Cliff Dwellings - Saturday 2/25

Today was a much needed rest day as we drove our rental car to the Gila cliff dwellings.  We saw five young deer by the road just watching us on the way.  The road was steep and narrow, so we were glad that we decided not to bike it.

The dwellings were not like we expected.  They are high up in large caves with walls made of stones and mortar.  They originally had wooden roofs sealed with adobe.  Surprisingly, we were allowed inside some of the dwellings.  A few pictographs were still visible.

Bike miles:  0

The truth from Ruth:  The cliff dwellings were fascinating.  They were built by Native Americans over 700 years ago.  No one is sure why they lived there for only about 30 years.  They think it may have been due to drought conditions in the area.  It's neat that tourists are allowed to walk up inside the dwellings.  Today was a great day.

Crossing the Continental Divide - Friday

Today was the momentous occasion of crossing the Continental Divide!

We got off to a good start at 7:40 in the morning.  Travis, one of the other Coast to Coast bikers who passed us last week, was camped at the same campground, having had mechanical problems in Safford.  We left before he but he quickly sprinted past us having a schedule to meet.

We felt good for the first 15 miles but then fatigue from yesterday 's arduous climb set in.  Even though that ride was only about 39 miles to Silver city with one 2000 foot climb we knew we needed a rest day.  After two weeks this ride is really starting to feel like a workout.  Maybe it's the altitude.  We are looking forward to getting over Emory Peak on Monday and getting down to lower elevations.

Some local bikers we met along the way recommended a car dealer who also rents cars, so we went straight there and rented a car to tour the cliff dwellings.  We ate lunch, picked up some groceries, and drove out to a cabin which was on the way to the cliff dwellings, and settled in for the night.

After it got dark we were surprised to see three javelina just outside our cabin digging for something.  They patiently ignored us while we took pictures withi our tiny blue flash.

On a side note: Yesterday I couldn't blog because we had no cell coverage or Wi-Fi.  Today we have Wi-Fi but no cell phone service.

The truth from Ruth:  This cabin is fabulous.  What a great reward for a week of hard riding.

Safford, AZ to Buckhorn, NM - Thursday

Thursday's ride was the hardest of our entire trip.  We left Safford at 7:25 AM and had to hurry to reach Buckhorn before dark.  We rode 82.6 miles with two big hills averaging 9 mi/h .  The second hill had miles of steep switchbacks.  Just before we crested the second hill I hit the wall and found myself with no energy.  I mixed up some sports drink, which helped but the last 30 miles were a real struggle.

The day started very cold so I was wearing socks over my gloves for mittens but we warmed up fast.  We rode through farmlands, desert, craggy mountains, forest and ranchlands.  We ate lunch at a little grocery store in the middle of nowhere and a snack in the Apache National Forest.

And we crossed the border into New Mexico!  Woo hoo!

The temperature was dropping fast so we were overjoyed when our campground hosts told us we could roll out our sleeping bags in the warm laundry room!  Lows have been in the 30s so once again we avoided sleeping in freezing weather.

The truth from Ruth:  Wow!  What a day.  At lunchtime we were surrounded by a dreary desert.  As we rode through it, I tried to guess where the big climb would be.  Jeff pointed to a path high on a huge mountain, and I said, "No, that can't be it."  But awhile later, there we were, climbing the biggest hill I've ever ridden up in my life.  On the other side were amazing cliffs, then a forest.  The scenery was spectacular.  I'm so glad I came on this trip.  Even though I was completely worn out, it was worth it.

Globe to Safford

The day started cold and clear but warmed up fast as we pedaled off into the desert.  We soon entered the Apache reservation.  We could imagine Geronimo leading his warriors through the hills.  There was no place to stay on the reservation so we knew we had to pedal at least 80 miles.  The weather was great, we felt strong, and the miles of rolling hills passed quickly.

We met Ron again, the guy from Alaska biking across the country, and took a picture of him.

We stopped for lunch at an Apache grocery store.

Near Pima we came across the Gila Valley Arizona Temple so we stopped to check it out.  In Thatcher we stopped by my Aunt Donna's old house.  Then we continued to Safford and found a motel. 

We ate at a restaurant that offered Chinese food "Safford style".  I just had to see what that meant.  I think they were just trying to compete with the New York style Chinese restaurant next door.

Finally we stocked up on food for tomorrow, because tomorrow we will be forced to camp in the mountains where there is no food available.

Mileage for the day was 83.6 at an average speed of 13.2.  It's our longest ride yet, but every day is a new adventure and we are feeling good and having a great time.

The truth from Ruth:  At the Apache store, right before we left, I saw some ice cream for 52 cents a scoop, and they had Bunny Tracks!  Jeff was ready to leave, so I got my cone and ate it while pedaling down the road.  Oh, the fun of being a stoker!
My other favorite time today was getting the most delicious tropical-flavored slush at a place called Taylor Freeze.  We saw about 15 signs for it along the road, and I was so ready to get there.  This time we stopped long enough for me to eat it at the restaurant.

Superior to Globe

Today was a long ride up a dangerous hill with a scary tunnel.  We finally made it to Globe, checked into our motel and toured the town.  We found a giant inflatable wizard that looks remarkably similar to our mascot.  We also found, believe it or not, the worlds tallest 3 story building.  And we toured a historical museum.

On the way up the hill we passed a biker from Alaska also riding across the country.  He was carrying a lot more gear and going slower then we.

Our ride to Globe was 24 miles but we rode around town touring to make our total ride 29 miles with an average speed of 7.4. 

The truth from Ruth:  Okay, that tunnel was the worst riding experience we've had yet.  The traffic sounded so loud, and since it was dark, I was afraid we couldn't be seen.  Right before we entered the tunnel, we found an orange reflective vest on the side of the road.  Jeff told me to pick it up, because it was much better than a cheap one we brought.  I put it on through the tunnel, and I felt like we had some extra protection.
I really enjoyed touring the historical town today.  There were some beautiful churches, and the post office and courtroom were interesting too.  It was nice to finally have some extra time to look around.

Tempe to Superior

After a fancy breakfast with the Crumps, we left Tempe and headed back out on the road.  It took 3 hours just to get out of town because the Phoenix area is so huge.  Traffic was moving very slowly on the freeway so we passed a lot of cars.  Everyone was going to the Renaissance Festival.  We considered attending but the tickets were 22 bucks.

We got photos of the Superstition Mountains and the desert scenery.  Finally we arrived at the tiny town of Superior, with the world's smallest museum. 

There is a website called warmshowers.org that matches bike riders with people willing to share their home to them.  We met a couple there that opened their home to us in Superior.  One of the fun things about this trip is meeting interesting people.  Mari is an amazing artist and sculptor and her home is full of unique artwork. 

Overall the ride was pleasant, the weather was perfect, and we traveled 57.4 miles with an average speed of 10.5.

Resting 2 Days in Tempe

After a day off the bike we are feeling good and ready to hit the road tomorrow. It's been a fun weekend just visiting, attending church, and playing with the budding, 5-year-old biker, Wesley.

We have finished our first map, which is 412 miles out of the 3058 mile journey, so we spent a lot of time analyzing our options for the next week. There are a couple of long stretches with no motels, and one without any campgrounds, either. We'll have to see how it goes and make some decisions along the way. There are some mountains to cross, and this is the week that we cross the Continental Divide!

Although we have had some problems with directions and routes, we have had no flats, mechanical problems, or health issues. The weather has been good, although a bit cold and windy. The scenery has been arid but with a variety of hills and mountains. The residents of the small towns have included large percentages of "snow birds", people who migrate south for the winter to escape the cold of Canada or Washington or Utah. There are numerous RV parks around every town as well as far out in the desert.

All in all, the trip has been pleasant, life is good, and we're happy to be doing this.