To Lordsburg

November 7, 2016

Along the Gila River

Duncan is very quiet at night - no street activity, no cars. Along about four that Changes though, and roosters break the silence. After being wakened intermittently for a few hours, I looked out the window, saw that the sky was beginning to lighten in the east, and decided to go outside to see if a sunrise was in the works.

It was. I and about a thousand grackles were awake to appreciate it.

The grackles have plenty to talk about this morning.

Returning to the hotel, I was just in time for a perfect breakfast. The Simpson Hotel (actually, a B&B) was a wonderful spot to stay. We liked everything about it - the historic structure that's been converted to a bit of an art museum, the hospitality, the meal, and the town itsel. I'd have been happy to stay over another day and take a day ride somewhere or a hike along the river. Highly recommended.

After breakfast I went out again to get a few shots of town in the morning light. Finally (well, not finally actually - it was only a bit after eight) we said our goodbyes and rolled out of town.

At theSimpson Hotel, getting ready to roll

It's only about thirty miles to Lordsburg by the direct route, strait down the Old West Highway. Too short a ride, given that yesterday was shortish also and weather conditions are ideal again, so we padded it. We started with a twenty mile loop downstream along the Gila, partly on empty highway 75 and partly on a few paved side roads that paralleled it, these were wonderful miles - spectacular scenery, a glass-smooth freshly paved highway, and a few great wildlife sightings. Some of the best miles of the tour.

On Highway 75. We began the day with a twenty mile loop along the Gila River north of Duncan before continuing southeast to Lordsburg.

I was worried about this little guy on Stevens Loop, wandering around on the wrong side of the fence. Hopefully someone is looking out for him. About a mile later, a javelina barreled across the road about 30 yards in front of me. He immediately dashed into the brush, so there was never a chance for a photo. A second one was also rustling around in the brush but never came out in the open. I'll just have to remember.

Possibly a southwestern fence lizard? At least I'm pretty sure about the beer can he's sunning himself on though - it's a Bud.

The beer sign dates this old abandoned tavern on Sheldon Loop, north of Duncan. A-1 Pilsner was the best selling beer in Arizona in the 1940s and 1950s. It was brewed in Phoenix by the Arizona Brewing Company, the first brewery in the state to start up after Prohibition ended. It was discontinued under that name in 1958.

North of Duncan, along the Gila River. I can't believe how long this roadrunner posed for me.

After doubling back to Duncan, we took off on another tangent, following route 92 (too small and rustic to call a highway) through Virden, which presumably was a settlement of some sort since it has a name. There's not much there now though but a few houses.

Route 92 is a coarse-surfaced, rattletrap road. It is pretty and interesting country, and greener than most of the region since it follows the river. The road surface wore on me after a while though and I was getting antsy to reach Highway 70 again and a smoother ride, when Rachael heard the calling of cranes overhead. We looked up and saw a large flock eddying in the sky north of us, slowly circling our way.

Suddenly they dipped and went out of sight behind some cottonwoods, so we raced down the road a ways to hopefully pick them up again. When we caught up, they were strewn out across a few hundred yards ot pasture, with the nearest ones only about 50 yards from the road. Awesome. We stayed and watched our fill, and then rode on.

Almost immediately we came to and crossed the river, and then climbed up out of the valley. Suddenly we're in the semi-arid steppe again, without a tree in sight. Time for lunch anyway, so we copied up to a creosote bush for a bit of shade and enjoyed delicious turkey and provolone sandwiches.

It takes a pretty special heap of tires to catch my attention.

South of Virden, several hundred sandhill cranes circled above for several minutes before dropping into a field next to the Gila River.

The Gila River carries an impressive flow of water for this country. Almost everything else we've seen runs dry.

We've found some pretty elegant lunch stops in the last few days. At least this one has a slight bit of shade.

Not too much to say about the rest of the ride: unremittingly flat, straight and hot. Thank heavens there was no headwind. I've been thinking back and I can't recall a time in recent years that I've ridden so far on a completely straight stretch of road. Not even a slight bend for nearly twenty miles.

We pulled into Lordsburg about 3:30, and after Duncan were pretty unimpressed by what we found. It sits pretty low on our destination list, but we did have a decent motel and access to a jacuzzi.

There is a slight bend in the road just ahead, but that's it. After that, it's 18 absolutely straight miles until the next one.

She's smiling now, but let's check back twenty hot, straight, flat miles later.

It's a mirage. The end of the ride is still about ten miles away.

In Lordsburg. Tempting, but our panniers are already pretty stuffed. And what would TSA say?

Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 550 miles (885 km)

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