Another Senior Biking Adventure
The Silver City Kitty and Corre Caminos planned to do a week-long bikecamping tour over spring break, but the weather changed our plans. The winds were vicious, sustained winds up to 35 mph with gusts up to 60. It was difficult to breathe, let alone bike.
Finally it looked like the winds were going to die down a bit on Thursday. So Wednesday evening we packed up all our gear, gave our Surly Long Haul Truckers a good inspection, and headed down and over to Duncan AZ to spend the night so we could get an early start the next day.
Duncan AZ is one of those surprising places. At first glance, it doesn't look like much is there. But take a closer look and you'll find some real gems. There is a wonderful B&B, the Simpson Hotel - a great place to stay. The hotel first opened in 1914, and the most recent renovation begun in 2005 has honored the rich history of the place. The rooms are comfortable, the rates are reasonable, the coffee is great, and the people are friendly. Duncan is one of those towns that understands the contributions that bike tourists make to their economy, and they are happy to have us.
If you decide to stay at The Simpson, you can choose to have breakfast at the hotel, and if you ask for a biker's breakfast you can get one. Or you can walk about a half block down the road to Hilda's and have breakfast at her little restaurant. We've enjoyed her breakfast burrito and the breakfast sandwich. We've had dinner there too - Green Chili Cheeseburger and Meat Enchiladas. Both excellent. For a treat, walk just a little further down the road to Three Sisters Bakery. In fact, you might want to start your morning there - we usually do. The warm donuts melt in your mouth.
Look, I've been accused of blogging more about food than about biking - but let's face it. Food is a really important aspect of biking! Before I started biking, I wouldn't have been able to eat warm donuts and still fit into my jeans.
Thursday March 8 - The Adventure Begins
Thursday morning, Corre Caminos and I enjoy our morning coffee and donuts while we are packing up, then have breakfast at Hilda's and come back and load up our bikes. We always have great intentions of getting an early start, but as usual it is later than we'd hoped - maybe about 9:30 by the time we are on the road.
We head north on state highway 75. It is a sunny morning but cool - in the low 40's. The wind is out of the north at about 10 mph, gusting into the 20's - better than it has been, just a little annoying. Still, it is a beautiful morning to be out on the bike. The vistas here are huge - the Black Hills to the west, the Peloncillos to the south and west, and the Big Lue Mountains to the east and north. For someone like me who has spent most of her life in the midwest, it is always a real treat to see the peaks in the distance, the rolling hills and desert terrain close by. We make it to Three Way, about 20 miles, in good time. It is the first either of us has been on a bike in about 10 days, and it is good to be back in the saddle. We stop at the roadside picnic table in Three Way to fix ourselves our favorite biker lunch - a peanut butter and grape jelly burrito. Sugar for the quick energy boost, carbs for medium-range energy, and fat and protein to keep us going for a while.
There is a National Forest Visitor Center here so we stop in to get a weather forecast and any information they might have to share. The Ranger there is very friendly and helpful. We get an up-to-date forecast (cold!) and pick up a BLM brochure that is filled with good information about the Black Hills Back Country Byway.
Our goal for tonight is the Owl Creek Campground, about four miles from the northern end of the Black Hills Back Country Byway. Neither of us has ever been there, so we consult our map to see how far before we need to start looking for the turnofff. About 5 1/2 miles up the road, we see the sign for the Byway and turn onto the dirt road. Now the adventure is about to really begin!
Let me diverge for a moment to say that I'm 65 and I've been riding bike for almost a year now, which means that I got a very late start. Corre Caminos is about my age, but he's been riding a lot for many years. I'm always a little afraid I'm going to get in over my head, and this time is no exception. I just started using clipless pedals, and I know they help me on the hills. But I'm also having nightmares about navigating steep hills on gravel with a loaded bike using clipless pedals. Really - can you blame me for being a little nervous? But the crazy thing is that I LOVE it! Somehow, being right on the edge of what I'm able to do is really exhilarating.
We start on the Byway, and it's pretty easy going. Good gravel, pretty flat, and a little less than four miles to go before we get to the campground. We pull into the campground with plenty of time to pitch camp and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The Owl Creek Campground is under the administration of the BLM. It's very clean with bathrooms and campsites that each have a picnic table and shelter. It costs $5 to stay there, and we leave $10 in the envelope because we don't have any smaller bills. (Another lesson learned - always carry small bills.) It feels quite comfortable and the scenery is beautiful, so we are happy to contribute to the maintenance of this beautiful place.
We choose a campsite that gives us a great view of the Gila River below us. We are the only people in the campground, and haven't even seen anyone else on the byway yet. The scenery, the solitude, the adventure that awaits us tomorrow - what a treat! Corre Caminos cooks us a delicious meal of Scooby Chicken - Mac&Cheese, foil packed chicken breast, onion, and garlic. It tastes like a gourmet meal! We climb into our sleeping bags just as the sun is setting and the full moon is rising. We stick our heads out the tent door for a big-sky view of the stars. It's cold, so we are glad for our warm bags and our Patagonia long johns. A very peaceful night, with just a couple of vehicles passing by on the road, and the sounds of coyotes celebrating the full moon.
Friday March 9 - Travels with our Little Buddy
It's a cold, clear morning, and we snuggle in our sleeping bags a few minutes before we gather up the courage to step out into the cold. We are greeted by blue skies and wonderful scenery. Coffee is the first order of the morning - we find that Starbucks instant works pretty well for us. Then breakfast - oatmeal with boxed milk (a luxury) and a little trail mix. It's a good, hearty breakfast and we feel ready to be on our way. We break camp as quickly as possible - something we're still learning to do since this is all new to me.
We start out riding down to the Gila River. We cross the river and the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area on the Old Safford Bridge. The walls of the Gila Box, formed of Gila Conglomerate, are very steep here. There is a launch point on the south side for people floating the Gila River.
We leave the Gila Box and start climbing the Black Hills. The gravel road is in pretty good condition, but climbing on gravel with a loaded bike is slow going, especially for me. Not far past the river, we ride by a ranch and a little black dog comes running out. "Nice puppy," says Corre Caminos. (He always assumes a dog is friendly until he finds out otherwise.) The dog falls in beside his bike, and trots along with us. She obviously has pups somewhere, and we figure she is just in need of a break. She is very well behaved and friendly, and she becomes our companion.
The Byway is rich in history. The first known inhabitants were Mogollon about 1000 years ago. Coronado passed through in 1540 in search of gold. The Chiracahua and Apache arrived around 1600. In 1846 Kit Carson led troops through the Gila Box en route to California. Pioneer ranchers and farmers arrived in the 1870s, and mining began in 1872. The brochure we picked up is full of information about interesting things to look for along the way.
But the beautiful scenery is what I focus on most. We are fortunate to be here when the Arizona golden poppies are carpeting the ground all around us. Wherever we look, there are fields of gold. And we are surrounded by mountains, with peaks all around. I suspect the views we see for the most part aren't that different from what the early pioneers saw. There are also towns here, and as we climb we get quite a view of Morenci and Clifton behind us.
Climbing is hard work, and I'm still not well-adjusted to the altitude. We both use heart rate monitors, and I am running almost 30 above Corre Caminos. So when he is in the 120s, I'm hitting the 150s. Not good for me. We always stop and dismount to cross cattle guards, and I take a fall when I stop for one after riding in the 150s. It's an easy fall - I just forget to unclip on the right side and I'm not hurt. It is a good reminder that I need to keep my heart rate down a bit, so I don't do stupid things. So on the way up, I average about 3.5 miles an hour. We climb about 2500 feet in 10 miles.
About halfway up we stop at a picnic area to have a lunch of peanut butter jelly burritos. Our Little Buddy is still with us, in spite of our telling her to go home. She's a great companion, but at the end of the byway we'll be on the highway - and we can't take her with us!! While we're eating, Corre Caminos drops a bit of his burrito and she gobbles it up. Oh, oh - we've just fed her. Well, what's done is done, so we both give her a little bite of our burrito, and a drink of water to top it off. She is very grateful.
We continue climbing after our lunch, and finally make it to the top. I keep my heart rate in the 130s and 140s and I do much better. Corre Caminos is very good about stopping every now and then so I can rest. One time he stops around a corner to wait for me, and Little Buddy comes back to make sure I'm okay. Now I'm really getting attached to this creature. How I wish I could get her to a safe place! By now, we've decided that she was probably dropped off by someone who didn't want her. Maybe she was being given food and water at the ranch where we met her, but we're sure that isn't her home or she'd be going back by now. Along the way, when we stop, we yell at her to go home but she ignores us.
We stop at the top of the climb to enjoy the view, to look back at how much we've climbed and relish the accomplishment. A retired couple in a big SUV come by and stop to chat. They are visiting the area from out of state. We ask them if they'd be willing to give our Little Buddy a ride down to the ranch, since they are going that direction. We explain that's where she joined us, and that she'll be in danger if she continues to follow us. But they politely decline, saying they are sure she can get back there on her own.
Now we begin the downhill part of the Byway. It goes a bit faster, but it is a steep downhill with loose gravel, so it takes some time and skill to navigate it. There are fantastic rock formations here, and the fields of gold continue to delight. There are other wildflowers too -- little white flowers, small lighter yellow flowers, and even a few blue flowers. What a treat! Parts of the trail are carved out of the side of the mountain, and from a distance it looks like a goat path. There are steep drop-offs, but the road is wide enough for a car, so it isn't too scary. Just a short time into our descent, I am on a switchback above Corre Caminos, looking down on him and our little buddy. It is such a beautiful sight - the man on a bike wearing a yellow jersey, a little black dog trotting along beside, the mountains and rock formations in the distance, and fields of gold all around us. I know this is an image that will come back to me every time I think of the Black Hills Back Country Byway.
We finally come to the highway. We're a little over an hour later than we'd hoped to be, and we have a long way to go to get to tonight's destination - Roper Lake State Park. Our Little Buddy has kept up with us, but is obviously getting tired, hungry, and thirsty. She's been with us all day, and has traveled about 18 miles. We are about to get onto highway 191, and the traffic is heavy. Not a safe place for a dog. So we both yell at her again to go home. I stamp my foot at her, and she yelps and cowers, looking up at me with sad eyes. This creature deserves better, but there is nothing we can do. So we take off as fast as we can on the highway. With the help of a slight downhill and a tail wind, we get up to almost 30 miles an hour. She follows us for a while, but finally can't keep up.
We make good time, but even so it is getting late when we get to Safford. We decide to forego a hot dinner and head straight to the park, and it turns out to be a good decision. It is twilight when we get to the park and we are both tired.
Roper Lake State Park is a real find. We highly recommend it, but be sure to make reservations. If we hadn't had a reservation, we would have been turned away because it was full. It is about 6 miles south of Safford just off US Route 191. There are more RVs than tents in the campground, but we are quite comfortable in our little campsite. A little further into the park, there is a natural hot tub fed by a hot springs - but we are too tired to head up there. Next time. There are very nice, clean hot showers which we DO take advantage of. And maybe best of all, there is a wonderful view of snow-covered Mount Graham right out the door of our tent. Corre Caminos make another one of his special dinners - garlic mashed potatoes with ham. Life doesn't get much better than this. A full belly, a hot shower, a warm tent, a beautiful view, a great companion, and a well-earned tired-on. The only thing that weighs on our minds as we fall asleep is our Little Buddy.
We wake up early Saturday morning to the sound of rain falling on our tent. Rain?! How can this be? We are in the desert and it isn't rainy season. It's a light rain, just enough for us to be glad that our tent is effective at keeping us dry. It doesn't last long, and soon we open our front door and are greeted with a wonderful view of snow-capped Mount Graham right in front of us. What a beautiful sight! If I ever wonder why in the world I am a bike gypsy, moments like this give me my answer.
Climbing is hard work, and I'm still not well-adjusted to the altitude. We both use heart rate monitors, and I am running almost 30 above Corre Caminos. So when he is in the 120s, I'm hitting the 150s. Not good for me. We always stop and dismount to cross cattle guards, and I take a fall when I stop for one after riding in the 150s. It's an easy fall - I just forget to unclip on the right side and I'm not hurt. It is a good reminder that I need to keep my heart rate down a bit, so I don't do stupid things. So on the way up, I average about 3.5 miles an hour. We climb about 2500 feet in 10 miles.
About halfway up we stop at a picnic area to have a lunch of peanut butter jelly burritos. Our Little Buddy is still with us, in spite of our telling her to go home. She's a great companion, but at the end of the byway we'll be on the highway - and we can't take her with us!! While we're eating, Corre Caminos drops a bit of his burrito and she gobbles it up. Oh, oh - we've just fed her. Well, what's done is done, so we both give her a little bite of our burrito, and a drink of water to top it off. She is very grateful.
We continue climbing after our lunch, and finally make it to the top. I keep my heart rate in the 130s and 140s and I do much better. Corre Caminos is very good about stopping every now and then so I can rest. One time he stops around a corner to wait for me, and Little Buddy comes back to make sure I'm okay. Now I'm really getting attached to this creature. How I wish I could get her to a safe place! By now, we've decided that she was probably dropped off by someone who didn't want her. Maybe she was being given food and water at the ranch where we met her, but we're sure that isn't her home or she'd be going back by now. Along the way, when we stop, we yell at her to go home but she ignores us.
We stop at the top of the climb to enjoy the view, to look back at how much we've climbed and relish the accomplishment. A retired couple in a big SUV come by and stop to chat. They are visiting the area from out of state. We ask them if they'd be willing to give our Little Buddy a ride down to the ranch, since they are going that direction. We explain that's where she joined us, and that she'll be in danger if she continues to follow us. But they politely decline, saying they are sure she can get back there on her own.
Now we begin the downhill part of the Byway. It goes a bit faster, but it is a steep downhill with loose gravel, so it takes some time and skill to navigate it. There are fantastic rock formations here, and the fields of gold continue to delight. There are other wildflowers too -- little white flowers, small lighter yellow flowers, and even a few blue flowers. What a treat! Parts of the trail are carved out of the side of the mountain, and from a distance it looks like a goat path. There are steep drop-offs, but the road is wide enough for a car, so it isn't too scary. Just a short time into our descent, I am on a switchback above Corre Caminos, looking down on him and our little buddy. It is such a beautiful sight - the man on a bike wearing a yellow jersey, a little black dog trotting along beside, the mountains and rock formations in the distance, and fields of gold all around us. I know this is an image that will come back to me every time I think of the Black Hills Back Country Byway.
We finally come to the highway. We're a little over an hour later than we'd hoped to be, and we have a long way to go to get to tonight's destination - Roper Lake State Park. Our Little Buddy has kept up with us, but is obviously getting tired, hungry, and thirsty. She's been with us all day, and has traveled about 18 miles. We are about to get onto highway 191, and the traffic is heavy. Not a safe place for a dog. So we both yell at her again to go home. I stamp my foot at her, and she yelps and cowers, looking up at me with sad eyes. This creature deserves better, but there is nothing we can do. So we take off as fast as we can on the highway. With the help of a slight downhill and a tail wind, we get up to almost 30 miles an hour. She follows us for a while, but finally can't keep up.
We make good time, but even so it is getting late when we get to Safford. We decide to forego a hot dinner and head straight to the park, and it turns out to be a good decision. It is twilight when we get to the park and we are both tired.
Roper Lake State Park is a real find. We highly recommend it, but be sure to make reservations. If we hadn't had a reservation, we would have been turned away because it was full. It is about 6 miles south of Safford just off US Route 191. There are more RVs than tents in the campground, but we are quite comfortable in our little campsite. A little further into the park, there is a natural hot tub fed by a hot springs - but we are too tired to head up there. Next time. There are very nice, clean hot showers which we DO take advantage of. And maybe best of all, there is a wonderful view of snow-covered Mount Graham right out the door of our tent. Corre Caminos make another one of his special dinners - garlic mashed potatoes with ham. Life doesn't get much better than this. A full belly, a hot shower, a warm tent, a beautiful view, a great companion, and a well-earned tired-on. The only thing that weighs on our minds as we fall asleep is our Little Buddy.
Saturday March 10 - Safford to Duncan
We climb out of our warm sleeping bags and fix a hot cup of coffee to sip while we are making breakfast. I say we, but Corre Caminos does most of the work. Warm oatmeal - delicious as always. We start thinking about another cup of coffee and a warm cinnamon bun, so we break camp and head out. Break camp is so easy to say, and only two words to put in a blog. But it takes time, especially when things are wet and muddy. But eventually we are all packed up and on our bikes. We take time to explore the camp a bit. The hot tub looks quite inviting, and we regret not having had the energy to get in it last night. We ride up the road along the side of the lake - quite a large lake. This is a really nice park, and we decide we'd like to come back one day.
We head up U.S. 191 all the way into Safford in search of coffee and cinnamon buns. We drive down Main Street, and I spot a little place called Main Street Cafe - 523 West Main Street. Nothing fancy, and it looks just right for us. There is even a covered place to leave our bikes right next door - but it's not raining so we don't need it this time. We are greeted with a friendly hello when we walk in the door. We order coffee and a biker's breakfast - eggs, home fries and toast. And there they are, right there on the menu - cinnamon buns!! Our waitress assures us they are homemade and delicious, so we order two. One warmed up to split here, and one to take with us. After we eat the first one - well, of course we ask her to go ahead and warm up the second one. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
This place not only has great food, but a warm, friendly down-home atmosphere. Everyone is interested in knowing about our biking adventures. While we are there, a local family comes in all dressed up. They are the first to arrive for a baby shower that is being held in the adjoining room. We assure our waitress we will be back. It's no surprise to find out later that Main Street is not only an excellent restaurant, but also a non-profit that employs the handicapped.
Fully satisfied, we get back on our bikes and head out of town on back roads for as long as we can, to avoid the traffic on U.S. 70. We finally have to get on the highway, but it is Saturday and the traffic isn't too bad. There is a short distance where the berm is closed, but we are soon passed it and the berm is pretty good. We glance back every now and then to enjoy the view of Mount Graham behind us. Truly a majestic sight.
Down the road a bit we stop for a drink and a snack, and a motorcycle pulls up beside us. We spend the next 10 minutes or so learning a little more about the local area. We learn that Roper Lake State Park was almost closed down, but the locals rallied and were able to save it. Safford is an old mining town, and it is going through some changes now. The mines are active again, and the town is getting more activity as a result. Freeport, the world's largest publicly traded copper company, is opening another mine near here. It sounds like it is viewed as a mixed blessing.
We spend the early afternoon climbing over the Peloncillos, but it isn't a hard climb. We finally get to the top of our climb, and enjoy mostly zooming down to Duncan, with a few rollers along the way. The views are amazing as always, with mountain peaks all around. Steeple Rock is a special favorite. We got a late start so it is beginning to get dark when we get close to Duncan. About 1 1/2 miles out of town, Corre Caminos shifts gears and his chain locks up. A serious case of chain suck, he says. He tries to fix it to no avail, and convinces me that I can pedal for both of us. He grabs ahold of my shoulder, and I pedal - convinced that we are both going to end up crashing. But we take it slow, the road is flat here, and we are able to limp into Duncan. We are delighted to find that Hilda's is still open - and we order a big dinner - a green chili cheeseburger, fries, and a meat enchilada plate. A lot of food, but we eat almost all of it. We walk our bikes back to the Simpson hotel, glad to not have to pitch a tent tonight. A hot shower, a little reading, and it's lights out.
This place not only has great food, but a warm, friendly down-home atmosphere. Everyone is interested in knowing about our biking adventures. While we are there, a local family comes in all dressed up. They are the first to arrive for a baby shower that is being held in the adjoining room. We assure our waitress we will be back. It's no surprise to find out later that Main Street is not only an excellent restaurant, but also a non-profit that employs the handicapped.
Fully satisfied, we get back on our bikes and head out of town on back roads for as long as we can, to avoid the traffic on U.S. 70. We finally have to get on the highway, but it is Saturday and the traffic isn't too bad. There is a short distance where the berm is closed, but we are soon passed it and the berm is pretty good. We glance back every now and then to enjoy the view of Mount Graham behind us. Truly a majestic sight.
Down the road a bit we stop for a drink and a snack, and a motorcycle pulls up beside us. We spend the next 10 minutes or so learning a little more about the local area. We learn that Roper Lake State Park was almost closed down, but the locals rallied and were able to save it. Safford is an old mining town, and it is going through some changes now. The mines are active again, and the town is getting more activity as a result. Freeport, the world's largest publicly traded copper company, is opening another mine near here. It sounds like it is viewed as a mixed blessing.
We spend the early afternoon climbing over the Peloncillos, but it isn't a hard climb. We finally get to the top of our climb, and enjoy mostly zooming down to Duncan, with a few rollers along the way. The views are amazing as always, with mountain peaks all around. Steeple Rock is a special favorite. We got a late start so it is beginning to get dark when we get close to Duncan. About 1 1/2 miles out of town, Corre Caminos shifts gears and his chain locks up. A serious case of chain suck, he says. He tries to fix it to no avail, and convinces me that I can pedal for both of us. He grabs ahold of my shoulder, and I pedal - convinced that we are both going to end up crashing. But we take it slow, the road is flat here, and we are able to limp into Duncan. We are delighted to find that Hilda's is still open - and we order a big dinner - a green chili cheeseburger, fries, and a meat enchilada plate. A lot of food, but we eat almost all of it. We walk our bikes back to the Simpson hotel, glad to not have to pitch a tent tonight. A hot shower, a little reading, and it's lights out.
Sunday March 11 - The Long Way Home
We take our time Sunday morning. Deborah, the owner of the Simpson hotel, has left the coffee pot ready to go, so we press the button and enjoy a couple leisurely cups of great coffee before we head to Hilda's for breakfast. After breakfast we spend a little time chatting with Deborah - a warm, interesting woman. Then we load up our bikes and gear and start back - but not directly to Silver City. We head west on 70 and pick up 191 heading back to where we exited the Black Hills Byway. We drive slowly, looking along the side of the road for a little black dog. We dread finding her dead, hope to find her alive. Neither of us can keep a dog right now, but we would love to find her and give her a ride to the Humane Society. When we get to the Byway, we turn in and stop to talk with some folks who are parked there. We tell them about our Little Buddy. People are always dropping unwanted dogs out there, they tell us. They are headed over the mountains on the Byway, and assure us they will keep an eye out for her. We drive in to the first rest area, and I get out and call in all directions. And wait.
We drive up and down 191 one more time, looking, stopping, calling. Nothing. We finally have to settle for a feeling of gratitude that we didn't find her dead by the road, and a hope that someone found her and gave her a home. We know she deserved it. Thanks for being our companion for a day, Little Buddy.
