Author Archives: dcreamer

By David Freeze

First, just a little bit about last night left unsaid. I got to the room very late after struggling with big climbs all day. When I finally got to the Belle Aire Motel, I found the perfect small room at a great price and some high tech too. I have never seen a shower that the water comes out of a wide and flat shower head at the ceiling. The water totally covered me because I didn’t know how to adjust it. Might have to get one of those for home.

    Today, I left Globe on another severe hill up and out of the beautiful little town. My favorite town of all I’ve seen on this trip. I spent the whole day on US 70, with most of the bike lane in poor quality. First stop after massive rollers, endless ups and downs, was Peridot. The only store in town was all but empty and had a sign on the door, “No mask, no entry!”.  So I skipped it and rode on. A small store listed on the map didn’t materialize and I began to worry about water.

    23.5 miles later, while riding in the San Carlos Apache Reservation, I finally found the listed store in Bylas, named after a long ago chief. Again, “no mask, no entry” was posted on the door but others were going in and I did too. I got ice, water and a drink, along with a cookie. Not a single person smiled to anyone in the store, so I was glad to leave.

    While hot, the terrain eased off some and so did the heavy traffic. I passed through Geronimo, nothing but a sign and a few older buildings.

    Then it got better, the store in Fort Thomas had a display on the Indian warfare era. Very interesting, especially the old pictures of the fort itself. After Geronimo’s final surrender, the fort  was used to make sure that his followers stayed at home along the fertile farmland next to the Gila River. All this area had farming with hay and soybeans looking great.

    I then rode through Pima and Thatcher, both squarely in the farm belt. My final destination was Safford, where after 80 miles, I will spend the night at the Budget Inn. It’s 99 degrees outside, but maybe was hotter earlier.

    Still, it was a great day!  Here’s how so many of my favorites came together. Anytime I can ride along a river and a railroad track, it means that the area is flat. I had a tailwind too and the best bike lane all day, plus reasonable drivers. I’m certainly out of the desert, at least for now.

    Finally, I have some challenges beginning tomorrow with almost non existent supply points. Long rides with just what I have. I will plan it out tonight.

    Thanks to Gear for Races for again sponsoring my ride. Luis Villareal has supplied Rowan’s shirts for years.
    See you back here tomorrow for what happens on the unsupplied ride!

By David Freeze

Beat the day before!

  That is one of my personal goals and I also use it for my personal training clients. But so far, this trip seems to be setting the bar higher and higher every day. I started the issue late last night, and you will see what developed.

    Last night, I was reading the route maps after I had submitted my story and photos. I read that many cyclists might consider exchanging United States Bicycle Route 90 for the next segment of Adventure Cycling’s map. I decided to do it about 10pm, partly because I had already used US 60 before.

    So, I collected my damage deposit early this morning at the Econolodge and hit the road at first light again, planning to get out of Phoenix before another hot day got started. I looked at the USBR route and jumped on US 60 first thing. About 8 miles in, you guessed it, I got my first ever visit from an Arizona State trooper. He sat behind me in his car and told me to exit the freeway immediately on his loudspeaker, which I was not going to do without talking to him. He came up the bike and said, “So, I’m going to write you a ticket!” I calmly explained what I was doing and that cyclists had used this route numerous times. He didn’t like that and went back to his car telling me to wait. For 15 minutes I stood there, getting hotter in two ways. When he was ready to talk, he pulled the car up beside me and said, “You rode that thing to Alaska?” He had changed completely and told me what he suggested I do, which was to follow a very long city street until the freeway ended and then join US 60 again. I did that and was not hassled anymore, but I even had the cycling agency’s number for him to call.

  Back on 60 and losing time, I didn’t really know what to expect. It was steady climb from the time I left Phoenix and getting hotter. The first town was Superior and I was toasted pretty well by then. After refueling and already at 3,000 feet, up from 1100 that morning, I climbed for the next four miles to use a tunnel to go through a mountain. Then a rainstorm hit, dropping the temperature at least 20 degrees. Expecting easy riding on the other side of the tunnel, we continued to climb and eventually topped out at 4,600 feet, highest yet.
  Very slow with the continued climbing, I had no service to let the motel know that I was still coming, but thankfully he held the room anyway. I am in the Belle Air Motel, very high tech in some ways with the owner in his early 30’s.

    Towns visited today included Superior, one of few with a stout uphill right through town and beyond. Then Miami, Claypool and Globe, where I am spending the night. All of them run together, with Miami in the process of cleaning up from a Saturday flood.  I saw spectacular mountain scenery this afternoon, including Devil’s Canyon. Today’s mileage totaled 75.

    I’m expecting less climbing tomorrow on the way to Safford, which will set me up for a long stretch the following day without supply points. Tomorrow in this area should be less than a hundred degrees, first of those in a while. The elevation helps. New Mexico is just a couple days ahead.

    Peter Asciutto and Vac and Dash in Albemarle support Rowan running in various ways. He is also a regular sponsor of my rides.

    Last thing I did today was stop by a grocery store and cram a bunch in already full bags. I hope to not be as late getting off the road tomorrow night. See you then for what happens on Day 9!

By David Freeze

  I met first light this morning on the way out of Wickenburg. I knew my maps called for a mostly flat and somewhat downhill ride. Two McDonald’s Egg McMuffins,less the sausage, hit the spot. A low in the upper 70’s felt even a little chilly on the bike.

    I rolled through Morristown with no services but a very good road. Then my plan of getting ice 10-12 times a day began in Whittmann.

    Next, the suburbs of Phoenix began, including Surprise, Peoria and Glendale. With Phoenix they all total over 2 million people. My maps called for me to follow various trails and canal paths, etc., and not see the city. After a couple of miles of useless up and downs meant for mountain bike riders, I got off the trails and hit the streets. It was well over 30 miles of riding across the city with multiple dismounts at traffic light, well over a hundred at least. A total of 84 miles felt strong.

    At least one source had the high in Phoenix at 107, but I never got overheated although my phone did. It got all confused and wanted me to make wrong turns on the way to the Econolodge where I am spending the night. In my 12th stop of the day for ice, I actually placed the phone on top of a bag of ice. The phone shut down for temperature twice.

    One of the nicest things today happened when I was riding through one of better neighborhoods with colored gravel for yards. A very nice woman stepped out of her garage and helped with directions and with a very cold bottle of water. From Kentucky, she had recently moved to Phoenix to help her health with the arid climate. She told me that natives call the current weather “monsoon season” because it the only time of the year when it is humid. I heard a weather guy on TV last night say that the humidity was lifting out.

    Late this afternoon, I saw the University of Arizona in Tempe, the downtown area and rode into Mesa, where I spent the night. Nothing really unusual happened today, until I got to the motel. No ice, no chair in the still nice room, a cash damage deposit required and more.

    Tomorrow starts my second map sequence with another round of significant climbing. It will be uphill all day. And over the next 400 miles, every town is small and some spaced far apart.       

       
      Dick and Jean Richards are back as significant sponsors of this ride, and thanks to them for their continued support.

      On we go, the first week done. See you tomorrow with tired climbing legs!

By David Freeze

40 miles of steady climbing, the heat returns

  I found that first town that I really like at Salome. Very small, at less than 2,000 people, I had nice conversations and slept very well. Last night, Northern Arizona had solid coverage of big thunderstorms. I got caught out in it after a trip to the Family Dollar and the convenience store for pizza. Nice people all around, including at Sheffler’s Motel.

  This morning I was late by 30 minutes on riding at first light. That is my every day goal. The road was wet and had standing water, an oddity for this area. The first town was Wendell, and all the supply points were closed that were supposed to be open. The next town, Aguila , was supposed to be closed for the off-season and I worried about having enough water for the day’s ride. No other towns were on the route.

  I rode into Aguila and spotted a store with a vehicle parked in front, amazed to find it open. Not many supplies available, but I got extra water and a muffin. The 12 year old running the cash register counted out perfect change, something I saw the previous night in Salome. Very happy that I found an open store when under duress lost some  steam when I found yet another new Family Dollar on the other end of town. They are big stores and sell vegetables and produce.

    Lots of vultures were out and one picked up a snake off the road and flew off with it. Hay was being raked even though it had been rained on the night before.

  It was hot by 1pm and I couldn’t make Phoenix anyway, so I stopped for the day in Wickenberg. Wickenberg is rich in gold history, Indian conflicts and stage coach happenings. Population is around 7,000.

  I rode 55 miles on US 60, straight as an arrow. Nothing unusual, light traffic, but after climbing to about 3,000 feet yet again, I dropped back down to 2,200.

  Tomorrow is Phoenix and maybe something past it, with the heat burners back on. I’m grateful to have a mostly downhill ride but cycling through a big city is very challenging.

  Thanks to Frank and Janis Ramsey for sponsoring this ride, friends since I met them on the Alaska trip. Frank is from Salisbury, and he and Janis now have an apartment in Salisbury as well.

    Next week, I will finish off Arizona and get into New Mexico, were I will cross the Rockies. Can’t wait to be downhill toward Texas and the lower south. Keep riding along!