The night was short and cold. Going to the bathroom was torture. The wind howled all day long. My bear bag survived yet another night. I am little tense when there is so much food. Meaning I would have to go back into town. For that reason I did not travel far. I made it to grey MT the next day. A nic little town with everything you want. I am on the doorstep of navajo (spelling) nation. Tommorow I am taking a rest. Then on to cameron to get my camping permits. Today I saw a needle, pottery blue plate, 6 pistons (car), and a free dump day sign.
Easy all down hill now at 6000 feet. Again more mars terrain. The system blew through literrally. Wamer days ahead. I had a nice wide shoulder the whole way. I am in the land of the wind. Nice tailwind.
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Sunday, May 25, 2008
The storm didn't blow itself out. With more snow ready to melt again for me with the wanning days. I decided to wait till noon when it is the hotest part of the day. The sun broke I started my wet teardown and packaging. Care full to keep thins in order and place items with the least chances of getting wet. I could see another batch of snow comming , I was too late and too committed to moving. My 3 season tent would need drying. The red mud made things tedious not to get stuff on you. Yes my tarp and tent have some red scares. The stuff sticks like clay. I managed to get my bike and trailer pushed up the forrest road, which proved diffucult with all the melting snow. Once on the main road I was wishing I had stayed in bed. My biggest fears were laid to rest as this weather pattern was not local to only my hill. I sensed I was on this elevation and hill caused it to keep the cycle of sun and then ice for the last 4 days. I am commited know. Just like my campsite. The sun broke and dried me off. Of course I could see the showers awaiting their desires on me.
The went fast as I was really pushing the pedals. I stopped along the narrows some cold peolple were fishing. I took a dry spell to eat some fruit. Then before I wanted to I hoped back on my stede. Chasing the sun beams which were being drowned in a sea of rain. When I reached Flagstaff city limits. I remebered Casa Grandes limit wasd 30 mi. That was not the case. Yet to have a forrest roads in the city limits was.
The accomadatipns went from ok to good to bad then worse. Of corse motorists didn't understand move over so I don't get sprayed. Cycling up here has been neglected. Filled with people who don't know what to do when meeting a legal cyclist. I credit this mostly from the cyclist I see. Not very assertive , almost asking to get bulluyed. I wonder what the fall is like for this college town. The bike lanes are really bad going all the. way to the intersection.
I finnaly arrived my sandels didn't keep my feet warm even though I dropped a 1000 feet. Now it was rain atleast. The constant cycling kept my circulation going good enough to feel. I found a resturant and collected information from my backberry. Yes coverage. I need a hotel room. Saturday was soggy mess no way I could survive another night with my wet clothes. Besides a little celebration was in order. So I stopped off route 66 in a motel that had been built back in the day. A nice hot shower, and a dam weather forcast please. Since the last forcast I got was way off base. What this is the lasy day? I only needed one more day of food. It worked out in the end. I went to Fatterelli (spelling) pizza place. I wantes to go for a smallwalk and stretch my legs. I was surprised to find a whole shopping plaza behind me room. Laundry wod be on sun and I now know where to take it. The pizza was voted the best in flagstaff. It was really good for rhe dough I spent on it. Upon my trip an Indian was chantin , some couple was malking out, and the police crurzer pulled his 3rd person over. I made it back and ate some pizza.
The next morning I packed up under sunny skies. I never thought 40 degrees would feel so good. I did my food shopping at the all natural store. Of course laundry. I also met the guy who sells trailers. He helped me put a kickstand on my trailer which I had purchsed. Thanks Josh. With every done and the sun ready to set. I headed down hill out of the city. I did have to climb back to 7000 feet, but I had no problems. I am now resting and listening to the rock concert my tent is playing from the wind. I am next to a cinder cone volcano. Tommorow Gray MT.
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The went fast as I was really pushing the pedals. I stopped along the narrows some cold peolple were fishing. I took a dry spell to eat some fruit. Then before I wanted to I hoped back on my stede. Chasing the sun beams which were being drowned in a sea of rain. When I reached Flagstaff city limits. I remebered Casa Grandes limit wasd 30 mi. That was not the case. Yet to have a forrest roads in the city limits was.
The accomadatipns went from ok to good to bad then worse. Of corse motorists didn't understand move over so I don't get sprayed. Cycling up here has been neglected. Filled with people who don't know what to do when meeting a legal cyclist. I credit this mostly from the cyclist I see. Not very assertive , almost asking to get bulluyed. I wonder what the fall is like for this college town. The bike lanes are really bad going all the. way to the intersection.
I finnaly arrived my sandels didn't keep my feet warm even though I dropped a 1000 feet. Now it was rain atleast. The constant cycling kept my circulation going good enough to feel. I found a resturant and collected information from my backberry. Yes coverage. I need a hotel room. Saturday was soggy mess no way I could survive another night with my wet clothes. Besides a little celebration was in order. So I stopped off route 66 in a motel that had been built back in the day. A nice hot shower, and a dam weather forcast please. Since the last forcast I got was way off base. What this is the lasy day? I only needed one more day of food. It worked out in the end. I went to Fatterelli (spelling) pizza place. I wantes to go for a smallwalk and stretch my legs. I was surprised to find a whole shopping plaza behind me room. Laundry wod be on sun and I now know where to take it. The pizza was voted the best in flagstaff. It was really good for rhe dough I spent on it. Upon my trip an Indian was chantin , some couple was malking out, and the police crurzer pulled his 3rd person over. I made it back and ate some pizza.
The next morning I packed up under sunny skies. I never thought 40 degrees would feel so good. I did my food shopping at the all natural store. Of course laundry. I also met the guy who sells trailers. He helped me put a kickstand on my trailer which I had purchsed. Thanks Josh. With every done and the sun ready to set. I headed down hill out of the city. I did have to climb back to 7000 feet, but I had no problems. I am now resting and listening to the rock concert my tent is playing from the wind. I am next to a cinder cone volcano. Tommorow Gray MT.
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After leaving payson I pushed on to flagstaff
I managed to cross and then climb the east rio verde river to find a nice resting spot on control road. The red rusted dirt made me feel as though I was on mars
I made camp and awoke the next morning. My bear bag made it another night.
I saw a dead bear last night so bear bags were now being used. It was pretty sad to see the bear it had to be only 80 lb s .
The climb on the next day after leaving Payson continued with a ten mile climb my first thing in the morning. I climbed thourh pine which is a bustling town.
Laundry food library
Then to strawberry still cilmbing. Finally resting I climed the rim. I manage to go another 20 miles to Clint Wells. Where I got my gallon of water. Co 3 to Flagstaff. Yeah I was so excitited to get off 87 two lanes climbing the whole way. I was amazed at all the truck traffic. They did have pull outs to rest but no cars ever needed that to pass me. Of course some squeezed me. Which caused more lane taking when cars were oncoming. So they stopped doing that. It was a wide 12 foot lane however the side of the road had a s foot cliff. Up
I managed to cross and then climb the east rio verde river to find a nice resting spot on control road. The red rusted dirt made me feel as though I was on mars
I made camp and awoke the next morning. My bear bag made it another night.
I saw a dead bear last night so bear bags were now being used. It was pretty sad to see the bear it had to be only 80 lb s .
The climb on the next day after leaving Payson continued with a ten mile climb my first thing in the morning. I climbed thourh pine which is a bustling town.
Laundry food library
Then to strawberry still cilmbing. Finally resting I climed the rim. I manage to go another 20 miles to Clint Wells. Where I got my gallon of water. Co 3 to Flagstaff. Yeah I was so excitited to get off 87 two lanes climbing the whole way. I was amazed at all the truck traffic. They did have pull outs to rest but no cars ever needed that to pass me. Of course some squeezed me. Which caused more lane taking when cars were oncoming. So they stopped doing that. It was a wide 12 foot lane however the side of the road had a s foot cliff. Up
Upon reaching clint wells I had transisitioned from climb up to go down now to rolling hills. What a difference. It was a pretty tough starting out with my 10 mile climb. In the end as I opened the gate to my next camp spot I felt proud. Knowing what I had just done.
On this day I climbed to 7500 feet. See I was not joking. I had been climbing a lot and it felt great to get that behind me.
Now into the rolling hills where I could pick up some speed to make it little farther up that hill. All of these MT and huge hills were waking me up! I traveled the sixth day to Morman Lake about 20 mi from flagstaff.
The storm started to roll in on wedensday. If the pines hadn't blocked the wind I would have scrapped that day. I now was going from hill to valley rather that MT. To valley . I crossed over the transition zone into the Colorado Pleatu.
When in the valleys I had to crab. For the wind. I reached Morman lake with stiff cross wind I had the lake to my left I was taking a lane with a shoulder I imagine the gust were 40 knots. There was rain falling to my left and straight ahead. I was crabing so bad into the wind. People that were oncoming were slowing down. ,
Not to many times you see a cyclist at 30 degrees. Including myself. It was a hard day but I knew something was comming. Finding the next rest stop was easy I had some sleet pounding me now and my shorts had long since froze.
Only long enough to burry my electronic gear did the sleet last. . I found a camp site and buckled in. It started snowing around 8 am on thursday this would be my day of rest.
The wind continues to blow. And it snows off and on throught Thursday into the morning where I go to see three inches of wet snow! I went from 90 and sunny to 20s and snow. Good thing I brought winter gloves and a hat. Around 1pm I went for a quick bike ride to get some water. Only 4 mi but after pulling all that weight. My empty bike seemed to float. It was quick and dirty. No helmet or safety shirt since I had to wear a sweater over the top. I brought my collapsible water jug in a small backpack. I made it to Dairy Springs C.C. Got my water and cycled back. It felt like I was riding in winter all over again. Really not much done that day some reading and of course writting. I was hoping the two days of howling wind would get rid of the system. I was wrong in the early morning it snowed a couple more inches. Then throughout the day continued to snow. The sun did break at 1 pm. Which warmed me up in my tent. Yep more sleeping writting such. Much colder to day as the system I hope past by. I am running out of food on saturday. I am only 7 mi from though so I just add the hunger pains to my cold feet. Is this frikin May? I am about to go chow down. The last three days have consisted of bagels yummy harvest, beef jerkey, cereal bars, and mix fruit. The closer I am to the food store the better I eat. My portions die off so I have enough to last. I normally eat like a hog due to all the energy I expend on cycling.
I am looking foward to flagstaff. If anything it will only be 20 mi.
Little
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