Ride 89 Day 13

112 miles, 7000? feet of gain*

Today was a day full of ups and downs – and more ups and more downs. It was the biggest climbing day of our trip.

I had intended to get a early start at 5 AM but because of my miscalculation on times I ended up beginning shortly before six.

The ride out of Flagstaff was beautiful if a little damp. The humidity was heavy but the Smell of ponderosa pines filled the air. 

I had a 15 minute wait for a light to change on one-way construction and a canyon but then I was able to continue. The town of Sedona was still waking up as I went through around eight. I was seeing all sorts of signs for crystal vortexes and aura photography and things like that. I imagine if I had gotten a psychic reading they would’ve told me that I was a man on a journey.

From Flagstaff I generally descended but had some climbing until we got to Cottonwood. Once there, I started what has been rated as the fourth hardest climb in Arizona.

My climb up to and through Jerome took me up at Mountainside Inn old mining town built onto a hillside. The town is full of skeletons and advertisements for ghost tours. I climbed out of the town and continued upward until reaching the summit.

Then I had a nice and fast ascent into Prescott. About the time the road leveled out a storm blew in quick and fast and incredibly wet. It soaked me. When I reached Annie I took shelter in the truck until the storm was over. And then changed my kit because I was very very wet.

I worked my way through Prescott and up through the mountains again and then had a nice  descent all the way to Kirkland Junction.

More ruminations from my seat

Annie and I have always wanted to have a highway of our own, but we haven’t been able to. I’ve seen all these signs, maybe we should adopt a highway.

*The biggest frustration of the day was with my Edge 520. I couldn’t get it to sync my ride. My phone wasn’t even showing as an option. Garmin sometimes does this when there’s an update, which there is. However, right now my Garmin won’t even turn on. Not when I charge it, not when I hook it up to my computer, nothing. I’m doing the ride of my life and Garmin has failed me. I swear, if I have to buy a new computer, I’m going with a Wahoo. I’ve always been a Garmin guy but I’m really frustrated about this right now.