Day 22

Today I wanted to get an early start since I knew it was going to be an early day. I have this internal alarm clock that never fails, so I never need a wakeup call or alarm. When I awoke the clock said 3:00 AM. Now just so you don’t think I have gone completely bonkers, Tucson seems to have their time all screwed up. They were an hour earlier than the time zone I woke up in the previous morning and the time zone I would be sleeping in that night so I never reset my internal clock. Poor Tigger was not ready to get up, but he did so with his indomitable smile.

Today began the mountain phase of my trip and I was riding in the mountains rather than around them. There is a stretch from Globe, AZ, to Show Low, AZ, that I have ridden before and it has become one of my favorite rides. Riding a motorcycle is a multi sensory experience. As opposed to an automobile where you ride through your surroundings, on a motorcycle you ride in them. The scent of an alpine glade, the temperature fluctuations as you climb from 5,000 feet to 10,000 feet and even a sudden mountain shower are much more part of the experience. These elements, combined with the fact that, for me, the rugged peaks, sheer rock faces, fast flowing streams, towering pines and aspen trees that shimmer in the breeze create a place of serenity I find no where else, makes this my favorite place to ride.

Today I pulled a “Fabio”. As you may recall the suave and debonair model who has adorned the covers of countless romance novels was riding a roller coaster in Virginia a few years back when he hit a goose with his face. A face that has many similarities to mine, although I can’t remember any of them at the moment. Well, it seems there is some type of bird that likes to sit in the middle of the road at dusk and play chicken – or would that be bird – with oncoming vehicles and today one of them lost. Fortunately, I had on a full face helmet so no damage was done to this face which has adorned no covers of romance novels but I don’t believe the bird had a great day.

I arrived at Ted’s house at 4:30 and I was dead tired. My posterior was so sore form sitting nearly twelve hours on the bike that even sitting in an overstuffed chair was uncomfortable. I need to work on this.

The picture of Tigger in on petrified wood in the Petrified Forest National Park and the vista is from Mesa Verde National Park.