:: shift7 ::

:: north/south adventure ::

arizona: day 20, wed 17 sep
ash fork - wilhoit

stats:
67.3 @ 14.9 = 4:31:15, max 33.0, trip total: 1,530

eats:
cinnamon bun, chewy oatmeal bar, klondike ice cream sandwich, pringles, fudge stripe cookies, 3 fat tires, chicken enchiladas, apple pie, ice cream

sleep:
Willow Creek campground, $5

thoughts:
so many landscapes. big country. and it goes on and on. so does the wind. another day of riding into the wind with sun from horizon to horizon.

i got up and took tim to the airport in flagstaff. even though his stay was short is was awesome to bike with him and have him experience part of the trip. i can easily see him on the next trip... where ever that may be... we talked about possible destinations and places that usually aren't considered "destinations". it was a good way to leave it- until next time. then it was back to camp to pick up the crew and get back on the road.

it started out flat - or so it seemed. it could turn into a nice day. but the warmer it got the more the wind picked up and it didn't take long to get the picture. it was like our own little western hurricane. i know, i'm sure the DC crowd is bracing for some breezes too. let me know if you bike in any of it. i asked some of the locals about the wind and tried to find out if this was ordinary- i thought it might be since they have these huge basins and the shrubs look wind sept all of the time anyway. but no- according to most this is a rare occurrence that has "made a mess of my living room blinds" - this from the bar tender with a tattooed breast (that is usually the bouncer) at matts saloon in prescott. we stayed in prescott for the night because wilhoit had nothing. the only thing it had was a sign and some houses but no consumer based services.

prescott was actually a really nice town. small town, with a ton of bars and restaurants (and glorified pawn shops). the town square was really cool and you could see hanging out in the 70 degree nights if you had time to spare. most people there had time to spare. that's the only reason to go. it was hip but not too over the top- there was no gap store there yet.

but before all that we had to get there. one landmark was hell canyon. now, i'm no expert, but when the locals call something hell there's usually a good reason. sorry no photo but it looked as dry as the rest of the landscape. it was neat but not a shot that would show what it really was. it was dry- no water flowing and it was covered with low growing evergreens - like the rest of the view. the best part was the smooth concrete bridge that i got to ride across on and the worst part was the slashing wind that flew threw the gulley.

it was a relatively uneventful day until the flat tire- yeah #4. i was wishing that tim would take that bad luck back to DC but it seems like it stuck with me. some staple or something. i picked a nice tree with shade and fixed it up - this was about 5 miles from prescott. since the day was so short we kept going to wilhoit for an extra 15 or so miles.

after prescott the terrain changed right away. it was like we were in the mountains before the north rim of the grand canyon. dry as hell before hand and then tall evergreens with winding roads up to the top of the pass. this was the biggest surprise of the day. it was nice. we were sheltered from the wind and even though it was another pass it was a quiet road with awesome switchbacks. it was a road that hugged the mountain side for miles on end. there must have been 100 curves in and out without exaggeration. one of the neatest roads we've been on and totally not expecting it. the posted MPH was anywhere from 15 - 35 so most of the downhill was spent in the middle of the road like it was a private playground. it was a welcome change and keyed up the mood for sure.

that brought us into wilhoit. i met another cyclist going from illinois to california. the first thing he said to me was "is there any water here?". why hello, my name is eric. no- none of the pleasantries were needed. it was clear he was on a self supported trip alone and i told him the best i could. 'no, not here, not unless you ask one of the residents.' after that we got into the details of our trips and his break in flagstaff. apparently it's a bitch to get going again after taking a two and half month break. (FYI- san diego is about 5 or 6 days away by bike.) we're on the same route until blythe, california so we might see each other again. he was spending the night behind a bush (which one wasn't decided yet).

gurley st. grill was the dinner choice and recommended to us by our bartender at the saloon. it was very tasty and we had some good laughs about the meals so far on the trip. the biggest joke is having red meat more often than we have breakfast. the choices have been limited. we remembered that one time on a menu there was a meat side (steaks and the sort) and a non-meat side. i kid you not the non- meat was: buffalo steak, pork chops, etc. no vegetable platter or pasta. not even close. it's still funny.

the days are running out. 3 more riding days. we'll be in the desert for just about all of that. yuma sounds close. mexico is right there. everything is burnt and peeling. its so dry my throat hurts in the mornings from breathing through the night. lips are cracked. the salt after the ride is caked on - the sweat evaporates quickly leaving the salt as a reminder you need to drink more water. luckily it hasn't been super hot. but that can all change.