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.