149 km (93 miles) - total: 4266 km (2650 miles)
Monument Valley, Ut to Tuba City, Az
As I locked my shoes to the pedals of my bicycle this morning I threw a long glance at the stark beauty of the rocks of the MV rising from the desert bed with somber power under a cloudy sky. It appears as if the morning haze offers the big stones even more grandeur and nobility. It is a spectacular image, revisited, amplified and exploited by decades of clever work by the Hollywood movie industry.
After only 2 miles on the road I passed the Arizona sign and there I was entering on my two wheels the 8th and last State of my trip. I am sorry to leave Utah for it has given me an unforgettable setting to ride in, it has provided me with the silence and desolation I was longing for. But I welcome Arizona, now I am so close to the end of my cross-country adventure. It could be tomorrow.
I did a bit of research about this State. Arizona is a good name for a place but there is some disagreement over the origin of the name, some believe the name is an abbreviation of the Spanish phrase arida zona, or 'dry region', but others argue that it comes from the Basque phrase 'aritz onak', or 'good oaks'. The name Arizonac was initially applied to a silver mining camp, and later, when it had been shortened to Arizona to the entire territory.
Day 30 has been a long, long day with a constant headwind of 25-30 mph. After that 'journey to hell and back' in Kansas (day 22), this has been the toughest day of my trip and after the pathos, the gravitas, the passion yesterday at the MV, today's ride was about getting the job done, it was unremarkable and monotonous. I was more worried about fighting the wind and watching out for passing cars than anything else. I am glad it's over and I am only 82 miles from the Grand Canyon, I should be there tomorrow night, I should be able to wrap up my trip with 3 days to spare. Should I complain? When I left DC I had no idea if I was going to make it halfway, now that I am here, now that I have crossed 7 States, I feel the urgency to press on and maybe I should carry on and cycle all the way to LA. Is it my ambition biting the nails of success? Of course it is. But no, I will not complain.
But I will definitely complain about the wind today. Cycling into a headwind is like trying to run with a giant hand pulling you back. No matter how hard you paddle you just seem to be standing still. Now I understand why most riders go from West to East instead of going cross-country from the East coast to the West. I don't mind the rain, the heat, the cold, traffic, hunger, flat tires, heavy legs, give me anything but don't even mention the wind. As I left Kayenta and got closer to Tuba City the landscape began to change and I entered a very arid region where the sun beats down on you and the annual rain fall is very low. And today was no exception, it was by far the hottest day of the trip but while DC provides some incredibly humid heat, here it is extremely dry (only 12% humidity today) so it is bearable. Temperatures exceeded 100f but I did not sweat much and the winds did not give me a chance to realize how hot it was. The desert here is silent and severe, unsentimental, uninspiring, poised, daunting. There are no angels in this desert. There is no communication. No room for error, as if the land is telling you 'don't f**k up now 'cos if you do you are going to die'! The road is long and straight. All you've got to do is travel along. All you hear are the whispers of a dry wind that forces its way through the sand dunes and the defeated bushes, kicking tumbleweeds from every corner, sweeping the plains with unrelentless force to leave human beings no chance at happiness whatsoever. You may take solace in the limitless sky. It is after all a sheltering sky, where no truth lies covered and no cloud that will live forever. This kind of sky has a lot of character. It is bold and dreamy and deep. I cycled under it, under all it contains, through the wind and the sand. The color is not red anymore; it is more like beige, some kind of pale orange. The wind kicked up a lot of dust from the side of the road which flew up right into my face and mouth. Not only did I sweat America but I also ate it! I had a dry throat for most of the day and I did curse at the wind once in a while but when I saw the Tuba City sign at around 6pm after almost 10 hours on the bicycle I was so relieved that I said to the Gods of wind in defiance "you blew strong today but you didn't blow me off the road!". However, I have to admit that today I didn't like cycling. Today I wish I had been somewhere else. The wind does not allow you to enjoy the ride or the scenery. The wind makes for a slow grind, a painstakingly hard work on the road when every part of your body goes to work. And the mind controls everything. If I hadn't been so close to my final stage I might have stayed in bed today! I had to keep my wits about me for the whole ride as I remembered well what happened in Kansas. The wind kept hitting my bike, making it skid a little on the hot road surface. Not once did I lose sight of where my front wheel went so I didn't take many pictures and didn't flirt at all with the scenery. I just wanted to get myself home in one piece.
Forecast predicts heavy winds for tomorrow as well so I will have to stay focused, eat and drink plenty tonight and be ready for hard pedaling if I want to make it to Tusayan. There is only one service point on the 82-mile stretch. I will have to carry extra weight on my shoulders. And there are no motels until the Canyon so if I leave here I will have to make it. It is my last stage and it might be the toughest one. I will try to leave early as the wind is supposed to intensify after 10 am. No problem...bring it on!
Early morning and this is what I am leaving behind
It doesn't take long for the sun to come out on highway 163
Highway 163 looking East
A pit stop in the middle of nowhere
Bikers
Arizona dry desert landscape
Arizona, highway 163, on the road...
While I am battling the wind this is the landscape from the side of the highway
The wind is no match for you!!! What inspiring landscapes! The feeling of eternity must be sobering. I know that the next few days will end on an amazing high point. But... you now have a following on the blog so you cannot stop - we will have to enter rehab! My deepest gratitude for sharing this wonderful experience.
ReplyDeleteCha l véggna un azidänt al vant! Comunque per te l'é ròba da rédder dopo più di 4.000 km! Del resto forse l'è méi che gli ultimi dé siano piò difézzil acsé rimpiangerai meno la strè quando sarai all'ufezzi in giåca e cravâta...
ReplyDeleteIn bocca al lupo per domani/oggi e bravo!
Baci da Thelma (fin qui) & Louise (di seguito)
Well, we're not in the middle of nowhere, but we can see it from here.
Invisibile ma informato di tutto ti seguo con grande partecipazione dal mio rifugio segreto. GOOD LUCK Micio
ReplyDeleteI have not commented recently because I am following you on Blackberry and I have not had success commenting there. I want to thank you, Luigi, for the privilege of making this trip with you - living vicariously!I not only admire your courage, but also your beautiful prose. You have painted such beautiful pictures with your words and your camera. Can you hear the applause? All the way to the finish line! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteDeep down, do you want to be a biker?! Just kidding. The scenes are beautiful. I've enjoyed this blog immensely.
ReplyDeleteare you getting better now? Pei Pa Koa (www.geocities.jp/ninjiom_hong_kong/index_e.htm ) is one of the few Chinese natural cough remedies that have been scientifically studied. it's something like herb plus honey, and it's sweet, thick and black in color. If you have a cough, look for it! It used to be one of my favourite natural cough remedies.
ReplyDeleteif your cough persists, seek professional help such as traditional Chinese medicine physicians - I have had very good experiences with them.
what??
ReplyDelete