Change of plans

I need to stop trusting that people have accurate information, especially in regards to geography. I don’t think anyone has been deliberately misleading, but people sure do know a lot of stuff that ain’t so. Right not I’m near Quemado and Pie Town, in the middle of nowhere, staying with a retired military guy named Jack and his wife Rhonda. Since the last post: I hung out with Jenny yesterday morning, then I went to the wellness center and did another Insanity workout. It was the abs routine, which it turns out is the shortest one. This turned out to be a blessing, because I had to ride a pretty good distance in the last 24 hours, and I’m still sore. Then I played some basketball by myself (the only people in the gym were middle and high school kids), and tried the climbing wall. I have a newfound respect for people who rock climb, it was extremely difficult. Emerson, one of the personal trainers, guided me through the second-hardest path after I realized that I couldn’t do the hardest one. I didn’t want to let the rope support my weight, I felt like I was cheating… but he told me it was okay. I kept saying I was ready to give up, but he kept pushing me to reach the top, and eventually I did. My forearms still feel really weak. I wasn’t able to get Archie to tell me any Navajo stories, he referred me to Emerson. Emerson talks painfully slow, a lot of it was vague and he spent quite a bit of time trying to remember people’s names. Eventually I was able to extricate myself from the situation, and headed back to the Beres’s house. I ate some rice and showered, and they dropped me off in Magdalena. David had taken my umbrella out of the car and forgot to put it back, so I now have no umbrella. Well, life goes on. I rode about 10 miles west from Magdalena to a rest stop they’d told me about, all uphill. I wanted to sleep on one of the picnic tables, but they were a little to close to the road so I put my mat on the grass and used the space blanket and the rain jacket. It must have gotten down into the low 50s, so I didn’t sleep too well. Morning dew is not your friend in cold weather, I’ve discovered.

I woke up around 5:30, and immediately gathered my stuff and got on the bike, teeth chattering. My 3 outside toes on both feet stayed numb for the first 8 miles or so. I passed 2 other rest stops, and mentally berated myself for not going farther last night. I tried to make it to the VLA in time for the sunrise (turns out it’s the VERY Large Array, they like their modifiers around here). I didn’t quite make it, but it turned out they were 4 miles off the highway, and I wasn’t all that motivated to go 8 miles out of my way to get a better look at them… even though Contact IS one of my favorite movies. The San Agustin plains were extremely boring otherwise. It used to be a big ass lake, now it’s… pretty much nothing, and a couple of cows. I stopped at a cafe about a mile before Datil (rhymes with cattle, this is the town I couldn’t remember the name of), and just my luck, they’re closed Tuesdays. So I go to the local gas station another mile down the road, and wait to try and catch a ride to Springerville. No luck for about an hour and a half, when I meet some guys from Austin who are here to rock climb. We talk for a minute, and the guy who was driving the SUV, Matt, offers to give me a ride to Pie Town after he drops his friends off at the crag. I accept. Matt returns, and we load up the bike and head to Pie Town. We stop at the cafe and he orders a whole pie for him and his crew, and I order a slice of the mixed berry pie. I go to the bathroom, and I return to find that he’s already paid for my slice. Thanks, Matt! I stick around and try to hitch a ride with everyone who comes in. No luck… and the cafe closed around 3. I ride down to the local grocery store (like a small town 7/11), and make a sign that says “Springerville” and strap it to my bike, then pedal toward the next town, Quemado. The sign didn’t work. It was a good ride, however, I felt a lot better than I had this morning, and the miles unwound beneath me. I stopped at the first gas station I came to, and didn’t very many cars, so I asked if there was another gas station in town. There was another one, just down the street, so I went there. This gas station was also a service center. There I found out that the Petrified Forest Road was actually another 50 miles from Springerville, not 2, like someone told me… can’t remember who for the life of me. Also, the painted desert is NOT in the same area, as I had thought (not sure where this idea came from either). A guy there named Leroy offered to true my wheels and give me some of his spare tires (he’s a biker as well). I asked if he could adjust brakes, because my rear brakes had been giving me trouble. He did, but they still rubbed the rims. I was getting ready to get back on the road, and was readjusting the rear brakes, when Jack pulled up and asked if I was having trouble. I said no, it’s just the brakes. We rapped back and forth for a minute, then he asked if I needed a place to stay. I said I could use a shower. He said I could stay at his place and he’d give me a ride back in the morning, when I’d have a better chance of catching a ride. I gladly accepted, and here I am. Rhonda fed me a salad and some rice. His place is pretty close to 117, which goes up to 40, where I should be able to get a ride straight to Flagstaff. He actually agreed to take me up 117 tomorrow, and we’ll hit some various points of interest along the way which I can’t really remember at the moment… I neglected to mention that he’s also supplied me with alcohol. Yuengling Black and Tan is a fine beer, if you haven’t tried it. So I should be in Flagstaff tomorrow night, with any luck.