Day 3 The Trading Post in Cameron, AZ is a great place to visit or stay. We woke up to great weather, no gloves, headband, tights or long sleeves for the first time. We began pedaling just after 8am and it started out nice and flat then went to a gradual upgrade, one that wouldn't stop till after 40 miles. We just had to grind it out and joke about it.
We stopped in Gap, AZ (a 2 building town) to eat Peanut Butter & Jelly on tortillas. Manuel from Germany was very interested in our journey. He is in the US on holiday for 4 weeks. He brought his bike so he could do some rides in different National Parks.
After lunch we continued to climb and then, finally, we started downhill. It was great but because of the wind we had to work some to go downhill.
Once we turned left on Hwy 89A to head to Marble Canyon, AZ we got a good downhill and a good tailwind. The next 13.5 miles went fast. I had to break often to keep my speed at 35-37mph.
Right before we got to the Marble Canyon Lodge we crossed the Colorado River. What an awesome sight! We had to stop and take some pictures. After picture time it was on to the Lodge. It's a nice place in the middle of nowhere. I don't have phone service but they have free wi fi so I can e-mail. They also have a great salad bar that included an Oriental Ginger dressing.
The sunny, breezy afternoon has been great. A nice rest before a challenging day to come. Tomorrow we start off with a relatively easy 20 miles before we tackle what is to be a brutal 15 mile climb to Jacob's Lake. After "the climb" it is mostly downhill to Fredonia, AZ then relatively flat to Kenab, Utah.
One interesting encounter today was with Jerry. Jerry rides a beat up mountain bike and he carries a pillow and his stuff, in plastic shopping bags. We caught up with him and asked if everything was ok. He said he had some chain trouble but could make it to the next bike shop. We rode on and then a bit later we saw Jerry's bike and stuff in the back of a truck that passed us. When we got to Gap we saw Jerry and his stuff. We talked a bit then he went on. Later on down the road we saw Jerry sitting by the side of the road eating beanie weenies. We stopped to see if he was ok, and he said he was just taking a break. We rode on and after checking in at the Lodge we went to the gas station to get a diet Pepsi. We came out and there was Jerry. He must have caught another ride. He says he is going up "the climb" tomorrow so I imagine we will cross paths with our new friend Jerry.
As always, prayers appreciated!
bob g
STATS - Mileage today 72, Pace 12, Riding Time 5:58
Total GTD cumulative miles: 216
We stopped in Gap, AZ (a 2 building town) to eat Peanut Butter & Jelly on tortillas. Manuel from Germany was very interested in our journey. He is in the US on holiday for 4 weeks. He brought his bike so he could do some rides in different National Parks.
After lunch we continued to climb and then, finally, we started downhill. It was great but because of the wind we had to work some to go downhill.
Once we turned left on Hwy 89A to head to Marble Canyon, AZ we got a good downhill and a good tailwind. The next 13.5 miles went fast. I had to break often to keep my speed at 35-37mph.
Right before we got to the Marble Canyon Lodge we crossed the Colorado River. What an awesome sight! We had to stop and take some pictures. After picture time it was on to the Lodge. It's a nice place in the middle of nowhere. I don't have phone service but they have free wi fi so I can e-mail. They also have a great salad bar that included an Oriental Ginger dressing.
The sunny, breezy afternoon has been great. A nice rest before a challenging day to come. Tomorrow we start off with a relatively easy 20 miles before we tackle what is to be a brutal 15 mile climb to Jacob's Lake. After "the climb" it is mostly downhill to Fredonia, AZ then relatively flat to Kenab, Utah.
One interesting encounter today was with Jerry. Jerry rides a beat up mountain bike and he carries a pillow and his stuff, in plastic shopping bags. We caught up with him and asked if everything was ok. He said he had some chain trouble but could make it to the next bike shop. We rode on and then a bit later we saw Jerry's bike and stuff in the back of a truck that passed us. When we got to Gap we saw Jerry and his stuff. We talked a bit then he went on. Later on down the road we saw Jerry sitting by the side of the road eating beanie weenies. We stopped to see if he was ok, and he said he was just taking a break. We rode on and after checking in at the Lodge we went to the gas station to get a diet Pepsi. We came out and there was Jerry. He must have caught another ride. He says he is going up "the climb" tomorrow so I imagine we will cross paths with our new friend Jerry.
As always, prayers appreciated!
bob g
STATS - Mileage today 72, Pace 12, Riding Time 5:58
Total GTD cumulative miles: 216
