Clifton, AZ - Glenwood, NM - The cat named Chevy won't stop this tour, and neither can COVID

June 6, 2020

Clifton, AZ - Glenwood, NM

4,980 Elevation gain

To go with our big climb today, wind is going to be a real issue. The current forecast says 10 mph at 5 AM. It gets worse from there. As you can see from the map, we are going three different directions tomorrow. I'd almost rather face a headwind than a gusting sidewind with my long bike. Wish us luck. I don't think getting out early tomorrow is going to help me much. It is 85 degrees at 8 PM right now. We are headed up into the mountains for a few days. The cool will be nice.

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Late afternoon update - I made it! In pretty good condition, although I was very happy to get to town. I was on the road for almost eight hours. Both of my blinky lights ran out. I drank 1 Spiz bottle, 1 Liquid IV bottle, and 4 bottles of water. I had lots of extra water. It was heavy, but I'd hate to run out in this area (or any area!).

I was happy that I slept well last night. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I told myself, "You have a big day ahead, you need your sleep", and I actually went back to sleep! I was up at 4 AM, and out the door at 5:15 AM. We were down in the canyon, so there really wasn't any sunrise. I had perhaps a mile of gentle downhill before I started the big climb out of Clifton. It wasn't too bad, just time consuming. I enjoyed watching the patterns the sun made in the clouds as it rose in the sky. The road back down to Three Way was four lane, but there was very little traffic at this hour. I had a slight headwind, as I was heading directly south. I sure hope this wind is friendly today.

At Three Way I admired the old drive in theatre one more time as I took a left onto 180. I would be on 180 for 35 miles. I hope the quartering tailwind remains steady. To start, the road was very gradually up. It's the same old story. I appreciate the easy climbing, but don't want to have difficult climbing later.

I was in my own little world when suddenly a bicyclist passed me! I haven't seen another cyclist since Tucson. Jim is from Morenci. He had a knee replacement last year and still has trouble clipping out. But he can climb! Jim rode up to the top and chatted with me again on the way back down. Jim said that the climb really isn't bad, there's one steep section that I just have to get through, then it's easy again.

Of course, during the entire climb I wondered which section was the extra steep one. I couldn't identify it. There were a few switch backs down lower. Then a straight piece, then a whole bunch of switch backs at the top. It always makes me feel tough when I ride a road with a lot of switch back. I look back down and think, "Wooweee - I came from down there!"

On the beginning of the climb, I was feeling pretty good. I drank my Spiz bottle and had a couple of Hammer Anti Fatigue capsules. I kept riding. The air was getting cooler, the higher I went. That was a good thing for me. I don't climb well at all in the heat. I ate a couple of Perpetuum tablets. In all I had 4-5. I tried a Hammer gel. I haven't had a gel in many years. 10 years? This was better than I remember. The texture wasn't as gooey.

I was happy with my stamina, but I was ready to get there. At the top I had 23 miles. The total for the day is 60. Yep, there is still a long way to go. I had gotten the big climb out of the way, but there were a number of 3-4-500 foot climbs to contend with. The wind was still friendly - cool and mostly at my back.

Cathy, you would love the downhill - it was a gentle roll. I tapped the brakes every once in a while, just because. I could feel the air warming up as I got lower. My ice water was long gone. I had a few long swigs from my Hydro Flask. I learned the lesson early about transferring that cold water to a standard water bottle on a hot day. Don't do it - the ice melts right away. Better to deal with the inconvenience of stopping to drink directly from the insulated bottle.

While I was stopped playing musical water bottles, I waved at several vehicles. A red Jeep pulling a homemade trailer turned around and came back. Max asked if I needed water. No, I had a lot of water. Well, heck, give me one. Please. Then I saw he had a giant cooler of ice. ICE! Yes! I was a new woman after I filled two water bottles with fresh ice water. No joke. Max made the end of my day much more tolerable.

I was so, so ready to be to town. Once I summit the big climb, I feel like the day should be over. It's totally unfair that I had 35 more miles to ride! I reminded myself that's why I'm out here - to ride and see new views. The scenery was excellent today. I started out with desert cactus, going up to cedar trees, and then just a few ponderosa trees at the top. Coming down the other side, suddenly it was grasslands. Where did the trees go. A few miles later, they were back. Cedar or pinions, I'm not sure.

I was ready to be there. I've been carrying an apple for days, promising it to myself as a treat. When would I eat this apple? Today, certainly. But when today? I needed the terrain to be flat enough so I could eat the apple while pedaling. That was a tough order, today have almost no flat. I gave up, stopped the bike, and ate 5-6 bites while standing still. I put the apple back in the plastic bag and continued on. That was a nice pick me up, just as good as all of those fancy supplements.

Finally, finally, I hit the intersection with Highway 78. 180 had been delightfully traffic free. It was notable that I was finally seeing some motorcycle riders. I consider them my friends on two wheels while touring. Motorized two wheels! There were a few people with campers and some ranch trucks, but hardly any traffic in general. 78 was another story. More traffic here. One truck blared his horn at me as he passed. I gave him an extra vigorous five finger wave. Not the one finger kind.

Bicycle buddy Spoon kept checking on me through the day. I think I was traveling much more slowly than he anticipated. I appreciated his support. It's nice to know someone cares where I am, out here in the big lonely.

I had two more climbs before reaching Glenwood. They weren't big, but felt big. My ice was gone. I ate the rest of my apple. I sweet talked myself into town by counting the miles down. I was extra happy to see the city limit sign. Beth, our hostess at the B&B, was selling items at the farmer's market. She was parked right next to the road and called me over as I rode by. She said I was less than a half mile to her house and she would be along.

It's a good thing we had made arrangements with Beth to fix us dinner, as Mario's Pizza had a large closed sign in the window. I took the turn up 174 to Beth's house. I had no trouble following her detailed directions down the unmarked dirt road to her house. Beth's brother Kenny, met me in the driveway. They had two javelinas rooting around their place last night and Kenny was out making sure they weren't around.

Our B&B is the result of 13 years of an artist's handiwork. I will take some photos later. Every corner has some unique artsy touch.

Kenny brought me a cold kefir water. Beth soon arrived home and delivered salsa and chips. Kenny and I were talking and I was sure I saw Jacinto's bright yellow shirt flash past. But we couldn't see him again. We sat back down. No! there he is, going the other way. I quickly called him on the phone. Jacinto wasn't so impressed with kefir water. We sat and talked about the day while Beth cleaned our cabin. We agreed that it was a much easier day than Old Mule Pass. I think because it wasn't as hot, Jacinto says because there wasn't a head wind.

Beth gave us the tour of the place and instructions on how to use the outdoor shower. Which was supposed to have on demand hot water. I never got any hot. Jacinto finally went out and let the water run and run. He said it got luke warm. Now he's in the hot tub. I'm going to go talk before Beth serves our enchiladas at 5 PM. I am hungry! I've earned my dinner tonight.

Taking a photo while climbing is tricky. I wasn’t suffering quite as much as it appears.

This was as close to a sunrise photo as I got this morning.

By the time I got to a spot with no electrical wires, the sunshine had spread. Originally it was shining right down on the Morenci Mine. It was very striking.

Jim, from Morenci, stopped to talk to me twice.

I saw these plants 3-4 times. None were bloomed out. Bill says milkweed plants. Which makes me feel bad I couldn't identify them. My mother planted milkweeds as they are monarch butterfly food.

Bill, are these skunk weed? They grow at altitude in Colorado. Whenever I see them, I am proud of myself for pedaling so high up.Bill says wooly Mullein. I've been misidentifying them all of these years . . .

Looking back down the road. It makes me dizzy!

I saw only a few of these, near the top of the climb. Bill, you have lots of homework tonight!Parry's agave, says the man.

Indian paint brush. It seemed that the plants were more vivid in color on the Glenwood side of the climb. Perhaps I was just tired.

I've been seeing these white flowers for days. This is the first time I've seen a field of them.

I saw assorted flowers all day long, but just a few here and there. There were no big fields.Bill says these are upright prairie coneflowers. They were a rare sight today.

These are the white flowers in the field, up close.Prickly poppies! I love their oriental cousins.

Look! Trees big enough to provide shade. Ponderosa pines, I believe.

This is Max. He was headed to Alpine to paint a house. I waved at him and he wondered if it was a wave in distress. He turned his rig around to come check on me. Max had not only water, but ice! The ice in my water bottles gave me new life. No kidding.

Max's 1994 Jeep. He bought it when it was new. He's been in a couple of accidents, but fixed it up each time.

This is a newly constructed pump house across from our B&B tonight. Imagine how long it took to do all of that rock work.

Chips and salsa at the B&B. We would have had the whole bag of chips and whole jar of salsa. Instead we were served a polite amount. Kefir water to drink.

Jacinto has Modelo Negro tonight. He had an extra bottle for Oren.

My salad had Johnny jump ups. I've never eaten them before . . .

Jacinto's Rodriguez Bike has a built in bottle opener. It's a signature thing for them.

Today's ride: 60 miles (97 km)
Total: 403 miles (649 km)

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