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
No comments:
Post a Comment