May 19, 2015
Day 2: Bonito Campground to Cameron: The Descent is Calling
Note: Stone continues his fancy-pants effort to relate the story of the expedition in third person, although no one can quite comprehend why he's writing like that.
According to the friendly Texan tenting at the next site, the overnight temperature at Bonito campground dropped to 26 degrees Fahrenheit. The boys, well-prepared, survived the night with no problems, although in the morning the fly sheets of their tents were decorated with ice where the previous evening's rain had frozen in blobs and droplets, and the saddles of their LHT's were coated in frost.
Without a backpack stove, they ate cold breakfasts until Emily's mother—even the mom was significantly younger than the riders—strolled over with hot oatmeal. Whitworth also scored a fresh banana from his new-found benefactors. Discussing the matter later, it seemed impossible to determine if such good fortune was the result of the guys in their studly riding garb appearing exceedingly charming or exceedingly pitiful.
By 8:00, dressed for the chilly morning, the boys had exchanged farewells with Emily and family, stopped briefly at the visitor center to extract electricity from the outdoor outlet, and headed east on Loop Road. Retracing the route of Monday evening's failed expedition to detect a cell signal, the riders once again faced defeat in that regard, and remained unable to dispatch a reassuring message to their senoritas, who in any event had probably forgotten them by that time.
A few miles up the road, at a higher elevation, Whitworth's phone audibly announced it had bars, and a flurry of texts came and went. It continued to be true throughout the expedition that most spots along the route had no cell coverage at all. In those few places where a signal became available, it was always for Whitworth's Verizon network rather than Stone's useless AT&T. A new television commercial might be in the works, featuring touring cyclists. "Hi. My name is Stone, and I'm switching to Verizon because...."
After belatedly reporting their safe arrival at Bonito and continued well-being, the boys climbed a bit higher on Loop Road to the Sunset Crater Volcano parking lot and hung out there for awhile, enjoying the panorama. The road dipped and turned and went up a little more as it passed scenic cinder hills, painted desert, and lava flows. In rearview mirrors, Mount Humphreys stood above the San Francisco Peaks, wrapped this morning in a thicker mantle of snow.
From the Ponderosa pine forest, Loop Road began a steady downward trend. The boys knew they would have a big net loss in elevation today, and at that point conditions for descent proved ideal. Smooth road. A few lazy curves. Zero traffic. Sunshine. A breath of a cool, helpful tailwind. Stunning vistas of the distant desert. A steady high-speed run downhill. If every moment of every bicycle tour could be so perfect, roads everywhere would be gridlocked with Surly Long Haul Truckers carrying loaded panniers.
Down through different eco zones the boys descended without a care in the world as the day warmed up.
At the Wupatki visitor center they stopped for awhile to strip off excess clothes and view the impressive ruins of Native American stone dwellings that looked like vast broken-down apartment complexes in the desert. The pretty young ranger at the desk told the boys a little about the historical site and imparted a crucial piece of information of more immediate import. Cameron, on the reservation, was dry. No beer, cold or otherwise, would be available there.
After processing that shocking news and checking out the ruins, Stone and Whitworth pushed on. So far the morning had been almost all downhill, but it was time to do a little climbing. Loop Road, such a pleasure from Bonito to Wupatki, suddenly headed up with a vengeance, including a couple of short but extremely steep pitches that seemed impossible to master on loaded touring bikes. Both the boys resorted to hopping off and cross-training in two or three places. By way of foreshadowing, they knew they would be in for more of the same the next day.
It didn't take long for the park road to level off, and pleasant riding resumed as a few clouds gathered. In the parking lot of the ruins of the Citadel Pueblo, the boys pulled over for lunch, munching on the last battered morsels of their carefully hoarded foot-longs. Emily failed to appear with a more appetizing repast. No bananas. No oatmeal. No pork chops.
On the other hand, the neighborly tent-camping Texan from Bonito campground—travelling alone—spotted the picnic and braked his jeep in order to chat for awhile. He seemed astounded that anyone could travel so far with such a load through such inhospitable terrain under pedal power. "Yes," the boys thought to themselves, "we must be very tough hombres indeed, except for that part where we were barely able to push the bikes a few minutes ago." As the Texan took off in his jeep, the sky began to sprinkle on the tough guys and their stale sandwiches.
By the time they reached the intersection with Highway 89 at the end of Loop Road, the sprinkles had ended. At this point, after a day and a half on roads nearly empty, the way forward required riding down the busy, high-speed highway. Fortunately, the gracious state of Arizona and ADOT provided a wide, smooth shoulder with a well-positioned rumble strip. Not only that, the route was almost entirely downhill. In addition, the boys happily discovered a strong tailwind. As a consequence, they sailed along at 15 to 20 MPH with only a modicum of effort, rapidly eating up the miles to Cameron. Assorted whoops and snatches of off-key singing resulted.
Before reaching Cameron, however, an important task awaited at the gas station shop at Gray Mountain—the first opportunity for resupplying food and beverages since departing Flagstaff, not counting Emily's mobile cupboard—where the riders raided the refrigerated shelves for cold beers, of which a seemingly boundless inventory remained available at the edge of the reservation. The glass cooler doors were plastered with hand-lettered "You drop it, you bought it" signs. The chosen cold ones, undropped, slipped into panniers for later.
In short order the boys reached Cameron, where they discovered the highway ripped up and under construction, with flaggers and backed-up traffic. For a few minutes this situation required considerable attention to the condition of the road surface as well as to the uncertain movements of confused and erratic motorists, some of whom might have been shopping at Gray Mountain. Fortunately, when the Surly LHT's rolled into the safety of the parking lot at the Cameron Trading Post, no members of the expedition had been lost or injured, and their precious refreshments remained in panniers, chilled and intact.
Intact the chilled refreshments for very long did not remain.
Conditions
Distance: Approximately 58 miles, 8:00 - 3:00
Up: Approximately 1600 feet
Down: Approximately 4300 feet
Weather: Pleasantly cool with a few sprinkles of rain. Warmer in the afternoon at lower elevation.
Home for the night: Cameron Trading Post
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Hot seat, cold seat. Ice on the tent and frost on the saddle in the morning after a night of 26° F.
After a long, bumpy ride on Schultz Pass Road, and a night below freezing, RJ's banana transmuted into a new species. Paired here for comparison with the fresh replacement contributed by our camp neighbor, Emily.
Brief stop at the Sunset Crater Volcano visitor center across the road from Bonito campground.
Old Grumble-Face and the LHT's on Loop Road by the lava field where, according to our interpretation of the ranger's directions, we should be able to get a cell signal.
It didn't happen last night or this morning.
(Photo by RJW)
The Bonito Lava Flow trailhead.
RJ checks his portable communications device, but there is no network.
Stone poses on Loop Road with the San Francisco Peaks in the background.
(Photo by RJW)
Whitworth poses on Loop Road with the San Francisco Peaks in the background.
The actual Sunset Crater Volcano.
RJ's LHT and its shadow survey the distant lowlands.
Cinder Hills along Loop Road.
The entrance sign as we exited the National Monument.
Loop Road led us down to lower elevations and different eco zones in the Coconino National Forest.
Loop Road. Still going down.
The LHT's take a break.
Twin black Surly Long Haul Truckers.
Last look back toward the San Francisco Peaks for awhile.
Much lower. Much warmer. Much less vegetation. Still no traffic on Loop Road.
No food or beverages at the Wupatki visitor center, but plenty of water. We topped off bottles.
Stone poses at the Wupatki ruins.
The tights came off before we saddled up. The skull cap and neck flap stayed on.
(Photo by RJW)
Whitworth poses at the Wupatki ruins.
The jacket came off. The knickers stayed on.
Several short steep climbs after the visitor center had the boys hoofing it for awhile, but Loop Road soon leveled off.
Luncheon at the Citadel ruins.
Stone's LHT leans against the ruins of the Nalakihu Pueblo.
The Nalakihu Pueblo with Loop Road in the background.
As we exit, the sign at the entrance to Wupatki National Monument on Loop Road.
A dry, desolate landscape at this elevation, and we're still heading down.
Here's RJ in the parking lot at the entrance to Wupatki, with Highway 89 in the background.
RJ takes advantage of good shoulder, easy descent, and helpful tailwind to fly down Highway 89.
Roadside art at Gray Mountain.
Note the misspelled "divorced" added below "Love Life."
This is probably the only reason to stop at Gray Mountain, but—according to the sign—don't even think about walking your dog.
This abandoned motel is probably not a good reason to stop at Gray Mountain.
RJ watches local canines cavorting in the busy highway.
Not entirely sure what this Gray Mountain artwork was all about.
RJ pedals one of the few uphill segments of Highway 89 between Loop Road and Cameron.
The San Francisco Peaks have reappeared on the horizon.
The boys discover an oasis in the desert.
From the back of the Cameron Trading Post, good view of the Little Colorado River gorge and the new and old Highway 89 bridges.
Roughing it at the Cameron Trading Post. What time do the Warriors come on?
A wee bit more expensive than the Bonito campground site.
Today's ride: 58 miles (93 km)
Total: 86 miles (138 km)
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