Desert to Mountain
An amazing day of riding: The Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest, wind gusts of 50 mph, a climb to 7,700 ft., Ponderosa Pine forests with snow on the ground, a 30-minute downpour coming down the other side of the mountain, and finally our arrival in Payson.

I really feel like I had to run the gantlet to get here, but it was worth it. There is a strange sense of euphoria knowing that you've come through something very difficult to achieve a goal. The last thirty miles was intense, to say the least. Rain had started in earnest. With nowhere to pull off the winding mountain road, my only choice was to push on. I started to shiver a bit with a few miles to go. (Shivering is a great indication that you are no longer in complete control of your body -- and therefore your bike.) I could feel it get a few degrees warmer as I dropped down out of the mountain, and it was welcome relief.


I know I'm reaching my limit mentally when I start to talk to myself on the bike. "Just a little farther." "Ten miles left." "I can't believe there's snow on the ground." "I'm glad I got these gloves." Under better conditions the talking is more mundane -- "Is that a butte or a mesa?" -- but it is still a good indication to me that I should start looking for a motel or campground. I also sing a little, mostly Pearl Jam, Van Morrison, and show tunes. (It's all been said before, so you better come up with something good if you're going to comment about that last one.)

Anyway, I finally started uploading some pictures. The photos from this morning are pretty cool. (Not as cool as the views themselves, suckers!) The first is one of many amazing views from scenic overlooks in the Painted Desert National Park. The second is from the Petrified Forest National Park. I'll add more pics to older posts when I get the chance.