Homeward bound...



Jennifer, a wealth of local information.



Crown King was like a movie set, but real.  A melding of new homes, mobiles, a General Store and a rustic Saloon. 

I rode main street... thought about doing a wheelie, havin' a whiskey, and not that cheap stuff, picking a bar fight, callin' somebody out...

...settled for a Starbucks Ice Cap and a chair in the General Store.



One of the inhabitants of Crown King...



I could have camped right there for a couple of days, I was so tired.  My shoulders were aching and the insteps of my feet were feeling pretty, ummm... tender!

Enjoying an Iced Cap in CK.

Jennifer regaled me with tales of the town's history, the fever of the gold rush, maybe not like Caleeforniaye in 49, but a mini rush none the less.

The first strike was in '75 ( that would be 1875!) by a miner named MacKinnon.  Over the next 75 odd years, over 40 claims were filed before the ore played out in the 50's.



The Saloon.  Dirt bikes, ATV's and Jeeps.

Once a booming mini metro with over 500 buildings, two Chinese restaurants, and electricity, CK even had a phone line in 1897.   



Amazing views



Leaving Crown King.

In 1904, one Frank M. Murphy built a rail line through the Bradshaws, dubbed       "Murphy's Impossible Railroad" 

Gives you an idea of what the terrain is like.

It felt like I had been riding for three days!  To be perfectly honest, I felt at the time like I had met my Waterloo.

   



27 miles to I 17





Pavement begins...



The afternoon was waning, I had 27 miles of the Senator hiway to ride just to get to

I-17.  Time to get along lil doggie...

It was an experience that ranked right up there with the best and most challenging rides of my life.  I vowed that from here on out, I would stick to less imposing terrain unless I could find a riding partner with my unique interests.  (Unlikely!) 

Chalk another one up for the Doc...