Who knew Angels could be named Fred?

As Fred and I bid each other a typical biker farewell, I notice, walking back to my XT, the rear tire going flat!



Mirror image of a famous bridge.



Now what?

Fred comes over rubbing the stubble on his chin, "looks like you got yourself a flat there,"  he says matter of factly.  I sure do.  I take a look around, knowing that I am about 5-6 miles from the village of Roosevelt.  "Is there a service station in Roosevelt" I ask.  No... not even the bait shop is open this time of year, he replies.  Nearest place is Globe.  That's not very good for me, Globe is in the opposite direction of where I am heading, and I am getting low on fuel.

"What are you going to do?"  He asks me.  I don't know I reply, and in fact I didn't. 

Apache Junction is about 60 miles away, but of course it's reached by the Apache Trail, 23 miles of which is dirt road.  As I ponder my somewhat limited options, Fred wanders back to his KLR.  Still facing my bike, wondering if I should remove the roofing nail sitting there laughing at me, he comes back and nonchalantly, offers his hand, in which is a green bottle of Slime!

"Would this help?"  He asks.  I nod my head, "you bet... but I will need to pump air back in the tire, is there a pump in town?"  Fred once again goes back to his bike and from the other saddlebag, pulls out a hand pump! 

            Lord tunderin Jesus, I think... this man is an angel! 

When I talk about Karma... this is what I refer to.  Think about it, here I have been riding all day, pulling off 20-30 times, and at this lonely outlook, I meet a single rider on a similar bike... and he has the fix to my dilemma... That my friends is very good Karma!

Under the afternoon Arizona sun, on a dirt lookout above Roosevelt Lake, stripped to a T-shirt, we take turns pumping air back into the rear 18 inch tire.  It looks like it is going to work I say, as he holds the back end off the ground while I spin the knobby tire.

 

He refuses to accept any payment for the sealant, I offer my card, ask him to keep in touch.  "Probably won't" he says, "Don't have a computer at home..."

                               I think, 'where is that... heaven?'



Palm sized Tarantula, sunning on the road surface...



Gingerly at first, stopping at 2-3 mile intervals, I turn onto the Famous Apache Trail.  AJ is 43 miles distant, we can do it.  As the miles roll by, I gain confidence in the fix. 

Beautiful!

Ahead of me is a magnificent bridge.  The 1008' Roosevelt Lake Bridge is the longest single span steel two lane suspension bridge in North America!  In 1995, it was named one of the 12 outstanding bridges in the USA. 



Apache Lake is a mecca for boaters.



Just beyond I pull over for some photos of the Roosevelt dam itself.  Just another in a series of such structures spread across the Salt river projects, holding back snow melt and what little rainwater falls, to bring water down to the city of 4.5million souls.



Using an available stick... I gently prod the hairy little creature off the roadway and potential death.



The 43 miles of the Trail are some of the most beautiful, excellente, drop dead gorgeous, killer good looking, stunning pieces of motorcycling I have ever done in my life!  Don't believe me?  Google Apache Trail AZ on your Google Earth and place the cute little street view guy on the Roosevelt bridge and take your own tour of the AT.