The Walking Machine

Hi everyone! Today was truly a dream day, (at least for me). We only had 42 miles to travel, and about 90% of the ride was on a bike trail. My hat is off to the city of Tucson, who really have put a lot of money into their bike trail system. The weather started off as extremely cold, (somewhere in the 40’s), but warms up quickly, and by 11:00 or so, the temps are in the 80’s. The sun was very bright and the sky was clear, and with the trails relatively flat with only minor head winds, everyone finished their ride by 12:00 – 1:00.

After arriving in south Tucson, we stopped at bike shop a few miles from our evening stop, and asked if they would mind storing our bikes while we ate lunch and took an Uber (cheating, right?) to the Pima Air and Space Museum. Having about 3 hours to kill before we could gain access to the high school where we are staying tonight, we took the opportunity to tour the museum, which is something I would recommend everyone visiting Tucson do, if they get a chance. We drove past the airplane “boneyard” where several hundred, (perhaps thousands) of airplanes are permanently parked, and arrived at the museum around 1:00. We had a minor casualty, as one of the guys from the UK riding in our group accidentally left his cell phone in the car. After several calls and some patience, we were able to successfully retrieve the phone, and the tension level dropped dramatically.

I was truly pleased to visit the air museum, as they had a number of old planes from each branch of the military. Benny, please note that one of the highlights for me was seeing not one but two Blue Angels planes up close and personal. I took several pictures, and am anxious to share them with our five (5) year old grandson, Benjamin. I also was able to see a B-36, which was the plane my father was trained to work on as an electrician in the Air Force. Also included in the exhibit was an older “Air Force One” presidential plane, as well as a lot of other very unique sea planes, helicopters, and many, many others.

Tomorrow promises to be a very challenging day. We leave here at 7:00am, and cycle approximately 75 miles to Tombstone, Arizona. Not only is the mileage higher tomorrow, but the elevation climb will be just under 5,000 feet. In addition, tomorrow I am riding Rosie, a stuffed roadrunner that each rider must ride with at least twice on the tour. The ask is that each one of us take turns strapping Rosie onto our bike, and then at dinner, tell a story of Rosie’s day. I hope Rosie is up for the task tomorrow, as it will be a challenging one. But for tonight, Rosie is resting at the end of my inflatable mattress, as I look up at all of the sports banners from the Empire High School. Adorned on each wall are plaques and posters highlighting conference championships and personal records for Track and Field, Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, etc… I’m one of the few who feels quite at home in a gym, and these environs bring a smile to my face. Lights out is soon, so I will sign off and get some rest before my long journey with Rosie tomorrow. I’ll try to take a picture, and share it with you when Wi-Fi service returns.

It was nice to sleep in until 6:15 this morning, and take some time before our 8:00am breakfast. The coyotes started their serenade around 5:30am this morning, with at least 5 or 6 animals joining into the chorus, all on key. Everyone really appreciated the R & R, as it allowed anything ailing to get a little break from the constant pedaling. After an egg and bagel breakfast, I headed over to the bike station, and spent some time washing the bike, cleaning the drive train, and lubricating the chain, derailleur, etc. Overall, the bike has held up really well, and I hope and pray my luck continues.

While I have visited the desert of Arizona before, it still amazes me how the temperature can change so dramatically from mid-day until evening. Yesterday, we had temperatures in the 80’s, and by sundown, the temps were in the low 40’s. I have no doubts that it dipped into the 30’s in the middle of the night. For sleeping, I start out in shorts and a T-shirt and cover with a light sheet. By 10:00pm or so, I’ve changed into long wool pants and a long sleeved wool shirt and knit cap, and have added a blanket and down-like sleeping bag quilt. I was a little concerned when the so-called “30 below socks” weren’t quite enough last night. In the middle of the night, I had to get up to add another pair of wool ski socks in order to restore the feeling in my toes. I am sure that by the time I acclimate to sleeping in this type of climate, things will get considerably hotter throughout both the day and evening, and become more consistent.

We have a really nice group of riders, with a wide range of experience. I believe there are three (3) medical doctors, retired software engineers, advertising executives, retired teachers, building construction engineers, etc…. We even have two or three Iron Man Triathletes, and of course ME, whose talents can be demonstrated by my ability to put together and take apart my camp chair. To be fair, I am moving up quickly on the learning curve, having “slashed” my assembly time to a speedy 30 minutes. (The legs are supposed to point down, correct?).

Tomorrow is a relatively “light” day, with about 50 miles of riding ahead. We move from the northern edge of Tucson to the south end, and have the luxury once again of sleeping inside a high school gym. To my surprise, the gyms aren’t that much warmer than sleeping outside, but it is helpful to limit the amount of unpacking and then repacking that is required when camping outside. Thanks to Josh and Julia, I think I now understand how to add pictures to the blog. Unfortunately, without a wifi connection, I’m not able to upload and download recent pictures from my phone onto the iPad. I’ll try to add a few more, but hopefully future posts will get more colorful.

Today we cycled just under 56 miles, from Casa Grande to Catalina State Park, just outside of Tucson. The elevation climb was back-end loaded, so the first half of the ride went fairly smoothly, with the exception of a head-wind of around 10 – 12 MPH. I can’t really complain, since this was really our first noticeable headwinds we have experienced, no where close to the headwinds I occasionally experienced while training in Texas. The climb required was in the last 15 or so miles, but was made a little easier with smooth pavement and a relatively wide bike lane. With just a little bit more effort and some patience, we moved up the grade without incident.

In the morning, we got an up close and personal view of Picacho Peak, which I will attempt to publish a picture. The peak truly looks like the outline of Picacho from the Pokémon characters. Of course, there were long lines of cars waiting to go into this park, since it was Saturday. We are also getting a chance to see a number of cactus in bloom, since apparently this is “peak season” for this right now. The Saguaro remind me of those floppy guys with flailing arms, filled with helium, designed to attract your attention to a car wash or open house. Of course, there are millions of these in all shapes and sizes, some of which are truly impressive. They sure will get your attention.

Our route today took us from I-8 to Interstate 10, one of the primary coast to coast routes that many of you all have taken. Today we spent very little time on the actual highway (thankfully), but instead followed a parallel frontage road that was relatively rough, but certainly straight. I experienced my first aggressive driver of the trip, who seemed determined to see just how close he could come to me while passing at high speed. I’m sure there was room to spare, but I’d prefer not to have that happen on a regular basis.

We are staying for the next 2 nights, (yes, you read that right) in tents at the Catalina State Park. Tomorrow is our first “off day”, and the general consensus is that most everyone is ready to spend some time out of the saddle. I’m happy to report that I finally found the source of the incessant rattling sound I’ve been hearing, particularly on the extremely rough and bumpy roads we’ve been on. Previously, I’d become increasingly worried that I had a serious problem with the frame, only to discover that a loose water bottle cage was creating the rattling sound. A few quick adjustments with the Allen wrench solved the issue, and my level of concern decreased significantly. Admittedly, I am a “nervous Nellie” when it comes to the bike equipment, since this “carbon horse” is going to have to carry me 3,000+ miles. Disaster averted, we forge ahead rattle free, (at least for the moment).

Tomorrow, I hope to attend church, possibly visit REI in Tucson, and ultimately, would like to see the Pinal Airpark, which is essentially a military (and non-military) airplane “boneyard”, filled with airplanes that have been taken out of service. (I suppose one might think twice before disposing of an airplane). I’ve been there once before for a reception with my work, but would like to spend more time exploring the grounds. We shall see! Thanks for all the encouragement and support!

Today, we cycled past the Sonoran National Monument and the South Maricopa Mountains, and began to see quite a few Saguaro Cactus and a wide variety of cactus types. The first part of this 73 mile ride into Casa Grande was on I-8, with a fairly smooth shoulder a traffic that was relatively light. We climbed almost 1,700 feet before our first stop, but the climb was relatively gradual, which made the task relatively easy.

We also passed a few feed lots, which was something I haven’t seen on a routine basis. From what I understand, (based on a few impromptu interviews I conducted with some cattle that were willing to talk “off the record”), they take animals that weigh somewhere between 300 – 600 pounds, and ship them to these feed lots to fatten before they are sent to meet their demise. They spend no more than 200 days in these farms in very crowded pens, were they are fed a steady diet of milkshakes, (vanilla is preferred) and Whoopie Pies, and are forced to sit on couches and watch re-runs of the Jerry Springer Show. After these 200 days, most of the cattle have doubled their weight, and are considered “ready for prime time”. Sounds like a pretty tough deal, unless you are a big fan of ice cream and are a fan of McDonald’s Happy Meals.

We had our first “re-route” of the tour, as one road we were planning on riding through was flooded and/or closed for construction. Word got out pretty quickly, and all of the group found their way without too much trouble. We passed through Stanfield, Arizona and parts of the Sonoran Desert before arriving at our evening’s accommodations, the High Chapparal RV campground, which boasts a few pickle ball courts and shuffleboard. The temperatures are a little higher, and we were told that they lows would only be in the low 50’s, which should make for relatively comfortable sleeping, (assuming I have packed the right clothing and sleeping bag).

Tomorrow, we leave bright and early for Catalina State Park, just outside of Tucson. The next day, (Sunday), will be our first “off day”, so we will get a chance to heal a little, and perhaps attend church and then visit the local REI, for any last minute parts needed for our next legs of our tour. Overall, it has been a really interesting experience, and certainly challenging. More to come!

Last night was interesting, particularly since it was our first day of tent camping outside. While relatively warm during the day, the evening brought temperatures in the high 30’s and low 40’s, so the warm sleeping bag, blanket, and ski jacket was put to good use. I’m quickly learning the importance of getting everything done during daylight hours, particularly when camping outdoors. You all know the difficulty in folding a fitted sheet? Try the same task in pitch darkness. It almost took me as long to fold the sheet this morning as it did to put together my camping chair last night. On that note, I am proud to report that it only took me half as long to disassemble the chair this morning, however fitting the frame back in the bag set me back another 30 minutes. I have discovered that for a 7:30am departure, I need to set the alarm for no later than 4:30am, but if I wanted to use the restroom and brush my teeth, I might need to back that time up even earlier. Some of this extra time is due to the location of the restrooms, since last night, they were conveniently located about a mile and a half from the tent. By the time I got there, my feet were aching and I had forgotten why I started out in the first place.

Bathroom and shower activities have been an adjustment, as well. A few places, we had one restroom and one shower for over 30 people in this moving caravan. I’ve learned to appreciate cold showers and warm drinking water. It’s amazing how quickly one can adjust to their environment, given limited options. Tonight, as an example, we are bedded down in the Gila Bend High School, sleeping in the gym. The staff was kind enough to leave the basketballs out, however after cycling from San Diego, most of us at this point don’t have the strength to lift the balls, much less dribble or shoot. I would say that drooling is probably the closest I can get to dribbling, however given the arid, dry desert air, I don’t have enough saliva to lick a postage stamp.

I have also begun to garner a healthy respect for the desert environment. As an example, between sunscreen and a long shirt, I thought I was fairly well protected from the sun. That being said, I am staring at a small, triangular patch of skin between my left thumb and my wrist where my watch was. On this particular piece of real estate, apparently Mr. Sunshine has placed a a nice bright red stamp, as if I had successfully been passed through the doors of some sort of a disco in the desert. My skin is so dry that this morning, I looked down at my legs and didn’t recognize them as my own. For a minute, I thought I was starting at two bleached pieces of driftwood that had some hair growing on them. Either that, or I have contracted leprosy.

The ride today wasn’t overly difficult, since it was relatively flat and short, with a total duration of only about 50 miles. The two big challenges today was a) the road surface on the access road for I-8 (extremely bumpy), and b) a headwind that, while not particularly strong, (5 – 8 MPH), made you work just a little bit harder than you wanted to. We passed 8 or 10 coyote on the road this morning who were either sleeping very soundly or were not fast enough last night to get out of the way of a semi moving at 85 miles per hour last night. Given the shape of these animals, my guess would be they were the victim of the latter, though I’m trying to maintain a positive attitude.

We arrived in Gila Bend just after noon, and met with the group at Sofia’s Mexican Food Restaurant before pedaling to the school. We were chased by a few “junk-yard dogs”, who aren’t exactly excited to see us visit their town. Fortunately, no one was bitten, but hey, the day is still young. Tomorrow we travel a little over 73 miles to Casa Grande. I don’t know much about Casa Grande right now, however I’m guessing there must be a big house there. Either that, or the town is named after today’s special at Sofia’s. Either way, I’ll be sure to keep you posted! Thanks for all of your support and encouragement. It is truly appreciated!

Today was a very interesting day. I left camp around 7:30, and Jim Bob and I headed east from Yuma through the Gila River Valley and Dome Valley, also referred to as the Nations Salad Bowl. Though I am not always the biggest fan of vegetables, it was truly impressive to see miles and miles of fields of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, romaine lettuce, onions, carrots, and other similar vegetables. I’m not completely sure, but I think I saw a large, lush field of croutons in the distance.

Yesterday, I asked a local from Yuma how such beautiful vegetable crops could grow so well in the desert. She explained to me that years and years ago, the Colorado River covered much of the area. When it receded, the remaining silt and other nutrients from the basin of the Colorado remained in the soil. With some irrigation, the hot/sunny days, and very cool evenings of the desert makes for an ideal climate for growing such crops. It truly was impressive to see literally miles and miles of lush vegetation growing. Large trucks and harvesters worked the fields as we cycled by, gathering the crops and loading them onto trucks.

The majority of the miles we cycled today were on a frontage road that paralleled Interstate 8. The route was relatively flat, and the road surface relatively smooth. After stopping at the Whistle Stop Cafe for a quick lunch, we soon joined the I-8 freeway, and cycled the final 10 – 15 miles on the shoulder, which was also relatively smooth. We ended up in Dateland, where, as expected, medjool dates provide the primary revenue for the area. Before entering the RV camp where we are camping for the night, we stoped at the Dateland Food Court, where we partook of one of their “World Famous” Date Shakes.

Dateland is a small town, with less than 1,000 in population. The date shake was really tasty, particularly after the 70 mile ride. Once we made camp, I spent the next 3 hours trying to figure out how to assemble my new miniature camping chair, and setting up my sleeping bag. I was so pleased with myself after the extensive chair assembly that I took about 30 pictures of the chair. I’m a little afraid of breaking it down tomorrow, since I may have to go through the same process. Perhaps I will leave it assembled, and simply strap the chair to my back on my ride tomorrow. Of course, I am only half-kidding, but not to boast, I’m actually sitting in the chair right now. While it is extremely uncomfortable, (yes, I know it is assembled correctly, thanks to the 20 You Tube videos I watched), I am more than happy to put up with the cramped seating style, given the length of time it took me to assemble the apparatus. Ah, tomorrow is another day!

The kids from the Calexico Mission School prepared breakfast for us this morning. We are told that the broad majority of the 300 children cross the border from Mexico each day to attend school here. Since they never know just how long it will take them to pass through the border into the US, they are forced to get up around 4:00am – 5:00am, in order to allow themselves enough time to pass through and make it to school on time. Seeing this up close and personal really puts things into perspective on the blessings I have had in my life.

Our first SAG stop today, approximately 20+ miles outside of Calexico, provided us with an added bonus. As we were “refueling”, two men on a tandem bike pulled in on our stop on the side of the road. Though they weren’t on the Timberline tour, we offered them some snacks and drinks, and they were really appreciative of the hospitality. What we learned is that the two were traveling by themselves, (with one additional person as van support). The lead rider explained that they, too, were traveling to Florida. What set these riders apart, (aside from the fact that they were riding on a 30+ year old tandem), was that the second rider was completely blind. The man led his friend up to the table, and then to the seats, in order to give them both a rest before pedaling on. I cannot imagine riding as a tandem, much less in a state where I would not be able to see the road or the sites along the way. A true testimony to his fortitude and bravery.

After the first SAG stop, we cycled past the Imperial Sand Dunes, the largest mass of sand dunes in California. It was truly a spectacular site, and reminded me of the dunes we experienced as a family a few years ago in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The dune system expands for over 40 miles, and is 5 miles wide. Some of the sand peaks reach over 300 feet above the desert floor.

From there, we traveled to Felicity, which is proclaimed the “Center of the World”. The town was founded in 1986, and consists of huge granite monuments with documentation of all of the major events that occurred in the history of the world. While we were there, we saw someone adding a granite panel, so I assumed that something big must have happened overnight. My fellow West Virginia friend and I on the tour were a little upset that they did not capture West Virginia breaking away from Virginia during the Civil War. I feel I must return to add this event to one of the granite stones.

After Felicity, we continued eastward across the Colorado River into Yuma, Arizona. We passed through the Yuma Territorial State Park, which houses Arizona’s first prison. Knowing that our shower facilities would be limited, I made the suggestion that we should see if they would let us shower in the prison. Unfortunately, no one saw the wisdom of this suggestion, which is pretty much the story of my life. 😦

A quick note on the biking process. I am certainly one of the slowest riders on the tour, however I’m able to overcome this deficit through sheer fortitude and perseverance, (and of course, determination not to be completely left behind!). Today’s ride, (approximately 66 miles) was about the average amount of time I trained each day back in Texas, so the ride did not feel all that difficult, thanks in part to the relative flat terrain in the desert. The bike itself seems to be holding up, and I am really relieved about that. I’ve learned that I do not mind riding the long ascents, but am not a big fan of really steep descents, which can be bone jarring, depending upon the road conditions.

Not to complain, but some of the road conditions along the side of Interstate 8 are EXTREMELY bumpy and rocky. Compounding this are the huge semi-trailers that pass you on the main road, going about 80 MPHs. I am pleasantly surprised not to have experienced a flat tire yet, and hope that my luck holds out. Undoubtedly, the rough roads and loose sand and gravel will likely cause some punctured tires and wheel alignment issues. Thanks again to you all for your love and support along the way. I truly appreciate it! I miss you all!

We basically undid all of the ascending we did yesterday. Left camp at 7:30 this morning, and arrived in Mexicali just a little past noon. After following the dirt road back to the main road, we headed down I-8. When I say “down”, I mean “down”. The morning’s course was a cross between frightening and terrifying, as we rocketed back down the mountain. While the scenery was absolutely stunning, I didn’t have much time to enjoy it, since the decline was so steep that it took complete concentration to keep the bike on the shoulder. Once we started rolling downhill, we saw absolutely stunning rock cliffs and ravines. Essentially riding on the shoulder of the highway, we were passed by semi trucks and cars probably going 75 – 80 miles per hour. For about a 12 mile stretch, signs along the side of the road warned about cross winds, and several times I felt pulled sharply either toward the highway, or toward the guardrail. There is no doubt that if the brakes failed on this downhill, the choices would be very limited, and the outcome pretty dire. On one section of the road, we were forced to gather and have one of the vans “escort” us down the road, since the shoulder was completely in operable. Sorry for such a lengthy description, but it was truly an experience.

Once we finished the descent, we were emptied out into the desert, where you could see for miles and miles. The terrain was relatively flat, and after an hour or so of descending, it felt good to feel the pedals under my feet. We finished our 50+ mile ride today in Mexicali, and extremely interesting border town of around 35,000 people. We are staying in the gym of a Mission School, run by the 7th Day Adventists. This K-12 school hosts approximately 300 kids, mostly from Mexico. The border wall is immediately to the back of the school, and it truly was heartwarming to see these kids being picked up after school, and driven back across the border. The kids will be hosting our dinner tonight, so it should be fascinating to meet some of them. I’m sure I’ll have more to write soon.

Last night, the chefs prepared a pretty good meal of steak and asparagus, along with mushroom risotto. While the meal was good, eating anything with plastic forks and knives while seated at a picnic table out in the parking lot of our hotel in 42 degree weather added a few complexities, which resulted in the relatively short amount of time we spent enjoying our food. With all activities for this trip being outside (for the most part), a debrief meeting followed the meal. There we sat, huddled in our ski jackets, parkas, and winter hats, listening what we did right, what we did wrong, and what was in store for us in the next day.

Today was supposedly the toughest day of the tour. It consisted of only 51 miles, but the course elevation climbed a total of just under 5,000 feet for the day. With some very long and slow climbs, I think we only averaged about 8 miles per hour, though on a few downhills, my speedometer registered 32.5 MPH. It may have been even more, but I was so scared to look after seeing the 32 MPH mark, I simply held on for dear life and prayed that I would maintain enough visibility to keep the bike on the road.

The weather was pretty cool most of the day, with temps in the low 40’s in the morning. Climbing the up hills made thing seem almost too warm, but the descents felt like you were riding through a walk-in freezer. Saw a fair amount of snow on the ground in the higher elevations, and also witnessed the results of a lot of land and rock slides along the road. We even had a little less than an hour riding on the interstate, (I-8), but fortunately the shoulder was protected by concrete barriers. The mountains here in very Southern California are very dramatic and impressive. They consist of primarily rocks and bluffs in the distance, with sagebrush, some cactus, and small trees that required little or no water to survive. We even got a very up-close and personal view of the Border Wall, which separates the US from Mexico. The part we road close to spans for miles, over very rough and rugged terrain. On top of the steel structure are endless miles of razor wire, which should provide a significant “dis-incentive” for anyone to pass from one side to the other.

After climbing and descending for most of the day, our Ride with GPS app pointed us to DeAnza Springs Resort in Jacumba, a “clothing optional” facility consisting of a number of RVs and a very small hotel. The road in was on a dirt road with a fair amount of sand, making the final 2 – 3 miles quite challenging and a little treacherous. The nudist aspect of things at the Resort probably explains why none of the rooms have very large closets. I’m sharing an RV with Rick, one of the riders, who has done a number of rides in the past, but none as extensive as one across the country. The 2 minute shower was refreshing, at least until the hot water turned off completely, making it more of a “polar plunge”. Tonight promises to be another interesting one, with temperatures appearing to dip into the 30’s overnight in this desert location. Given the lack of warm weather, I can only imagine 24 people crowded around one picnic table, in order to stay warm. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for packing my ski jacket! Alas, tomorrow is another day, though nearly as much climbing as today’s adventure.