You know how the heat makes pavement look like water in the distance? Well, this road was no different and I imagined myself riding straight into a lake and experiencing the refreshing cool the water would be holding. But there was no water—only heat. I started to climb a pass and I decided that I would take my time just in case it was a big one or if there were more to come. I also knew that when I climb, I almost always get to fly back down. It wasn’t long before I reached the top and sure enough, I saw the best road sign ever.
Riding downhill is very exhilarating and a lot of fun. At times I would pretend that I was in the Tour de France and would stick my butt up in the air to gain speed (not that I really ever knew what I was doing), but it is really fun. The only problem I had this time was this car behind me really wanted to pass me. What made this a problem was that I was going just as fast as the car right in front of me. Why would passing me help them get where they were going any faster? I reached the end of “Antelope Pass” and took a quick break. My next stop was a little town called “The Gap.” On my way there I began seeing these little caterpillar things trying to cross the road. There were so many of them and most were run over, but I saw some make it across. I can’t imagine where they were all heading, but there sure were a lot of them. The next thing I saw were a number of abandoned shelters that were right on the side of the road. They were used by venders, but had obviously not been used for some time. I pulled into The Gap and found some shade under a tree. I pulled out my other favorite lunch (when Subway was not an option), which was a turkey sub from Walmart. They have this incredible deal where you buy a footlong sandwich with turkey, lettuce, and cheese all for $4.95 (I wrote this before Subway's 5 dollar footlong deal). It fills you up and is delicious! I ate my lunch under a tree and once I finished I left for Gray Mountain. This would be my final stop for the day. The ride from The Gap to Gray Mountain was very interesting. At one point I looked over to see a cow that had recently died. I knew it had been recent because it was bloated, with its legs sticking straight out. I couldn’t believe it! First of all, there was nothing green around and water was only an aspiration. Why would there be a cow in that environment??? I continued on and after I road about 20 miles from The Gap I was hit with very strong winds. Because I was riding in a desert, the wind was full of sand. I was riding in what I considered a sandstorm. It was blowing sideways, stinging the right side of my face, arms, and legs and was blowing hard enough that I had to lean into it. Thankfully, this wind/sandstorm only lasted for 15 minutes or so. The road I was on is only about 40 miles east of the Grand Canyon. I was completely unaware I was so close! After riding out the storm, I started approaching the town right before Gray Mountain called Cameron. I was about 12 miles or so from the town when I saw my favorite sign—or at least I thought I had. I rode up to the point where I was sure I had seen a downhill sign, but there was nothing there or anything that looked like it. I was confused, but thought “I must have seen a mirage!!!” I’ve never really thought they actually happen, but I had one! I was out of water, my mouth was dry, and I was tired and ready to be done for the day, but I would have one last exciting moment. I saw this guy walking with a cart on the same side of the road I was riding. He didn’t look very welcoming so I unstrapped my tire pump that’s on the frame of my bike. It would make a decent Billy Club if I needed to use it as one, so I was ready. I started moving out into the lane to pass him, expecting him to vanish as my beautiful road sign did, but instead he waved me down and motioned for me to stop. I found out his name was Art and he was on a peace walk. He had traveled all the way from San Diego, California and had just left Gray Mountain where he’d slept the night before. He told me about how much he hated President Bush and the War and was trying to gather support for world peace. He gave me a sticker with a blue peace sign which read "Peace Now." We parted ways and I continued on to Cameron. I was so ready to be done and was really tired from the ride. Having made it to Cameron I had ridden about 83 miles climbing a pass, seeing a dead cow, riding through a sand storm, and talking to a sun-scorched man…I was ready to rest. While in Cameron I stopped at the gas station that was next to a touristy trading post and pleaded with the attendant to let me have some cold water from the soda machine. He graciously allowed me to and I was very, very thankful. I sat outside the store on a bench in the shade and dreaded the 9 miles to Gray Mountain that were left to ride. But, I had to get there so off I went and of course I had to climb for the majority of it. I finally reached my destination and stopped at this place called the “Anasazi Inn.” I tried to have a conversation with the lady at the front desk, but she wasn’t really in the talking mood. I went to my room and had a much needed shower, ate dinner and watched some TV! I even had air conditioning for the night! I always slept on the top of the beds in those kinds of hotels because I couldn’t trust that the sheets were nice and fresh...
Coming tomorrow...
The final ride, OnStar, and the greenest place on earth!
No comments:
Post a Comment