Day 4: Blythe, CA to Wickenburg, AZ

I'm beat-up, tired, and sore.  Singer/songwriter Neil Young once described one of his songs saying "It sort of starts out real slow, and then fizzles out altogether".  I think that describes my ride today.

Our day started innocently enough.  Temperatures were in the high 60Fs and the sky was clear and there was no apparent wind when we started our ride to Wickenburg, AZ at 6:45am. Around Mile 5, we entered Interstate I-10 and headed east.  Within a mile, we reached the CA-AZ state line and stopped briefly to dutifully place a pinch of Pacific Beach sand at the base of the state line sign.  We're told this will appease the fairies and elves in AZ and then they will watch over us and provide safe travel in their state.  You can't see them because they only come out at night and are very small.  Who knew?

At the CA-AZ State Line sign ready to place a
small amount of sand at the base of the sign.  It
wasn't explained to us what the fairies and elves do with the sand.

The nature of our ride started to change within 5 miles after entering Arizona.  At approximately Mile 10, we began a 7.5 mile climb along 1-5% grades. Then the headwinds returned and temperatures began to rise.  Another climb, this one for 10 miles, began at Mile 26.  I had no reserve energy, no "pop" in my legs.  Both climbs were just long, low cadence slogs for me.  That would have been bad enough, but the road had occasional long intervals of cracks in the shoulder asphalt that turned up at the edges by 1-3 inches.  The spacing between successive cracks was irregular,  but on average successive cracks were only 6-8 feet apart.  Running over each causes the wheel hitting it to pop up and go a little airborn.  Riding over each one of these raised cracks with both wheels elicits a Kerchunk-Kerchunk sound and an annoying jarring ride during which your bike saddle seems to want to pound itself through your crotch.  

After completing the 10 mile climb, we finally left interstate I-10.  Our new road was called State Road 60 East (SR60E) and would be the one leading us to Wickenburg.  My eyes opened up wide out of habit when I saw this road.  Relatively new asphalt and wide paved shoulders with rolling risers ahead.  I envisioned dropping into the aerobars and putting the hammer down.  Unfortunately I did not bring a hammer today.  

The road to Wickenburg.  Initial impression -- Me likey!
Unfortunately, initial impressions can be wrong sometimes.

I did have a few grins today though.  At roughly Mile 52 is a rotary (aka traffic circle or roundabout) in the middle of nowhere, or at least that's the way I see it.  I'm trying to keep an open mind about it, but it did remind me of the Blazing Saddles scene in which the good guys placed a toll booth in the middle of the desert to delay the arrival of a gang of bad guys.

Blazing Saddles toll booth in the desert.

Another grin was in Hope, AZ, where you can get the full hook-up at an RV park.

After I abandoned Hope, it was a 60 mile struggle against heat, headwinds, aching feet, and sore butt while continuing to climb at lower grades (1-3%) on frequent rough shoulders strewn with debris.  The heat was oppressive throughout the day and peaked at 107F.  The jarring full shoulder ruts occurred at irregular, but frequent points along the route.   Interstate I-10 and SR60E are not roads I would ever (or could ever legally) ride on in Michigan, at least not with a road bike, but this was essentially the only way we could travel in this area of CA and AZ.  Pain and heat management were major activities for me during this time and unscheduled road side stops to take electrolyte tablets or soak my clothes (now including a white head cap) with water were necessary.  As with the first 3 days, the CrossRoads support staff provided top-notch service and care.  They knew we shouldn't dawdle, so they took our water bottles and Camelbak and filled them while we availed ourselves of the ample food selection they provided.  I finished the 116 mile route after hitting all the SAG stops in regulation, but that was in large part due to the quick pit stop-like service they provided.

Here's our route today:

We have a lower mileage day tomorrow, but it will feature 7000 feet of climbing as we head from Wickenburg to Prescott, AZ.  Temperatures are expected to be lower than what we've experienced in these first 4 days of the tour. I won't discuss the wind other than to say that we have endured headwind for nearly the entire first 4 days of this cross country trip.  That is a CrossRoads first.  Since we will not be held to cut-off times tomorrow or in the foreseeable future, I should be able to take more photos.