Wenden to La Posa Road: a massive breakfast followed by trucks and wind


Sagebrush, Saguaro, and Sweat
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Statistics for today
Distance 73.00 kms 45.36 miles
Climbed 39 meters 128 feet
Ride time (hours) 4.05 -
Avg speed 18 kph -
Statistics for trip to date
Distance 362.64 kms 225.56 miles
Climbed 2,380 meters 7,808 feet
Ride time (hours) 28.54 -
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Friday, October 20th, 2017

It is downright cold this morning. I lay in the tent waiting for the sun to get over the hills to the east to warm things up a bit before I get packing.

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Funny little golf course they've got here next to the campground. The tees and the greens are grass, the rest is desert sand.

I stop at the first restaurant I come across for breakfast. I have a massive plate of chorizo, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and refried beans. When I'm leaving I hear one of the waitresses say: "I feel like I have a double-neck." I can't help it, I let out a guffaw. I say sorry I've just never heard anyone say that before... She laughs and says have a nice day.

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Abandoned houses/businesses line the road.

Plenty of time to think on this long, straight road through the desert.

I had some unusual interactions with people in Phoenix. The first week I was there was one of these rare moments in my life when I am accessible. For example I met a woman who is in the process of getting divorced and is in a lot of pain over it. I spent three evenings just listening to her talk, letting her try to work through what happened and what she will do next.

Everywhere I went in Phoenix I struck up conversations with people about motorcycles, travel, religion, or nothing in particular. Some encounters were not quite so innocent. One night I stop at a convenience store around 10pm to get something to drink. I'm outside sitting on my motorcycle drinking my ginger ale when a young woman walks past.

"Is that a two-seater?", she asks.

"Yes", I reply.

"Nice bike."

"Thanks."

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"No."

"Can you give me a ride down the street?"

"Okay", I say, with a moments hesitation.

She hops on. She says: "I stayed in a hotel last night."

"Are you homeless?" We're riding down one of Phoenix' big boulevards, I'm turning my head to talk to her on the back.

"Yeah sort of. Are you busy?"

"Well I have to get home pretty soon."

"Okay drop me off at the next light."

I pull over, let her off. "Are you okay?", I ask.

"Yes. Do you like to party?"

"Those days are over for me." I'm trying to think of something to say that will help her, get her off this path that's not going to end well, but all I can think of is "be safe". Pretty lame, I know. But I want to get away from her before I'm tempted.

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"Where she danced"? An unusual motto for a town...
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A railroad follows along the highway. I don't see any moving trains but they appear to be refurbishing the line.
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A stack of new railroad ties.
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Very oversized oversized-load. In addition to the usual lead and follow cars, they've got a cop cruiser in front and in back. I just pull off into the sand to let them go by.
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A tank in a roadside park in Bouse. Apparently there was an army base here in WWII that hosted a tank battalion.

In Bouse I stop to buy a gallon of water and some food for the night. I plan on camping somewhere before Parker. The road turns more and more to the east, and therefore more and more into the teeth of the wind. It's really ripping in the afternoon, I'm not making much progress. The lack of shoulder and the plethora of trucks convince me to start looking for a campsite. The north side of the road is fenced up tight, however. Occasionally I see a cattle gate on the south side. I pick one that leads to a dirt road heading south, unlatch the gate, slip the bike through while holding the chain, relock the gate, all without dropping the bike in the wind. I drag the bike down a wash until I find some trees that will give me shelter and set up camp. It's early but I'm happy to just let the wind blow itself out on its own without me fighting against it.

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Camped next to a wash, in between some trees to hide from the wind.
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Noodles for dinner, I've got cell service so I keep myself entertained in the evening surfing the web.

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