Sunday morning, Day 80, August 6th

Traveled south on state road 87 from Winslow yesterday. Needed a break to plan whether to head west to Flagstaff or aim for Phoenix due south. Decided on Phoenix. Temperatures varied yesterday. 101° on airid flats which may be considered desert and 91° after about 3,000 feet of assents. I think the elevation was about 5,500 feet in Winslow and around the Happy Jack, AZ destination of my overnight at the Happy Jack Lodge & RV park over 7,000 feet in elevation. Assents are calculated by the Garmin bike computer as anytime there is an increase in elevation. So I may go up and then down an incline, but only the climbs up are counted. One assent at the end of the day included a 6° grade that lasted about a mile. The grade varied between 3° & 6°. I kept the bike in 1st gear with feet locked into the pedals and remained ready to snap out should the bike stall from the motor overheating or the chain derailing. Proper adjustment and tension on the pedal clips is important. When it's time to snap out, it has to happen without delay!

Happy Jack is a good place for me to be. I am enjoying my morning coffee with the sun to my back. It is already intense well before 9 a.m. Enjoyed my peach yogurt and about to open up a cold bottle of coconut water. I have a reservation at an RV Park 44 miles south and 2 options for hotels on the outskirts of Phoenix an additional 61 miles south. Elevations may vary a lot not to mention head on wind. Yesterday the wind was fierce and head on almost the entire day. So strong, it was as if, if it were behind me, I would not have to pedal. One of the Trek techs back in Alburquerque said I could expect head-on winds traveling southwest to San Diego. I did anticipate this which was one of the plus column items for an ebike. Whenever I need to push through a sand laden, gravel or dirt trail, or ride up a 5°+ grade, or keep my head down against a strong headwind, I think of and thank my friend's (Derek's) father (Samir - which means good Samaritan). Samir is an accomplished electrical engineer and persuaded me to go electric even after purchasing my conventional Surly brand bicycle. I reasoned I would have the Surly as backup to complete the trip if the ebike approach did not work out.

So, I am feeling relaxed and happy in Happy Jack, AZ. The route to San Diego looks plausible, granted there are some areas of certain, challenging limits. It seems easier to plan for those areas as I approach them. I seem to have a better sense of my energy and endurance, frame of mind, and improved intel from gathering insights from local people. Whatever people tell me, I contrast with my judgment, intuition and fact finding - often from my beloved Google which disclaims everything with a "verify what we tell you" for actual conditions. So whatever intuition is, it so far is working. That coupled with being the turtle, going slow and staying well rested and clear headed, well, most of the time... 😀

Today may be another tough day. Heat, possible assents, and wind. Sometimes the hard days are easy and the easy days, are hard. The key is to allow for contingencies, but try as I may, sometimes something gets overlooked even if "everything" was considered. 😀