September 29-30 - Tempe to Superior to Globe, AZ

September 29 - Thursday; Tempe to Superior, AZ; 58 miles.
After breakfast at Denny's we were off to a 6:20 am start. It was urban riding for the first 30 miles as we made our way from Tempe through Mesa and Apache Junction. We passed Arizona State University both as we came in to Tempe and as we rode out. Pretty impressive looking campus. I've watched football games on TV that were at Sun Devil Stadium with the mountains in the background and it really is pretty up close. It seemed the entire greater Phoenix area is very flat and we traveled 60 miles overall (over two days) through urban traffic. After Apache Junction it was open road the rest of the way to Superior. Below is a photo of the Superstition Mountains as we were leaving Apache Junction. After Florence Junction we began the climb over Gonzales Pass at about 11:00 am. It was 108 F and the grade was relatively steep. With the heat it was a real grind - but the views looking back towards Phoenix were nice. There was a nice downhill just before Superior but then another short climb to finish the days ride. Those last 2 miles seemed very slow and to take forever. After finding the Superior RV Park Gary, RJ, Dan and I had a late lunch at the Buckboard Cafe. The Cafe closed at 2:00 PM.

Superstition Mountains near Apache Junchtion, AZ

September 30 - Friday; Superior to Globe, AZ; 25 miles.
Though only 25 miles in length, everyone agreed that today's ride was TOUGH!!! I got off to a 6:50 am start. It was windy with the wind out of the east (or whichever direction I was riding - so it seemed) at 15 - 25 mph! The ride began immediately with a climb of substantial grade that lasted for 11 miles and nearly 3,000 feet of total climbing - first from 2,800 at Superior to 4,000 feet, back down and up again to 4,800 feet at the highest point, back down again then back up to 4,000 feet then through Miami, Claypool and Globe, which are pretty hilly too. The initial part of the climb out of Superior had us crossing a tall bridge with no shoulder and a strong crosswind. I thought the bridge would be level - but no, it maintained the grade. Shortly after the bridge was a 3/4 mile tunnel which again I thought would be level - but NOOOO, it maintained the grade too. The tunnel ended up not being quite as scary as the bridge because the tunnel had 4 lanes and we were given good riding room by passing traffic. Grinding up a 6% grade with 20 mph headwind with heavy traffic and no shoulder was very, very hard. When I eventually reached the down hill sections the wind was howling and directly in my face which really held back the speed. At times I had to pedal to get the bike to go downhill on a pretty good grade! Near the end of the day's ride the group met up at a Taco Bell in Claypool. As I was riding in to Claypool a just of wind STOPPED my bike! Leaving Taco Bell I rode ahead to find the Globe library to do this update. We're staying at the home of Larry and Susan Hansen tonight. After camping last night in the heat, it will be really nice to be inside. Our hosts are cooking spaghetti for dinner. Last night's dinner was difficult to prepare but got us through the day. Tomorrow is 80 miles with no major climbs. I hope to get off to a really early start to take advantage of the cooler morning temperature for as long as it lasts. It'll be a long one, especially if we have the headwind we had today - which the librarian says is not normal.

More next time I can get to a library. This trip is GREAT and I cannot thank Susi enough for letting me do it. You're the greatest and I owe you BIG TIME!

September 23 to 28 - Brawley to Palo Verde, CA to Quartzsite to Salome to Wickenburg to Tempe, AZ

September 23 - Friday; Brawley to Palo Verdo, CA; 70 miles.
We were off to a sunrise start out of Brawley. There were only two places to stop for water; Glamis at 30 miles and a US Border Patrol checkpoint at 45 miles so we loaded up with water and Gatorade before leaving Brawley. We rode near the Chocolate Mountains before arriving in Glamis where there was only a small store owned by a crusty old man. Nothing was free. I paid $3.50 for a 32 ounce Gatorade and he would not let me fill up my water bottles for free - so I left a little short on water. From Glamis, we rode through the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area where the scenery was beautiful. Dan (by far the strongest rider) reached the dunes first, stamped out all of our first names in the sand and was standing there smiling when the rest of us arrived. The ride was a pretty steady, though very moderate, climb. After filling up on water at the border patrol checkpoint and eating lunch I was off again for the final 25 miles. From the top of the climb, I thought I would be riding downhill for the rest of the afternoon. While overall it was down hill, it was actually a series of large "dips" that had to be climbed on the far side. It was a pretty brutal for about 20 miles but the last 5 miles into Palo Verde were flat. By the time I left the border patrol station the temperature was probably around 120 degrees. I was pouring water over my head and down my back and getting some cooling from the evaporation. It was a balancing act since I did not want to run out of water - but was overheating. There was one very close call for me on one of the dips when a semi was coming up from behind at the same time as one was coming the other way. There was no shoulder; just a 6" dropoff into a rocky ditch. The one behind layed on his horn - but I had no where to go. I think he missed me by less than a foot while traveling at about 60 mph. I thought I was a gonner. Gary I pulled into Palo Verde at the same time and found the RV park where we were staying. Vicky was already there but very dehydrated. Adrian had overheated and flagged down a ride. Luckily we stayed in a 3 bedroom air-conditioned cabin. It was an oasis after a hard days ride in extrene heat. Instead of cooking we ate at the only cafe in town.

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, CA

September 24 - Saturday; Palo Verde, CA to Quartzsite, AZ; 50 miles.
We were off to another sunrise start. I traveled through Ripley and Blyth California before crossing the Colorado River into Arizona. Almost immediately after crossing into Arizona I rode onto I-10 for a gradual climb to 1,800 feet then an nice relaxing decent into Quartzsite at 900 feet. Everyone was in Quartzsite by 11:00 am. RJ and I came in together and had a burger at BK. The rest of the group ate at a small cafe where I also had a chocolate shake (this eventually became a habbit!). We checked into the RV park and were allowed to stay inside the recreation center. The shower was a real kick; it used to be coin-operated but the switch was gone and you had to stand in water and hook two electric wires together to get the water to come on. I'm sure it was only a 24 VAC circuit but it sure looked dangerous. The woman apparently running the place was a bit eccentric. It was Gary and my turn to cook for the group and we gave it our best shot given the sparse supply of ingredients available at the food/hardware/auto supply store. (Throughout the trip it always seemed like the only place for grocery shopping when it was Gary and my turn was this type of facility.) Though no one complained, we may be asked not to cook again! Lessons of the day; never pass up an opportunity to "do your business", fill up your water bottles and apply butt lube!


Colorado River at California/Arizona state line



Lunch in Quartzite (L-R; Gary, Vicky, Ray, Dan, Adrian, RJ, Fred)



September 25 - Sunday; Quartzsite to Salome, AZ; 41 miles.

There were two moderate climbs today. We had a really nice breakfast in Hope, AZ. This turned out to be the only place open the entire route today though the map showed several other locations that supposedly had cafe`s. Some probably will open in a few weeks when the "snowbirds" return. I was riding with RJ when he was attached by a pack of five tiny Chihuahuas. It looked pretty funny as they were so small but were barking like they could inflict damage. Actually they had gotten out of a house and a youth was trying to catch then to get them back inside. The scenery was "high desert" all day. There were closed RV parks all along the way. Supposedly some will be open in a few weeks but some appear abandoned. I can't figure out why anyone would drive an RV out in the middle of "nowhere" to stay for the winter?? It wouldn't be for me. Everyone arrived in Salome by 11:30 am. It was not quite as hot as the previous few days. When we arrived in Salome we ate lunch at the only open cafe. We were staying at a motel for the night and when I got back from lunch I saw that I had my first flat tire. Better that it happen here than out on the hot road as some in the group have experienced. It was a slow leak and a little hard to find, but I finally had it fixed and back on the bike. It wasn't my turn to cook, but I rode with Ray about 1/2 mile to the only open place to buy food. He fixed a really nice spagetti dinner. We met a man (Bob) riding a modified version of the Southern Tier route solo. It turns out he is from a small town near Peoria, IL. Small world (smaller as you will see from my 9/28 entry). Overall a great day cycling.

September 26; -Monday; Salome to Wickenburg, AZ; 58 miles.
This morning I left well before everyone else. It was still dark and I wanted to experience a complete sunrise by myself. The colors were awesome; pitch black; black/light pink; dark pink/red; red/orange; orange/yellow/blue; pale yellow/blue to all blue. Spectacular!! It was 28 miles to Aguila where I bought Gatorade and a PayDay (and used the facilies). Most businesses were closed and buildings run down (unfortunately a common sight in these parts). It was another 26 miles to Wickenburg with a really nice downhill ride through town to the Horspitality RV Park. I found the library in Wickenburg but it was closed on Mondays. Unlike most of the towns we have passed through, Wickenburg is cleaner and more modern; a very nice looking community with very friendly people. I ate a late lunch at Subway before riding on to the RV park. The RV park was very clean and we had a nice grassy area to camp (5 stars -  grass for pitching a tent was an extreme rarity). We ate grilled chicken, baked beans, potatoe salad and cole slaw for dinner - very nice job by the cooking crew (obviously not Gary and me).

Morning scenery between Salome and Wickenburg, AZ

September 27 - Tuesday; Wickenburg to Temp, AZ; 73 miles.
Today's ride was by far the nicest so far. It seemed like it was downhill all the way. Traffic got heavier as we approached Sun City but the road was very wide. Except for Dan (the speedster) we all rode pretty much as a group through the Phoenix area to Tempe. Nine miles were along the Arizona Canal bike path - very nice! We stopped at a really nice bicycle shop as we entered Tempe. I had them put on a new chain and the "ratty" shifting I'd been experiencing - essentially since about a week before sending my bike to San Diego - disappeared. It shifts really well now. We checked into a Motel 6 near I-10 and tomorrow is a "rest day". Today's ride completes Section 1 of the Southern Tier route (San Diego to Tempe). Section 2 covers Tempe, AZ to El Paso, TX.

September 28 - Wednesday; Layover Day in Tempe; 6 miles.
Today is our first rest day. Everyone slept in this morning. I got up and ran four miles then did laundry. RJ, Vicky and I then rode our bikes to REI about 1 mile south of the Motel 6. RJ had his 23 mm tires replaced with 28s; the largest that will fit the rims of his Surley Long Haul Trucker. The young man that did the work is from Carol, Iowa (really small world). He graduated from ISU and couldn't find a job so he moved to Tempe. I'm at the Tempe library now updating the blog then we're off to find some lunch. Tomorrow we're off again and I'll make another update when I can find a library.

September 20 to 22 - San Diego to Alpine to Ocotillo, CA

September 20 - Tuesday; San Diego to Alpine, CA; 37 miles.
The ride from the Point Loma hostel near Ocean Beach (see group photo taken by a life guard during our shake down ride the previous day) through San Diego was nice. It followed the San Diego River and the Interstate. I was reasonably familiar with the area since Susi and I had been there a few years ago on vacation. Though this was urban riding, there were no issues with traffic. The climbing started on the east side of Santee and lasted to Alpine; 2,000 ft. total. Once clear of San Diego the scenery was canyon-like and included a bicycle trail through a very pretty area. We stayed at the Mar-tar-awa Viejas RV park and had our choice of dirt patches for pitching a tent - amongst the cows no less. There was a shuttle between the RV campground and a local Indian casino where we had dinner at an all you can eat buffet.



Group photo at Dog Beach; Vicky, Ray, Kat, Fred, Dan, Adrian, RJ and Gary

September 21 - Wednesday; Alpine to Ocotillo, CA; 65 miles.
Today's ride started with climbing immediately; another 2,000 ft. to the pass just before Pine Valley. There was a total of just over 4,000 ft. of climbing for the day; after Pine Valley it was up 500 ft. then down 500 ft. The road had very little traffic and was nice and wide. Once we cleared the Tecate Divide, I could feel the temperature rise and it just got hotter as the day went on. We passed through the town of Jacumba which is right on the US/Mexican border. The border fence was probably only 100 yards away from the road. (see photo below). There were US border patrol SUVs, ATVs and helicopters everywhere. There really appears to be a significant effort to enforce the border but the area is so wide open that I'm sure this is a difficult task. About half way through the ride I met a couple from Iceland touring the other direction but with their accent I didn't get their names. They started in St. Augustine, FL in early August and were only one more day from reaching San Diego. They sure picked the hottest time to make the trip - and being from Iceland no less. Very nice couple and if I can remember their blog address I'll include that in a later e-mail. The ride ended with a long rapid decent from 4,000 feet to 200 feet above sea level on I-8. My max speed was 41 mph - I had to break at that point. I was riding behing Gary on the descent when he flatted. I helped him fix it then left. I waited at the off ramp to Ocotillo but he never showed up. It turned out he flatted several more times and in the heat ended up hitching a ride to Ocotillo. Several others flatted on the interstate. The emergency lane was full of tire remnants, glass and various other pieces of junk. I was lucky I did not flat myself. We stayed at another RV park in Ocotillo where the owner let us sleep in the air conditioned recreation room. With the heat it would have been very difficult to get any sleep in a tent outside. We had pizza for dinner as it was too late by the time the last few arrived and everyone was too tired to cook. The owner took one person to get the pizza. He also gave us beer! What a great host, eh?

US/Mexico borker fence near Jacumba, CA

September 22 - Thursday; Ocotillo to Brawley, CA; 44 miles.
Today's ride was very flat. We got off to an early start to get to Brawley (113 feet below sea level) before the hottest part of the day. Several riders had flat tires yesterday and used up most of their supply of tubes so we all rode to a bicycle shop in El Centro. I was the second one there at just past 9:00 am but they didn't open until 10:00 am. Dan and I went to a 60's diner across the street while waiting for the other riders and for the shop to open. I had a chocolate shake. I only needed another bottle holder from the bike shop so I could carry a camp stove fuel container and both water bottles which I quickly got and went on my way. The ride north from El Centro to Brawley was HOT-HOT-HOT. A photo of the desert and of the agriculture around El Centro follow.

Desert landscape in southern California

Agriculture near El Centro, CA

Tomorrow's ride is almost 70 miles with about 1,500 feet of moderate climbing later in the ride though nothing as steep as the first two days. It'll be a bear with the heat but there are a number of places along the way to get inside and cool off/rehydrate.

I'll update again next time I can get to a library.

September 18 - San Diego

September 18 - Sunday; San Diego.
Not a lot happening today. I ran 4 miles to the beach and back this morning. It was cool, overcast and very humid!. I did not ride down Point Loma and by the submarine base as I had planned. The shakedown ride tomorrow goes that way so I figured I'd rest today. All but a couple of the group are here at the hostel. After breakfast most of us sat around discussing the trip, our past experiences, etc.. I went to the market across the street to purchase a few small items for the trip. Several of us had lunch with Ray, the tour leader. Ray lives in Lander, WY which is near the Wind River range and recently retired after 35 years with the BLM. Susi and I hiked 5 days in the Wind River range a few years ago. This area is SPECTACULAR. After lunch we went with Ray back to the market to purchase group items for the trip. There is a group meeting at 7:00 pm tonight to go over details of the trip.

I think my iTouch finally died last night. I'm about ready to throw it into the ocean to put it (me?) out of its misery! [later: I did finally pitch it into a lake in Palo Verde. A couple of my riding partners thought I'd thrown my cell phone in until I explained that the iTouch was broken].

Tomorrow is a group "shakedown" ride to Cabrillo National Monument and back fully loaded.

September 17 - San Diego

September 17 - Saturday; San Diego; 25 miles.
Four of the group had arrived at the hostel by last night; Dan from Florida, Adrian from the UK, Vicky from Asheville, SC and me. After breakfast we all rode to downtown San Diego. We made it back to the hostel about 1:30 pm. There was only one SNAFU during our ride. On the way downtown, Vicky ran over something sharp and cut a tire. We helped her replace the tube and inserted a piece of duct tape inside the tire. I'd heard of doing this and it really works. After we arrived back at the hostel Adrian needed to purchase a cell phone so we left to find a phone store. We found one on Sports Arena Blvd just across the street from a restaurant where Susi and I had dinner during our last visit a few years ago. Later we headed for Ocean Beach then rode south to Sunset Cliffs. We got back to the hostel at 4:30 pm, got cleaned up and are waiting for the $5.00 hostel hamburger special. A great day cycling with most excellent new friends. Tomorrow I plan to explore more of Point Loma by bike including riding by the submarine base.

At Ocean Beach: left to right: Dan, Vicky and Adrian. We had a really nice time riding together for the first time.

Ocean Beach looking north.

September 16 - San Diego

September 16 - Friday; San Diego; 17 miles.
After a 4 mile morning run to Ocean Beach and back, I rode my bike to downtown San Diego. I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon touring the retired aircraft carrier Midway. I also rode around the old Naval Training Center where I went to bootcamp and Electrician's Mate "A" school in1972. Had a good time reminiscing. The city has really put a lot into it making it really nice; bike and jogging trails, playgrounds, memorials to all the submarines lost since they entered service. They were lost left and right in 1942 through 1944.

I met two women at the hostel this morning from Canada who just finished a 5-week bike ride down the Pacific coast. They are here until Tuesday so I hope to talk with them more about their trip.

Another of my tour's riders arrived late this afternoon; Adrian, a retired school teacher from the UK.

Tommorrow I plan to do more bike riding around Point Loma and Mission Beach.

Construction of a Spanish Galleon at Spanish Landing Park

USS Recruit - at what used to be the Naval Training Center (NTC) San Diego. We learned shipboard communications at this facility during boot camp in February-April 1972.

September 14 and 15 - Arrived in San Diego

September 14 - Wednesday; San Diego
Susi took me to the airport EARLY this morning for the flight to San Diego (via Dallas/Ft. Worth). The plane landed about 12:30 pm local time. I made my way to the Metro bus stop outside the airport and caught a bus to Bernie's Bicycle Shop on Cable St.. The bike was assembled and the two boxes I shipped with my gear were waiting for me. I mounted the racks myself and loaded my panniers onto the bike for the ride to the Point Loma Hostel on Udell St. I left the fenders for when I had a little more time at the hostel. I found the hostel with just a little trouble, it is a block off the street I was riding on and I missed it and had to loop back - but only after climbing a couple of really steep hills before I realized I'd gone too far. The hostel is nothing to write home about, but as I indicated to Al in an e-mail last night, in a couple of weeks after tent camping, it'll probably seem pretty good.

After settling in, I finished putting on the fenders - not as bad as I thought it would be. I still need to mount the water bottle holders as they were packed away in one of my panniers. I walked towards Ocean Beach looking for a place to eat dinner. All I'd had to eat all day was a banana at home before we left for the airport (my fault Susi - you tried to get me to take the peanut butter sandwich and bag of cashews. Will I ever listen?!). I wasn't having much luck but finally settled on a grilled chicken salad at a Jack In The Box. Pretty fancy eats eh!

September 15 - Thursday; San Diego
The hostel has free pancake mix for making your own in the morning. I had one this morning then left for the bus stop to head for the San Diego Zoo. $5 lets one ride the MTA buses all day. The zoo was nice - but not the same by myself as when Susi and I last went a few years ago. The first bus goes by the old Navy Training Center (NTS) where I went to boot camp and Electricians Mate "A" school. It has all been turned over to the city or some private developer. I could still see the old barracks where I spent the first half of boot camp. I think they were fairly new in 1972 but boarded up now. Probably soon to be demo'd.

I got back from the Zoo and got off at the public library stop which is next door to the hostel. My plans to use the iTouch for blog updates doesn't appear will work. Blogger no longer works with the internet browser that is on my 1st generation iTouch. Susi checked on FedEx'ing my small laptop but it was going to cost $100 to get it here before the group leaves for the bike tour. So - I'll update as free access is available at public libraries (or hopefully another of the bike group will have a laptop I can borrow every day or so for updates). I haven't taken any photos so far but hope to once the tour group assembles Sunday and Monday.

Not sure what's for dinner tonight. The hostel is hosting a pasta dinner for $5 so maybe I'll do that. Tomorrow I plan to ride my bike to the downtown pier area and tour the Midway aircraft carrier then maybe take to ferry to Coronado and bike down the strand. I think one or two of the others in the tour group are supposed to arrive tomorrow.