for recreational purposes. I passed by several large soccer fields, some parks, and even a whole disc golf course all inside the canal. The bike path also goes for a long time, maybe 25 miles, so it was nice to be riding traffic free.

Most of the day was uneventful. I was just taking my time cycling through the cities, which goes from one into the next, and stopping for snacks and coffee every now and again. I started near Sun City, went through Glendale, Phoenix, and somewhere around Scottsdale I had to leave the canal. I met a couple of other touring cyclists near the end of the bike path, Vern and Dave, who had left from St Augustine, FL and were doing the whole Southern Tier, coast to coast.

The rest of my route through Tempe and Mesa were along roads with wide bike lanes. I was starting to realize that the area was really bike friendly. I also noticed that it was flat, so that too was a plus to cycling across town. My biggest observation was just how spread out everything was. I mean it was going to take me all day to get from one edge of town to the next.

In Mesa I stopped at a health food store to stock up on food which was starting to run low. I got a bunch of trail mix, granola, apples, bananas, yogurt covered pretzels, fresh ground peanut butter, and tortillas. You know, all the good energy filled cycling food that I had grown to rely on. While I was trying to fit it all in my bag a woman started talking to me, and asking the usual questions. Her name was Kim, and she too was a cycle tourist. She told me all about her recumbent bicycle, from Eugene, OR and a few of the trips she had been on. The conversation could've ended sooner, but it seemed like we both had more to say so we talked for maybe a half an hour. Before saying goodbye she mentioned a piece of land that her and husband have that edges up against the national forest. She said there was no water there, but no neighbors either, and that I was welcome to camp there for the night. I was super excited to stay there, and she said she wished she could have invited me to dinner or something but that she had other plans. I said a good camp spot was more than awesome and after getting directions we went our separate ways. It just goes to show that although everything in the desert seems spiny and poisonous, the people can be warm ad friendly.

Now that I had a destination in mind, I set off in that direction. The property was right on the border of Mesa and Apache Junction, and butts up to Usery Mountain and the Tonto National Forest. It got dark on my ride and even started sprinkling a little, but the sunset left a gorgeous orange haze over the entire horizon, even to the east which is the direction I was headed in. The final road up to the property was up a small hill that was a couple of miles long. It was so dark I had to use both my headlamp and my bike light in order to find the spot. There was a house on the property that was gutted, and other than the Saguaro cacti and a wide view of the town below, I was pretty much alone. After exploring the property just a bit I set up camp and fell asleep quick. The wind was blowing a little that evening, but I had found a good spot that kept me sheltered for the most part. I was super grateful to Kim for letting me use her land, and looked forward to watching the sunrise from the property.

Miles: 53 miles

RRD: A broken crib

-D