And This Ain't Globe (March 28, 2015)

From the prevailing brownness of my first couple days getting from Globe to Safford, the colors of the landscape have taken a turn to green, then back to brown ... and my face and arms have taken on a distinct red tone due to a cloudless sky and hot daytime temps.

I have often said that no matter how much one trains prior to leaving on a bike tour, the first three or four days are hard on the body.  When you are training you come home to your kitchen, your furniture, and most importantly, your own bed.  Maybe what you should do during the training period is eat your meals out of the local Circle K and bed down in a sleeping bag at a local meat freezer.  Just a thought.

Indeed, the first three days were difficult, but I am feeling better and getting back into the swing of touring ... even managed to get temporarily lost this afternoon in Silver City, NM ... tells me I am officially touring.

Yesterday was the brown-to-green-to-brown day.  Camped the previous night at a place called Three Way, AZ (about 9 miles south of Clifton ... odd they call it Three Way as it is a four-way intersection).  The morning started with a 13.5 mile/2600' climb up to Mule Creek Pass.  The climb was well worth it as it took me up to pine country ... beautiful.  After cruising through the pines, I enjoyed a wonderful down hill to the Mule Creek area.  As the adjacent picture shows, this is an area of rolling grass-covered hills, with the mountains of the Gila Wilderness area beyond.  The road follows the natural terrain, so while visually it is a delight, physically it is quite painful.  This particular area ran for about 12 miles of the second half of the day's 44 miles.  Ouch.

Today I rode the 37 miles from Buckhorn, NM to Silver City ... another day of some climbing, including cresting the Continental Divide.  My goal was to make it to Silver City in time to watch the Arizona Wildcat's basketball game.  Oh well, so much for feeling good about that bunch of bums ... fire'em all!!!

Tomorrow's ride will include the major climb up and over Emery Pass ... about 2500' climb.  Another three or four days and I will be heading eastward across Texas. 

So far the ride is going well, but man it was hot today.

This Ain't the Northwest (March 25, 2015)

Over the past six summers, I have spent many-a-mile riding through the greenery of the Northwest, the Pacific Coast, upper Midwest and New England.  Lots of green.

Just started this summer's bike tour yesterday ... started in Globe, AZ and heading eastward on the ACA Southern Tier route.  For those who are unfamiliar with the area east of Globe ... lots of desert brown coupled with more desert brown ... and wind ... and shortage of places to camp.

While it feels good to be out riding again, the riding so far has been less than exciting.  I had planned to put in about 40 miles, then find a spot off road to set-up the tent.  Talked to a young English lady who was riding westward, and she indicated the only place she saw to camp was a park in Ft. Thomas ... 53 miles from Globe.  53 miles is doable unless you are confronted with a head wind.  I was cooked on reaching Ft. Thomas, but the park felt better than just pulling off the road.  Even though I did not get much sleep due to trains and trucks, it was okay.

Short 22 mile ride into Safford today for which I am grateful as my legs were sending an emphatic message ...  holding up in a hotel this evening, feeling much better and hopeful of a sound night's sleep.

Recognizing the difference in physical effort required in "planning" and actually "doing" ... I am planning on following the Southern Tier to Florida, then (depending on mental attitude) ride north along the Atlantic Ocean to Richmond, VA.  After that, I (again) "plan" to head west on the ACA TransAm route.  Planning is the easy part.

So that is the long-term plan ... short-term plan is to climb up into bed (as opposed to crawling into my tent) and sleep soundly.  Sleep is good.