Climbing, climbing and more climbing
April 7th was a brutal day. Hardest day yet. A little over 64 miles, 5 280 feet of climbing, and 4,700 of descent. Much of it was on very busy roads. Just a few pictures of some of the climbs. (They were harder than they look) Enjoy the views of the countryside.
Day 16 overall on the Southern Tier – Day 13 of actual riding – Friday, April 7th, 2023 – Usery Mountain Regional Park, AZ to Punkin, AZ
The campground was a little noisier last night than I would have liked. People weren’t being boisterous or obnoxious, but were just enjoying casual conversations with their family and friends into the late evening hours. But it was a distraction given how anxious I was regarding today’s ride. There is a lot of climbing ahead of me and I want to get an early start on the day.
After a quick breakfast, and packing up all my camping gear, which of course takes considerably more time as opposed to staying in a motel, I am finally on my way. The route continues where it left off the day before, with a gradual climb to the top of a ridge outside of Phoenix. The route then turns right onto a fairly busy road with a narrow shoulder. It seems I am in a headlong rush of all manner of RVs and vehicles loaded with mountain bikes and other assorted gear. It appears that I am heading, along with everyone else, toward what must be the heart of Phoenix’s recreational playground.
After several miles the road runs into another even busier highway, but at least now it is a four-lane road with a significantly wide shoulder. And it is this stretch of highway that contains the most grueling climbs so far. The climbs are long and arduous with grades approaching 7 percent and even greater in some spots. I shift into the easiest gearing, put my head down, and just grind away the best I can on my heavily loaded touring bike. I stop every few minutes just to rest. But after a while I conclude that rather than stopping completely, I should at least continue walking and push my heavy bike along beside me. After all, I want to keep moving forward making progress up the mountain, even while taking a break from pedaling.
Despite the climbs and my burning thighs, the desert scenery is incredible. Saguaro cacti, sage brush, and wildflowers of all sorts dominate the rugged hills and mountainous landscape. I stop several times just to take in the view. By mid-afternoon, I finally turn off the busy four-lane highway. I’m now at the top of the final climb for the day and begin a long descent on a much less congested road.
At last, the day’s climbing is done and all I have to do is to coast to my motel for the night. My motel, the Puncan Center Lodge, is another “mom and pop” independently owned establishment. It looked like it could be something straight out of the 1960s. The owner kindly shows me to my room and explains all my options for dining in the small village of Puncan. But after a hard day in the saddle, I am just too tired to check out any of the town’s restaurants. I shower, scarf down a can of beans, peanut butter, and tortillas that I always carry with me in my panniers, and tuck myself into bed. It has been a hard day’s riding! Day sixteen on the Southern Tier: 64 miles (103k) with 5,280 feet (1,609m) of climbing, and 4,700 feet (1,433m) of descent.
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