The distance wasn't much but the climb made up for it. We started at 5300' went up to 7100' at the top of Mingus Mountain then down to 3900' feet in Cottonwood.
The downhill made up for the climb. It was 12 miles of coasting. The danger was in going too fast but we had no crashes.
I missed the neatest picture. We had lunch in the town of Jerome. We only do lunch on the short days. On the long days we just do energy bars. Jerome, I think , was a mining town. Now it's a tourist town. Lot's of shops, bars and cafes. Most of the places had their front doors open. We were riding slowly because of traffic and people. I looked to my right and nearly lost control. The the biggest, blackest pit bull I have ever seen was standing in the doorway of one of the shops. I have no idea what kind of place it was because I was so surprised to see this guy. I should have gone back but I was riding with four or five other guys. So what, you say. What's the big deal?You've seen plenty of dogs. Not like this one. When we get to our rest day in Flagstaff, I'm going to call the place we had lunch and see if they can tell me the name of the place where the dog was. I know it's crazy but you didn't see him.
Perhaps you were dreaming of a dog that size to pull your bike.....This is not the Iditarod! This is the LONGEST RIDE! Take care and enjoy Flagstaff. You deserve a day of rest. S & J
ReplyDeleteThat was no dog -- that's how desert/mountain/mining people look after years of hard living. Sounds like you worked through your injuries. Stay safe, enjoy your memorable adventure,and watch out for Gila monsters!
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