:: shift7 ::

:: north/south adventure ::

arizona: day 21, thu 18 sep
wilhoit - salome

stats:
80.3 @ 18.6 = 4:18:08, max 36.0, trip total: 1,610

eats:
blueberry pancakes, bacon, egg, oatmeal harvest powerbar, cookies&cream ice cream, negra modelo, pizza, lasagne, negra modelo

sleep:
Shefflers Motel, $14

thoughts:
less wind. sometimes the world begins, sets you up on your feet again. it was a welcome relief and lifted spirits higher than any pass we could climb. it was hot but truth be told, we were lucky, i know it could be hotter. the "desert floor" was everything you could expect and then some.

i woke up early waiting for dawn, looking at the sky change from black to gray and then blue. huddled in my sleeping bag looking up and around. it's like having a window without edges into the world. cool enough to sleep well, but you could tell it would warm up fast. i climbed up the rock formations first thing to get a better view of where we were. it was like being an ant at the beach- huge bulbous rocks all around.

we went into prescott for breakfast- oh it was good. it was getting later in the day but it was worth the time. blueberry pancakes that melted in your mouth. after that it was a trip to safeway- getting ready for the desert as if we were going to war. get one of each and ten of those. grab a few beers too just in case. it was the last real stop before yuma- the end of the trip.

so we finally got on the road by 9:30 or 9:45 (a late start from our usual routine). the "local" we spoke with the night before had told us: "it's down hill for a while and then you go over that hill and you have 9 miles of down until you hit the 'desert floor'." so as we started riding and noticing that the description didn't all quite match up - you start wondering if maybe you got it wrong. was it: "9 miles of hills until you go downhill to the desert floor" or " you go down until you go over that hill for 9 miles and then you see the desert floor." there were too many variables but one thing was certain- we would soon find out and there was more than one hill. up and over a couple of times and then the surprise climb at the end was short-- to overlook the 'desert floor'. the term stuck with us as it was the best description of what we were looking at. down 1500 feet was the floor with mountains popping up here are there. but they were sitting on the floor- in the middle of this huge flat plane. the roads carefully carved out going around these ranges- one to LA, one south, another north. it was playland, almost as if you could move the pieces around or slide them along the floor. it was cool.
above the desert floor clip

the down hill that ensued was a blast- the road was split into two one way sections so it meant that most of the way down was on a one lane road. and many of the curves were 20mph so it was like riding a roller coaster. swinging from one side of the road to the edge of the other side. for as much as i wanted to take some footage as i was coming down it was a bit too much to control the bike and the camera on such a tight road. riding that slope down brought us into warmer... hotter temperatures and into the desert.

it was official, we were in the desert. cactus of all kinds and sandy soil stretched out in all directions. the water ways were dry and looked like history lessons. it was dry. a water drop on your skin would automatically evaporate and disappear. sweat only ran so far down before it was gone. the sun was scorching my skin and you could feel it get redder. but even then, i knew it could be worse. it could be this hot in the shade. but it wasn't- when you got to a town, even though they were far apart, the shade from a store or gas station would allow you to relax. give you a sense of protection and safety.

we came into a town called congress at 11:19am. for some reason that struck me. it was the next meeting spot- and we all refueled for the next 25 mile stretch. the road was straight and blended into the horizon - as the sun bounced off of it - you really couldn't see the actual perspective point. you just knew it kept on going.

it was relatively flat although i noticed the slightest inclines and down slopes. the weirdest part about these slopes is that the highest points were the water wash areas. you would think this would be the low point... but the road was built slightly higher to avoid being washed out... but other than that it was flat.

then at about midway through this section i noticed some vultures circling above. the idea that they were eyeing me wasn't the best thought. c'mon, i'm cruising along and still alive. but i knew if one of them were to dive down they could do some damage. but that was just my imagination getting loose. how big are they anyway? hard to tell from a distance. then i came upon two of them sitting in the road (feasting on something- i'll spare you the details). this is the type of situation that you would normally think they'll fly off when you come at them. nope. not these guys. they starred me down as i came. i looked at them. with such little traffic i tend to ride in the middle of the lane unless there are cars coming in both directions (very uncommon). but as i got closer to them i scooted over to my side and they kept an eye on me. i rode by- and they kept their ground. i was impressed. then i began to notice the many more overhead. what they were eating was red. my helmet is red. hmmm. this was never one of the things i thought about when i bought it. i'm sure they're smarter than that anyway. off to the left were the vulture mountains- aptly named.

and when i got to aguila (eagle in spanish) i felt good. most of the day was done and the ice cream truck was at THE store. so was i- i was there with pint in hand within minutes.

it was another long stint to the next town and everyone was looking at each other as if "who needs this?" but it wasn't really that bad. the wind i kept thinking about the days before had settled down and it was much easier to make headway. 20 some miles didn't have to be two hours away. it was now possible to be there in just over an hour. i came into wenden and it was the same old same old. a mini mart, gas station, cafe and misc buildings that were no longer anything. a run down boarded up motel, some permanent mobile homes, and dusty streets that just melted into the landscape. a couple of roads that turned to dirt 25 yards off the main strip and a couple people hanging around waiting for something. these are the towns we're going through. but there was one sign that caught my eye. HOT BEER. i thought i read it wrong and it was hot beef. no- it said hot beer. and under that lousy food. and below that bad service. and under that "welcome". ok, you're in the middle of the desert - you're not getting any surprises from this place.

i was ahead of the rest of the group and decided to take a rest, check it out. why not? i walk in, spandex and wired like i walked in from LA. the place is a traditional saloon looking place with tons of old shit hanging on the walls. photos, tools, signs, etc. with plenty on my mind i sat down and had a negra modelo and a pizza. it was the best damn cold beer and fresh pizza i ever had. and the conversation was just what i needed. a train rolled through town- it was so long that you couldn't see the end. not at first.

then thomas, bill and mercedes showed up. thomas asked if they have ice cream. the reply was simply: this is a bar. i could see the attitude of the person who wrote the sign- he was the bartender, owner, cook, and general pain in the ass if he felt like it. but we went back for dinner. it was excellent. no ice cream but home made bread and lasagne and more cold beer.

when we got back to the motel- the pink fluorescent lights really did make it seem special. yeah. it was like sleeping under a heat lamp for food. you could probably see this place from california- 60 miles away and where we'll be tomorrow night. it's so close.