With much anticipation and anxiety, we are starting the second leg of our cross-country bike trip: Phoenix to El Paso.   This trip will probably have the most spectacular scenery but the most challenging cycling.  We have to scale the Rocky Mountains.  I have been dreading this leg of the trip since we first came up with the idea of riding from San Diego to St. Augustine.  I hope I have it in me; we shall soon see.  Last year I struggled the first two days going over the coastal range which hardly compares to the Rockies.  I sure hope our brotherly rivalries helps to propel all of us thru the long climbs ahead.

I was able to assemble my bike without too much difficulty.  There was one little trick that I needed to remember before I could get my handlebars on the frame.  Gears and brakes seem to work fine today in contrast to last year.  Brian had the most difficulty getting his bike back together.  Thankfully there was a bike shop near the hotel that got things straightened out in his reassembly.  Mark reminds Brian and I how easy his bike is to assemble.

Our ride today was like a tuneup; it was less than 30 miles of city type traffic over flat roads.  Tomorrow is only 55 miles but it is almost all climbing: Apache Junction to Globe, AZ.  It will probably take us all day.  Queen Creek Tunnel is near the mid-point of tomorrow’s ride.  It promises to be an interesting day.  Early bed time for all of us.  Good Night.

What a relief.  We finished;  no flats; no accidents; no mishaps.   I know our wives and families are just as relieved.  Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and understanding.

Today was an interesting contrasting day.  We had breakfast and got away around 9am.  Wickenburg is a modern day western town.  One brief aside.  Last night at dinner a couple of fellows came into the restaurant and were seated at the table beside us. They and several other patrons never removed their cowboy hats.  One of these fellows had a revolver in a holster on one hip and a knife in a holster on the other hip.  I can honestly say that I’ve never seen that except for law enforcement.  I didn’t feel threatened; it was just strange to see a private citizen with a gun in open view.

We rode on Route 60 which was 4 lanes with a wide shoulder all the way to Phoenix.  It was pretty wide open country and we were cruising.  As we got closer to Phoenix, the landscape changed gradually into suburban sprawl.  We figured out how to get onto bike paths west of the city limits and rode them for perhaps 25 miles.  Other than sparse signage on the trails to tell you where you are, it was great.  When the bike trails turned from macadem to gravel, we had to go on the city streets.  Not much fun but ok.  Then back on another macadem bike trail almost all the way to our hotel in Tempe.  Tempe reminds me of Colorado Springs for some reason.  College town with upscale shops and a mountain in the background, close enough to ride or run to.

Tomorrow I fly home to rejoin Marcia and the kids.  Yes I missed Josh, Molly and Teresa too.  Can’t wait to see everyone and start planning the next leg of our cross country bike trip.  What a blast this has been!

We started the day in the kitchen at the rustic Westward Motel.  Strong coffee, oatmeal and toasted bagels were the fare.  After still another fall by Brian, skimmed knee, we took off down Route 60 with a very pleasant tail wind.  Three and a half hours, and 55 miles later we were at our next motel in Wickenburg.  The road was as straight and boring as anything I have ever been on.  All I can say is, thank goodness the ride was fast.

Beth beat us to the motel today and she had scoped out some restaurants for lunch and dinner and a museum we had read about the night before.  After lunch, the brothers visited the Desert Caballeros Western Museum for a couple of hours.  Very informative exposition on ranching and mining life in Arizona in the 19th and early  20th century centered around Wickenburg.  Then spent an hour or so mapping out our route for tomorrow to avoid as many city streets in Phoenix as we can.  We think we have located 30 miles of bike paths to help us get to our destination in Tempe tomorrow night. Should be a ride of just under 70 miles, the first 30 or so Route 60′ then the bike path along the Arizona Canal and the last 10 or so on city streets in Tempe.  It’s also supposed to warm up to 70 tomorrow, a nice changefrom the 50s today.

After a great night’s sleep in a brand new Comfort Suites Motel, we were off and riding at 7:15.  Rode thru Blythe, virtually had Main Street to ourselves, to the Colorado River and the foot bridge to Arizona.  Did Brian ever tell you Arizona is one of his favorittttte states?  He only told Mark and I about 50 times.  I hope he doesn’t keep telling us the rest of the way across Arizona.

Today was perfect for bike riding.  Finally we had a tailwind.  Not only a tailwind, but one so strong it pushed us up our climbs.  Brian was feeling frisky today, at one point riding about a mile or so in front of Mark and I.  With the help of another bicyclist, I got my gears adjusted so the problems I have been having for the past couple days seem to be corrected.

We rode a good portion of the day on I10.  At one of rest stops on the interstate, a fellow named Vic stopped to talk to us about our trip.  When his wife came out of the rest room she gave him an impatient look like lets go, I’m ready, what are you doing talking to those guys in funny outfits.  After he unlocked the car door with the remote from where we were talking, Mark said we left ours at home.

Arrived in Salome, our stop for the night at around 2pm.  The motel is very unique, probably the most interesting place we will stay on this trip.  The owner drove us to the store so we could get some beer and snacks while we waited for Beth to arrive.  Since we had our own kitchen, Mark cooked a pasta dinner and made a salad.  We sat around the kitchen, drank two bottles of wine and just hung out.  A fitting end to a great day. 

Thinking about the end of this trip.  Two more days of riding and weather predictions of tailwinds again today.  I do miss Marcia and the kids.  I quess a week of riding is about the right amount of time.  Perhaps we will do leg two in 6 months instead of next year.

The worst night’s sleep of the trip.  Woken up by people above us in the Travelodge Motel at 11 pm and again at 4 am.   On the way out of town at 7 am passed by a brand new Best Western.  Wished we had stayed there.

It started off cold but we knew it would warm up as the day progressed.  Fortunately it was overcast so it never got as hot as forecast.  This was expected to be a hard day crossing the dessert with no services available for at least 70 plus miles.  I had three water bottles and we refilled at mile 50 when Beth came along to restock us.  All three of us were totally out again when we pulled into Blythe.  I don’ t how people do it when they don’t have any support network.

Some interesting people along the way.  Met a fellow named Jack Watson who was pulling  a little cart with his gear.  He is retired and planning to ride all the way to St. Augustine camping all the way.  He camped in the dessert last night and plans to camp every night if he can.  Mark said he would like to try it sometime but Brian has absolutely nointerest.  I might be persuaded to try it for a two or three day stint.  We’ll see.

The second interesting person were the three border patrol officers when we had to go thru a checkpoint.  They were probablybored and there wasn’t any traffic.  They were very friendly once we engaged them in conversation.  We stayed and talked to them for probably 10 minutes and we asked them to be on the lookout for Beth (Hawaii license plates) and be sure to give her a hard time, in jest, of course.

Best of all was the scenery, especially thru the dessert.  We switched it up a little and took short stops (5 min or so) every 10 miles or so.  The stops in the dessert were so quiet.  There were no man made  sounds unless a car passed us and no animal sounds.  Lots of sand dunes along the route for 15 miles and then minimal vegetation until we got to Riverside Co. where irrigation started again.  A long butsatisfying day pedaling over 90 miles.  Tomorrow is a shorter day but has moreclimbs than today.  Feeling more confident as each day passes.

Went to mass with Brian to pray for Mark’s soul. Spent the morning resting and doing wash. Left for the short ride to our next stop and took a nap. Picked up extra water, snacks and Gatorade for the trip across the dessert to Blythe. All set to leave at 7:15 tomorrow morning. Finishing up this entry listening to Mark snore away. I think this was smart planning on Mark’s part to incorporate a rest day into our schedule. Always lots of laughs with Mark and Brian together. Beth and I can just sit back and enjoy.

I think I was sound asleep when my head hit the pillow. Mark’s snoring didn’t bother me a bit. After breakfast in a fifties diner, started off and my rear wheel shifted at the start of the first climb. Locked it down as tight as I could and went back to the gameplan of day one. Brian even gave it an extra turn and it held the rest of the day.

I knew starting out that we had 5 major climbs today. The difference between day 1 and day 2 was we start hard and finish easy. Yesterday we started easy and finished hard. The wind was back but it didn’t demoralize me the way it did yesterday. My legs felt strong and I was enjoying the scenery. The only time the wind made me nervous was when we were on the interstate coasting down into Ocotillo. Unlike Brian and Mark, I apply the brakes and never go above 20 mph if that on these long steep descents. Wiped out on a downhill in Cape Bretton Island, Nova Scotia in 1990. Never want to do that again.

Lots of Border Patrol Agents today. Also saw the border fence – not more than 75 yards from the road we were on in places. It is amazing the difference in the landscape when irrigation is available as it is in the Imperial Valley. You can be riding thru dusty brown earth and all of a sudden be riding thru green, lush spinach fields.

Very happy my bike had a front strobe light and a rear blinking red light. We didn’t get into El Centro until the around 6 pm and it was getting dark. The lights relieved my anxiety about biking that late. We’ll plan better our long days and arrive at our destination before dark.

Said good bye to Safi, Alyou and Yahsah and headed out with Mike to meet up with Brian and Mark and Beth at Inn at Sunset Cliffs. Beautiful morning for the beginning of our trip. Dipped the bike wheel in the Pacific Ocean and off we went. Not thinking about the climbs to come just enjoying the feeling of getting underway. I had been training pretty intensely and had confidence I could do this. The day was going well until about mile 30 when we really started some long steep climbs. My rear wheel shifted several times and would rub against the frame whenever I tried to power up a hill especially when I tried to stand up to pedal. I had to stop and reset the wheel and hope it would hold.

Just before Mike left us he tightened the quick release as tight as he could and the wheel held for a while. I felt bad that I was holding everyone up. The only way I could manage the climbs without the wheel shifting was to take the climbs nice and steady (and slow) in my lowest gear.

Lunch in Alpine was so needed after the tortuous climb into town. Then the real torture started. The winds were right in our faces as we headed to Pine Valley, our stop for the night. We later learned the winds were 29 mph with gusts at 35 mph. And it felt like it. One of the hairiest parts of that ride was on I8 crossing a bridge over a ravine with the wind blowing you, trucks and cars passing you at 70 mph ( because it’s an interstate) and a guardrail that was all of about 2 feet. I thought about stopping and walking across but that would take me longer to get across so I just kept pedaling and said some Hail Mary’s until I reached the other side of the bridge.

That’s when I just started saying prayers to get me through the day. The wind was blowing so hard you couldn’t coast down hills without pedaling. There haven’t been too many days as difficult as that one in my biking career. Thanks Brian and Mark for waiting for me at the top of the hills. Hopefully headwinds will not be a common occurrence.

My parents blessed my brothers and sisters with several driving trip vacations growing up. We drove to Ft. Myers Beach, Florida in a nine passenger station wagon. We flew to LA. and drove from San Diego to Seattle with side trips to Tijuana and Victoria. The most memorable trip for me was when we flew into Denver and made a big loop with stops at Grand Canyon, Salt Lake City and Yellowstone to name just a few.

I think my desire to see as much of this great country of ours originated with those trips. I was able to take my kids on a two month journey in 1989 when I was recovering from sarcoidosis. I think it was a trip my kids will hopefully never forget and will pass on to their kids. For me it was a trip of a lifetime.

Now I am launching on an adventure to see sections of this country I have seen and some sections I have not seen. The big difference is I will be seeing and experiencing sights you rarely get to see except on a bicycle. I have done some bike touring by myself and with my son Mike and there is no other way to describe it except it is an adventure. You never know what you will encounter until you are doing it. I get to do this adventure with two of my brothers who are physically able (we hope). Fortunately we can all take this time with the blessings (maybe it is more like an OK) of our wives as long as we all promised to be safe and look after one another. Thanks again Marcia, Nancy and Holly.

One extra bonus for me is I had a grand-daughter born on 2/17 so I get to see her for the first time in person since my son Mike lives in San Diego, the start of our trip. Mike will also be riding with us for a stretch of that first day as we leave San Diego. My bike was shipped to Mike’s and he helped me put it back together. We took a 26 mile test drive and visited the local Performenace store for some last minute tunes up and purchases. On a tuneup ride we rode to Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo Point. It is a National Park so you have to pay an admission of $3 each. The ranger at the booth told me if I was 62 I qualified for a Senior Pass for $10 which is a lifetime admission to all National Parks, National Sites and National Forests. I also get to take in 3 people with me each visit. A word to the wise bros, be nice to me and don’t ditch me.