March 11, 2012
Day 15: To Oracle
I got up at 7:20 and on the road at 9. It was the warmest morning in several days.
I continued north on Kinney road through Tucson Mountain Park, and for the first time in several days I got sweaty on the steepest climbs.
Then the road enters the west unit of Saguaro National Park. Just past the visitor center I turned right onto the Bajada Loop Drive which is a 5 mile unpaved loop through the hills.
The scenery is great and there was no traffic. That's good because I would be in clouds of dust if there was more traffic. Near the end of the loop I went down the spur road to the Signal Hill picnic area. It has awesome desert views, but I didn't hike the 1/4 mile trail to petroglyphs. I have an appointment in Tucson...
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After the loop road I continued north on Sandario road, then turned east towards Tucson on Picture Rocks road.
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Picture Rocks road has no shoulder and steady traffic, but at least visibility is good. After crossing a hilltop the road descends to northwest suburban Tucson. I went all the way across northern Tucson on Ina road which is a very busy suburban 6-lane artery with many shopping centers. It was all uphill after crossing I-10.
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I had a lunch appointment at Coco's restaurant with my wife's relatives Marvin, Fran, and Alan Hall. I arrived 45 minutes late because I misjudged how long it would take to get there.
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8 months ago
The restaurant is across the road from the Safeway supermarket that was the site of a mass shooting on January 8, 2011. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others were shot while she was meeting the public in front of the supermarket. 6 people were killed, including a federal judge and a 9 year old girl. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at point-blank range, but she survived and has recovered remarkably.
After the long lunch I pedaled north on highway 77. It was uphill all the way to Oracle, 30 miles. The Catalina mountains rise dramatically on my right. The suburban sprawl lasts seemingly forever. Tucson really sprawls in this direction. On the way out of town I stopped at a WalMart store to buy a fuel canister, but they didn't stock it. Later I stopped at a Dick's Sporting Goods store and paid $11 for two 4-ounce Isobutane canisters. I don't like the 4-ounce canisters because they cost about the same as an 8-ounce canister which is already very expensive.
It was dark by the time I arrived in the town of Oracle at 4513 feet elevation. It's a mining town high in the mountains. I didn't see any place to camp, and I prefer to stay in a motel after pedaling until dark. I got a $53 room at the Chalet Village motel, the only motel in town.
Today was warmer than the last several days with a high of 80F and mild wind. The morning was sunny but the afternoon was mostly cloudy. It was a long hard day because it was mostly uphill.
Distance: 64.8 mi. (104 km) 6 miles unpaved
Climbing: 3783 ft. (1146 m)
Average Speed: 9.8 mph (15.7 km/h)
Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 842 miles (1,355 km)
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