I'm not superstitious as a rule...
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I've had black cats, stepped on sidewalk cracks, my mother survived... done normal things on Friday the thirteenth. I've even told Anna to break a leg her first time skiing... she did.
But... being here in these mountains, I have to say, feels eerie to me. Felt it the first time through as well, don't know why.
I'd turned left onto state highway 188 after leaving the Apache Trail. It's really a beautiful ride along the shore of Roosevelt lake. There was plenty of daylight left, it was pleasantly warm and I had two camera's along for the potential photo.
The bike worked much better today, pulling higher speeds without much hesitation, certainly better than the previous trip. I passed the spot I'd met Fred from Payson, who had come to my rescue moments after I'd picked up a spike in my back tire two years ago.
Twenty odd miles after crossing the suspension bridge, I reached route 143 just above Indian Flats at the north end of Roosevelt lake, and veered off once again into the back country. You climb steeply switching back and forth higher and higher into the mountain range. From here the view over the valley, the blue lake and the mountains beyond were stunolishly etravogated!
I told you I would be making up words. After all, you can only use "amazing/stunning/fabulous/etc" so many times in a single story.
To say it was breathtozingolous, would hardly do it justice.
While taking photos a Jeep Renegade with four occupants came around the narrow corner. They had just come up from Phx and were only 6 miles from completing the route. They told me it was a lot rougher at the other end, and so I was to find out.
My guide book calls this is an easy to moderate route, and today... after the deep sand and stutter bumps of the Apache Trail, I was salivating to find out. It would be 28 miles to highway 87, from where I was looking for the Reno Pass, a 12 mile crossing from west to east that was classed as difficult.
Not sure what the average grade was here, but it certainly is steep. Much of my ride up was in 2nd gear, not because the road was so rough today, but because it was so tight. It seemed like I was changing direction every few hundred feet.
The microwave tower at the top tells you you've arrived somewhere about 5700' and after a brief hesitation at a road sign that like many in the back country, leaves you scratching your head. I finally figured it out by walking backwards downhill!
Although there is no shining blue water on the downside, there are panoramic vistas extending as far as the eye can see, and since I've had lazik surgery... that was a plumb long way! Wells tells me to take three to four hours for the 28 miles, I covered in in half that time. Still no racing through the gears here for me.
Divided Highway 87 was clearly visible from the heights and I planned to take it NE to the Reno Pass turn-off but somehow missed the entrance completely, and found myself headed to Payson, where I was over nighting.
Good thing too as the temperature dropped from mid 80's during the middle of the day to low sixties and dropping. Not having the speed of a Gixser, I droned along climbing as the shadows got longer and longer and the weather cooler. Several times my speed dropped to 45 mph on the long steep climbs. I did however manage to pass a pick-up truck hauling a huge trailer!
By the time I got to Phoenix... just kidding, of course I meant Payson, I was low on fuel and chilled even with all my clothes on. I gassed up (still getting 80 mpg) and found the 'Super 8' at the far end of town on highway 260. Although it was only 6pm, the sun had set an hour ago and after checking into a very nice room for 60 bucks, I stowed the bike, had a very hot and lengthy shower and walked down the street to a steakhouse.
There I sat in the bar, and had myself a short stack of ribs with a hundred cups of coffee! (I lost count after 3)
Tomorrow would see me high up on the Mogollon Rim before dropping down route 288 back to Roosevelt.
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I've had black cats, stepped on sidewalk cracks, my mother survived... done normal things on Friday the thirteenth. I've even told Anna to break a leg her first time skiing... she did.
But... being here in these mountains, I have to say, feels eerie to me. Felt it the first time through as well, don't know why.
I'd turned left onto state highway 188 after leaving the Apache Trail. It's really a beautiful ride along the shore of Roosevelt lake. There was plenty of daylight left, it was pleasantly warm and I had two camera's along for the potential photo.
The bike worked much better today, pulling higher speeds without much hesitation, certainly better than the previous trip. I passed the spot I'd met Fred from Payson, who had come to my rescue moments after I'd picked up a spike in my back tire two years ago.
Twenty odd miles after crossing the suspension bridge, I reached route 143 just above Indian Flats at the north end of Roosevelt lake, and veered off once again into the back country. You climb steeply switching back and forth higher and higher into the mountain range. From here the view over the valley, the blue lake and the mountains beyond were stunolishly etravogated!
I told you I would be making up words. After all, you can only use "amazing/stunning/fabulous/etc" so many times in a single story.
To say it was breathtozingolous, would hardly do it justice.
While taking photos a Jeep Renegade with four occupants came around the narrow corner. They had just come up from Phx and were only 6 miles from completing the route. They told me it was a lot rougher at the other end, and so I was to find out.
My guide book calls this is an easy to moderate route, and today... after the deep sand and stutter bumps of the Apache Trail, I was salivating to find out. It would be 28 miles to highway 87, from where I was looking for the Reno Pass, a 12 mile crossing from west to east that was classed as difficult.
Not sure what the average grade was here, but it certainly is steep. Much of my ride up was in 2nd gear, not because the road was so rough today, but because it was so tight. It seemed like I was changing direction every few hundred feet.
The microwave tower at the top tells you you've arrived somewhere about 5700' and after a brief hesitation at a road sign that like many in the back country, leaves you scratching your head. I finally figured it out by walking backwards downhill!
Although there is no shining blue water on the downside, there are panoramic vistas extending as far as the eye can see, and since I've had lazik surgery... that was a plumb long way! Wells tells me to take three to four hours for the 28 miles, I covered in in half that time. Still no racing through the gears here for me.
Divided Highway 87 was clearly visible from the heights and I planned to take it NE to the Reno Pass turn-off but somehow missed the entrance completely, and found myself headed to Payson, where I was over nighting.
Good thing too as the temperature dropped from mid 80's during the middle of the day to low sixties and dropping. Not having the speed of a Gixser, I droned along climbing as the shadows got longer and longer and the weather cooler. Several times my speed dropped to 45 mph on the long steep climbs. I did however manage to pass a pick-up truck hauling a huge trailer!
By the time I got to Phoenix... just kidding, of course I meant Payson, I was low on fuel and chilled even with all my clothes on. I gassed up (still getting 80 mpg) and found the 'Super 8' at the far end of town on highway 260. Although it was only 6pm, the sun had set an hour ago and after checking into a very nice room for 60 bucks, I stowed the bike, had a very hot and lengthy shower and walked down the street to a steakhouse.
There I sat in the bar, and had myself a short stack of ribs with a hundred cups of coffee! (I lost count after 3)
Tomorrow would see me high up on the Mogollon Rim before dropping down route 288 back to Roosevelt. 
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