April 13

Today's 60-mile ride from Peach Springs to Ash Fork went so well, not even a lack of sleep could ruin it.

I mentioned in a previous post that I'm usually a very sound sleeper.  But just before going to bed Tuesday night, I made a mistake that kept me from getting good rest.  Because of my MS, I have pills and supplements I take at night and a pill and supplements I take in the morning.  The morning pill, which helps relieve an achy fatigue sensation I get, was actually developed for another purpose — to help people with narcolepsy stay awake during the day.

I was taking my night pills and setting out my morning pills when I somehow got them mixed up. I tossed down the morning pill with a glass of water, and then realized what I had just done. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" I've been taking these pills for more than 15 years, and I've come close a few times to taking the morning pill at night, but this was the first time I'd ever done it.  Probably a combination between the drug and my anxiety kept me from getting to sleep. I think I finally dozed off for a while around 11:30 p.m., but I kept waking up, feeling tired.  So it was painful when the alarm clock on my phone went off at 5 a.m.  I could barely open my eyes.

I turned off the alarm and put the phone back on the bed stand.  I then realized I'd better check my weather app. I was shocked when the data popped up on the screen. In Peach Springs, Seligman and Ash Fork — the beginning, middle and end of today's ride — temperatures were only in the 20s. Now I had something else to worry about. I have cold-weather gear that worked well on Tuesday's ride from Kingman to Peach Springs, but the temperatures then were in the 40s and 50s.  Still looking at my app, I switched to the hourly forecasts and was relieved to see that as soon as the sun came up temperatures would start to rise. It would be near 40 degrees by 8 a.m. 

That was the excuse I needed to reset my alarm for 6:30 a.m. so I could try to get just a little more sleep. No way was I going out in temperatures around freezing, if I didn't have to. I did get a little more sleep and then got up around 6:15.  I drank some orange juice and started to eat the pastrami sandwich I'd bought at a market the previous evening (it was the only thing I could find in the store). I was moving slowly, but I was moving. By the time I put on all my gear and loaded up my bike, it was almost 8:30 a.m. 

I took a quick selfie to show you what I look like with all the gear on.

I headed to the lobby with my bike. I checked out at the front desk and then stepped outside. It was a crystal-clear day. Gorgeous. And it didn't feel so cold. I was comfortable. 

The ride began with an immediate, one-mile climb out of Peach Springs, followed by a similar climb. I hadn't warmed up ahead of time, so I took both hills slowly to allow my body to get going.

As I started up the second climb, I could feel a tailwind giving me a push.

It would be a day for just riding. Given my late start, I decided not to stop at Grand Canyon Caverns at about 12 miles. By the looks of the place, I'm really glad I didn't stay there, as I had once planned.  I pushed on to Seligman, another 24 miles down the road. With such favorable conditions, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the Arizona desert.

I cruised into Seligman at 11:45 a.m. and spotted the place for lunch — the Roadkill Cafe & OK Saloon. That pastrami sandwich I'd had for breakfast didn't last long. I was hungry. One of the Roadkill's specialties is fried chicken, and that sounded good. I ordered it with mashed potatoes and a side of broccoli. It also came with a hot, miniature loaf of bread.

I ate it all.

The beautiful and somewhat easy morning ride had gotten enough of my adrenaline flowing that I hadn't felt tired out on the road. As I got up to leave the restaurant, however, I felt like it was nap time. But I had to keep going. I got back on my bike just after 1 p.m. It took several miles, and one really long, steep hill to get me going again, but I felt good.

From Seligman, it was 22 miles to Ash Fork. As forecast, the winds — tailwinds from the west — grew to about 15-20 mph in the early afternoon. I also was helped by a nearly 10-mile stretch that was almost all downhill. I pulled into my motel at 2:30 p.m. I'd averaged about 15 mph after lunch.

Ash Fork is a struggling little town. About the only thing that keeps it going is the production of flagstone. It has two dumpy little motels, one of which I'm staying in — the Ash Fork Inn, $59 a night. When I pulled into this place's gravel parking lot, I thought I'd made a mistake. It looked abandoned. But, I followed the arrow on its lobby door, pointing me to a teller window. When I got there, a young woman appeared on the other side. i could see a bit into the room behind her, where new mattresses in their plastic wrappers lined the opposite wall. The woman confirmed my reservation and gave me my room key — a real key, not the cards most places now use.  Given how horrible the buildings looked, I was surprised when I opened the door to my room. It was very clean and nicely appointed. A carpenter was working on the room next door. Apparently, the owners are renovating the place slowly from the inside out. 

The two cafes in town serve pretty much the same thing I've been eating so far — burgers and fries and Mexican food — so I pedaled over to the town market and got some items to bring back to my room. It would be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,  Oreos and a couple bananas for dinner and breakfast! Anything for a change.

I've been nodding off while writing this. It's time for bed.

Tomorrow I'm going off Bicycle Route 66. I'm taking a 55-mile side trip south to Prescott Valley to see a childhood buddy I haven't seen since my teens. I'll tell you more in the next post.

Contact me: Thoughts or comments? Email me at richardridesusa@gmail.com.

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