350 miles for the day
I parted ways with the +3 around 8:30 yesterday morning from Snow Lake. Those guys were great to ride and camp with, but I figured it was about time to head on my way. It was pretty exhilarating riding about 50 miles through the middle of the Gila Forest alone, though I'm now more aware of my vulnerabilities on the bike. I also felt a bit sad. I will miss the camaraderie and the safety net a small group of riders provide.
I made it out of the Gila National Forest and headed for Coronado Trail Scenic Byway (highway 191) in the Apache National Forest. This road, also known as "The Devil's Highway", was once U.S. 666. The +3 riders told me about this route, so I coulndn't pass it up. There were lots of ten mile an hour switchbacks and not a guardrail in sight. It's a great place to ride a motorcycle and get your heart pumping bit faster.
After that accomplishment, I took highway 70 which is a little two lane blacktop that runs in a valley with sweeping mountain views on either side. I forgot how hot it can be when your not in the mountains. was well above 100 degrees on my way into Gold Camp (which is just outside of Phoenix). It was a long day on the bike and all I wanted to do was take a shower. I hadn't had one in 3 days and was now starting to not just smell it, but feel it too.
Stopped for the night at another Best Western. Got a good rate and finally an internet connection.
Well its already Day 6 for me so I need to head out. I'll keep you posted on where I make it to next.
Thanks for reading!!
Hey Adam, glad to hear you're still rolling. We rode back to Ruidoso N.M. and camped at a seedy RV park. Quite the reverse of Snow Lake but we were tired and Thad had experienced yet another flat (puncture) on his rear tire. We Slimed it. You need to pick up a tube of that green godzilla snot. Works great for nails, staples, wire punctures. Rode it all the way home with no tube change.
ReplyDeleteLeft Ruidoso passed through Cloudcroft picking up a dirt road (Thad's short cut) heading southwest that promised to take us through the most remote part of N.M. At one point early on we spoke to a sheriff who admitted he had never even been down the road we were contemplating. Well...when we finally crossed the Tx N.M. state line we were 78 miles from El Paso. The last part was a true dual-sport HELL!!! Straight...hot...dusty...
Got home 4:30 p.m. Tues.
Great riding with you. Take care and ride safe. Frank