Day Ten
Epic day today! This was my ninth riding day, and the first day of Reach 2, from Tempe, Arizona to El Paso, Texas. I covered 83.7 miles, with the most climbing I have ever squeezed into one day!
The ride out of Tempe and the Phoenix metropolitan area was relaxed and pleasant. Once again, I was surprised at the quality of the bicycling infrastructure, including dedicated bike paths along irrigation canals, and 8 straight miles easy riding on E. Adobe Street, through quiet neighborhoods and virtually no traffic. I picked up US 60 just south of Apache Junction, with excellent pavement, wide, clean shoulders and moderate, well-spaced traffic.
The climbing began at the intersection of US 60 and Arizona 79, at about 41 miles into the ride. By now it was hot (at least to my body, accustomed to Montana winter) and the wind backed to be right on my tail. And the climbing didn't quit! Up and down, but mostly up, for the rest of the day. The mountains here are rugged and shockingly handsome. The highway winds up through increasingly narrow valleys and gaps. I thought I had topped out several times, but around the bend, the climbing continued, up over 4,500 feel elevation. I passed through Top-Of-The-World, a hamlet neighborhood in a kind of sky island of trees and lush green vegetation. Then climbed some more. A sign said "6% downgrade next 12 miles", but it lied: down for mile and a half, then more climbing.
Climbing with a full touring set up is slow, really slow. I'm riding to heartbeat rates, keeping below my aerobic threshold to be able last very long days (today was 11 hours on the saddle from start to finish, and I felt strong all day). I began to wonder if I would run out of daylight before reaching Globe. Hunting for camping spots in the area proved fruitless, so I decided to book a cheap motel. I picked Motel 6 and after placing the reservation realized it was on the eastern edge of a very spread-out Globe, Arizona. I was still riding as night fell so I got off the highway and wound through quieter streets to arrive at 7:20 PM in near total darkness.
Today, Day 1 of Reach 2, my second week of the trip, was the beginning of Climb Week. I'll climb and descend thousands of feet over the next 5 days, until I reach Las Cruces, New Mexico. I've chosen a route through Silver City and over 8,200-foot Emory Pass, because it just looks spectacular. Can my legs handle it? Today was a good test, and I think I'm up to it. There is a less mountainous and shorter mileage option, but I don't want to do that unless I just feel crushed by the climbing.
After Las Cruces, it's a little up and mostly down, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. A successful Climb Week will build my power, which I can convert to speed, for the rest of the trip. Tomorrow I drop about 1,000 net feet to Pima, Arizona, then it's back to up, up, up.
I’d love to hear from you. Donate to the ride and send along your words of encouragement and tell me why getting kids outside matters to you.
