Day 7: To Tacna, ARIZONA

March 3, 2012

The day started a few miles west of Yuma, on Center of the World Drive. I continued east on very rough pavement with no traffic. Then on Winterhaven road which crosses the Colorado river into Yuma. Through desert vegetation. No irrigation in this area.

The Colorado river is the boundary between California and Arizona.

Entering Yuma, Arizona's third largest city.

While crossing the Colorado river I enter the city of Yuma, the state of Arizona, and Mountain time zone.

I continued straight south through town on 4th Avenue, then east out of town on US95E. Both roads are busy major arteries. Yuma has a population of 110,000. I went to a bike shop to buy a new tail flasher and brake pads, and had an early lunch before leaving town.

A new NiteRider Cherry Bomb tail light replaces the PDW Radbot 1000 tail light that disappeared a couple days ago. They are equally visible 1W lights, but the new one drains the battery twice as fast. I have to recharge the Cherry Bomb's 2 AAA batteries every 2 days.

Irrigated farms resume immediately east of the city in the wide flat valley of the Gila river.

Now I will follow the Gila river valley upstream to the town of Gila Bend. I-8 is the only paved route through the Gila river valley. To avoid I-8 I will follow farm roads that include 50 miles of dirt.

The ACA Southern Tier route is well north of the Gila valley to avoid either 50 miles of dirt or 80 miles on I-8. I will reconnect with the ACA route 9 days later in Globe, east of Phoenix.

Northeast of Yuma I escaped busy US 95E by turning right onto Dome Valley road. Finally a quiet country road through a beautiful farming valley surrounded by small craggy mountains. An enchanting place.

After 15 miles Dome Valley road connects to Old US 80 which parallels I-8. Fortunately the old road is usually 1/4 mile from I-8 so the traffic noise isn't bad. Still upstream in the wide flat Gila river valley, with many farms. I passed through the small town of Wellton which doesn't have a motel, and continued another 12 fast level miles to the smaller town of Tacna which does have a motel.

Not much water in the Gila river. Most of the water is diverted to irrigation canals.

I got a room at the small Chaparral motel in Tacna. It's barely a town, just a wide spot on the road.

Today was sunny all day with a high temperature of 75F (24C) and a gentle west tailwind. Very nice. The scenery was kind of boring except in the Dome Valley. I'm tired of bad pavement on the old roads that parallel I-8.

Distance: 69.8 mi. (112 km)

Climbing: 807 ft. (245 m)

Average Speed: 12 mph (19 km/h)

Today's ride: 70 miles (113 km)
Total: 383 miles (616 km)

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