Tuesday 01 January 2008

After sitting up to see the New Year in we awoke this morning to a cool morning and the wind blowing quite hard. Packed up and ready to leave our friends, we spent a few minutes while Keziah and Breanna had their photos taken on the trikes before we reluctantly bid Justin, Jennilyn and the girls goodbye. We had really enjoyed our time off the bike, sleeping in a real bed, being spoilt, shopping, getting some trike maintenance done, and Justin even managed to repair our stove, but as good as it had been, it was time to get the wheels rolling again.

Breanna the "Hello You" girl with a most amazing vocabulary for a 2 year old.

Keziah - very much the girl who knows what she wants

Heading off into a very strong headwind we immediately began paying for our time off and past tailwinds. The strong wind was making us work hard, the dust blowing from the desert made the going harder and rather uncomfortable, grit getting in everywhere, grinding against our teeth as we rode and returning our newly cleaned chains and back into dirty ones.

Heading into the wind then turning side on for a bit before turning into the wind again was the order of the day, knees aching and thighs burning the whole way. After 30 kilometres we arrived at the small town of Eloy, where we stopped for some lunch and a well earned rest at the local Circle K roadhouse. Not being allowed on the Interstate Highway we began to follow the old highway, rough, cracked and plain hard yacka to ride on, the raised cracks making for a very uncomfortable ride, the continual bump, bump, bump robbing us of rhythm and energy, but the consolation prize was that all the vehicles were on the Interstate and we had the frontage road to ourselves.

Another 20 kilometres and we were nearing the Picacho State Park, the Picacho Peak standing high above the park, the light brown rock covered with light green foliage and lots and lots of Saguaro Cactus standing tall all over the peak, the lower reaches also had organ pipe cactus.

With the sky displaying the tell tale signs of a change in the weather we Immediately setting up camp in the most sheltered site we could find, Joanne went off to inspect the showers while I got the coffee going on our newly repaired stove.

Today's Stats

From: Casa Grande

To: Picacho State Park

Ride Time:
3 hours 54 minutes

Distance:
58.80 km's

Av Speed:
11.9 km/h

Max Speed:
37.3 km/h

Max Altitude:
588 m

Av Climb: 2 %

Max Climb: 9 %

Weather: -1-22 deg C.
Sunny and windy.

Camp Location:

N: 32°39'13.3"

W: 111°25'03.8"

Wednesday 2 January 2008

Despite being dog tired from yesterdays sand blasting and headwinds we slept badly last night, waking this morning feeling tired and lethargic, added to which Joanne was suffering from the start of a head cold, (our first for the trip) so it was with very little arm twisting that we both agreed to take a day off in the wonderful park setting. Heading back to bed we slept for a bit before the sun had got the tent warmed up to 90 deg F causing to quickly get out into the cool.

Very little got done this morning, the sun beating down and heating us up then retreating behind some cloud dropping the temperature, the wind making us reach for a jacket, only to take it off again in a few minutes when the sun came out.

The sun gave us the chance to test a few things with the new solar panel, new because the company had replaced the old one free of charge and had sent it to us in Blythe. The day off also allowed us to check out some of the park and the flora (cactus) that was around, and to enjoy the birds as they sat atop the prickly surroundings and chirped away, or fossicked for food.

Hard wooden stems inside the remains of the cactus. Now we know what holds them up.

Picacho State Park

Thursday 3 January 2008

Another night of fitful sleep and a morning with the wind still blowing hard from the east. A short climb out of the camp area before we dropped down to the highway woke the legs and knees up after their day off. Heading down the smooth, bumpless frontage road as is ran parallel to the Interstate, we were heading straight into the wind, which, with the low to no bush was able to maintain a high speed and keep us plodding along.

Kilometre after kilometre dropped under the trikes as we made our way towards Tucson, but the wind was adding to our being tired, not good considering that we had a 70 kilometre day planned. We were heading for the home of a cousin of Justin's but as the day continued it became very apparent that we were not going to make it.

Stopping for lunch we decided that an early finish and somewhere comfortable was the order of the day, and so, when the opportunity arose, we took it.

Today's Stats

From: Picacho State Park

To: Rillito

Ride Time:
3 hours 52 minutes

Distance:
47.23km's

Av Speed:
12.1km/h

Max Speed:
41.5 km/h

Max Altitude:
661m

Av Climb:  2%

Max Climb: 7%

Weather: 10-21 deg C.
Sunny and windy.

Camp Location:

N: 32°21'30.2"

W: 111°05'32.8"

Friday 4 January 2008

Overnight rain washed some of the dust from the trikes as they stood outside our window, and the day looked like it was going to be a good one. We were heading to the home of Justin's cousin Diane. Heading off into the suburbs of Tucson we eventually arrived at the Rillito River, a dry, sandy river full of bushes and with no water in sight. Following the bicycle path along the river was a real pleasure and kept us out of the traffic as we rode the width of the city.

A stop for lunch at some playing fields was a welcome break from the ride, families there enjoying the last few days of the school holidays. Lunch over it was time to ride the last few kilometres of the river bank before heading South through the city traffic. Tucson is a city of around a million people so the roads were busy, especially as it was Friday. Eventually arriving at our destination we were warmly welcomed by Arlyn, Diane coming home a little later.

Today's Stats

From: Rillito

To: Tucson

Ride Time:
3 hours 30 minutes

Distance:
45.32 km's

Av Speed:
12.8 km/h

Max Speed:
29.5 km/h

Max Altitude:
829 m

Av Climb:  2%

Max Climb: 7%

Weather: 10-21 deg C.
Sunny.

Camp Location:

N: 32°11'19.1"

W: 110°50'01.7"

Sunday 6 January 2008

Having been right royally spoilt and looked after by Diane and Arlyn, we left their home under very grey skies, wind and the possibility of rain. Riding through the very quiet streets we soon came to the Davis-Monthan Airforce Base and the attached aircraft boneyard. Click here to see it on google maps - it is an amazing place.

and this is just one part of it. Parked here in the dry desert air and on the hard ground are almost every type of US or Allied Military Aircraft you can think of. Some are totally beyond flight but others are regularly maintained and are ready for use in just a few weeks.

Leaving the boneyard we rode for almost 20 kilometres until we arrived at Interstate 10, and then with the cold wind blowing, we began the long gradual climb for almost 40 kilometres. The 1% grade taking its toll on us as we rode, slowly sapping our energy and making our legs work hard. The basic desert scenery nothing too much to look at as we rode, the wind, cold and strong, coming from the side and rear as we made our way along the highway. Traffic was heavy as many people were heading home at the end of the school holidays, the truckers, as usual, were the best behaved.

The gradual uphill eventually turned into long rolling hills, the downhill's allowing us to regain the time we had lost on the uphill before we eventually began the fast descent into Benson, large, thick, heavy grey clouds all around us. Both of us felt like we had been through the wringer, but it had been a good ride.

Today's Stats

From: Tucson

To: Benson

Ride Time:
5 hours 8 minutes

Distance:
68.11 km's

Av Speed:
13.2 km/h

Max Speed:
62 km/h

Max Altitude:
128m

A2v Climb:  1%

Max Climb: 9%

Weather: 10-18 deg C.
Overcast then Sunny.

Camp Location:

N: 31°58'52.8"

W: 110°18'25.4"

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