More badass than perhaps I wanna be
By admin | April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5
Apache Junction to Oak Flat Campground, 4 miles east of Superior
35 miles
The ride today was great until I started climbing into Superior. Then it still felt pretty good, until I bonked, which means just falling apart exhausted, I guess. I ate a sandwich less than 3 miles from town to stave off the bonking, but it didn’t help. After barely making it there, because it was up a slight hill, I wandered around the grocery store, examining everything and being very indecisive. I finally bought a tuna helper dinner and went back down the road a bit to a restaurant. I ate another lunch and sat still for about two hours. I looked at my maps and made a list of what else I needed from the store. I quickly got my water and milk, then headed to the post office to mail home another pound of excess stuff. Unfortunately, this did not offset the nearly eight pounds of water I had taken on to finish the days ride, camp overnight, and ride another 13 miles in the morning without a place to refill.
And the rest of the day was uphill, a lot. And there was a tunnel. I couldn’t really spin at all for most of the climb. I pedaled as much as I could, and rested whenever I came to a pullout. I walked and pushed the bike for a few stretches, just to vary muscle use. It was hard and slow, but doable. The tunnel was loud, and kind of scary. I couldn’t stop in it, but I sure was glad to take a break as soon as I could after I got out.
Taking a break at the first pullout after the tunnel.
When I got to my campground, I thought I might have basically gotten to the top of the hill, though the pass looks like it’s still further along on my map. I felt like I could have kept riding the 15 to 20 miles to the next camping spot if I knew I’d completed most of the climbing. But I didn’t know. I pulled into Oak Flat Campground, National Forest service, free, but also dry. With cattle grazing in it.
I immediately came across Al, a climber. We spent the rest of the evening chatting about India and Nepal, yoga, Patagonia, Bend, Oregon, and how my gear is too heavy. We met another camper who belongs to the Gold Prospector’s Association of America. Al shared his dinner with me, a delicious curry he threw together. The prospector started to ask me if I get lonely traveling by myself, then looked around at the three of us talking and stopped short.
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