Odo 3404.7
Starting out it was a beautiful day, and the only thing that changed
about that was that it got quite cold by the top of Emory pass, about
30 degrees. Progress leaving the Gila wilderness was good, favorable
wind and no climbing, except for a short bit leaving Lake Roberts.
Crossing the continental divide came as a little surprise, as there
was hardly any climbing, I think I was still coming down from the
Gila.
The other side of the divide had miles of downhill, about 15
miles until I reached San Lorenzo, at which the 18 mile climb for
Emory pass started.
The pass had two parts, an initial climb that
ended about 10 miles in, followed by some "flatish" road, which means
downhills and uphills , but no sustained climbing. Then there was
about 4-5 miles of serious, sustained climbing. It was not too steep,
2nd gear stuff, with a couple of stretches I might should have
downshifted for. The scenery on this stretch was nothing short of
magnificent.
Looming sheer walls of rock, beautifully textured. I
would need a super wide lens to capture the feel of that spot!
Suddenly, I'm at the top, and I stop to take a few pictures. Nearly
instantly, my fingers are really cold. I put on some more clothes for
the descent. Then , less than a half mile later, I put on more
clothes, insulated pants, ski mask, toe covers. It is a strong descent
for about 9 miles to Kingston, then just downhill to Hillsboro, where
I wanted to camp. I only had snacks and my "emergency" rations as I
discovered that all the stores in Hillsboro were closed. There is a
couple getting onto a new Harley, so I ask them about the stores, and
they confirm that they all closed at 3. There is a small park. To camp
in, with chemical toilets, so that is an option. The woman on the
Harley offers to make me a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches if I
stay at the park. There is another option, a B&B a little back up the
road. I knock on the door but the lady says they have no rooms. There
is a tinge of guilt in her voice, so I take it to mean that they do
have a room, but I do not match the correct profile for one of their
clients. I say thanks and leave, but I am pissed. I decide I'll ride
to the next town or however farther it takes to find an open store and
a place to stay with showers. I am not entirely irrational, I know it
will be almost entirely downhill the 17 miles to the next town, but it
is just about dark, so I crank up the 4 taillights and my headlight
and start out (and I have been wanting to look at the stars in a
really dark setting!). About an hour and twenty minutes later there is
an RV park at the intersection of 152 and I25. The office is closed
but the restrooms and showers are open. This will do. But I haven't
found my open store, so I continue down the road and just a mile and a
half (downhill! :-) I find a little store. I nuke a cheeseburger, and
buy a drink and some snacks. They have a table inside and I sit down
and eat. The lady who runs the store (and it's associated RV park) is
very nice. There is also an old guy there, and he is the picture of an
old cowboy, and as we talk, it turns out this is exactly the truth.
He's a nice guy, and I should have taken his picture. The lady
suggests I camp at the state park a few miles down the road. I know
it's wrong not to just go back to the RV park, but I go to the park
anyway. It turns out to be closed, starting on that very day! How do
we know these things, and why don't I trust my intuition? It's only
about 3.5 miles back, but I am moving slowly now... Still, the day
ends nicely.
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