Day 11, Mesa, AZ to Globe, AZ

After a great breakfast with Bill & Gerri we hit the road. 

Bill rode with us for about an hour showing us the best way out of town and then riding up Highway 70 with us for a while.

 We had an easy climb to Florence Junction and then a more serious climb up to Gonzales Pass at 2652 ft. The scenery was really pretty as we entered the Tonto National Forest. 

 We had a small down hill after the pass but more climbing was in store. We climbed up to Superior and got some drinks while I girded myself for the road ahead to tilt skyward, and it did. It was incredibly beautiful but really steep with lots of traffic including semis. We did alright for a couple of miles until we hit a construction area just before a tunnel. The construction took out the passing lane so that it was too narrow for the big trucks to pass us. Both of us got a truck stuck following us a few feet away until it opened up again. 

We took a breather on the uphill side of the tunnel before continuing. Climbing steeply again I was down to less than 5 mph, the sweat pouring off me. Eventually the passing lane ended which meant it was leveling out. We passed a sign saying "7 % grade downhill next 12 miles". That was a total lie. The downhill was 2 miles max and then back to a grinding uphill. We hadn't even crested the 4660 ft pass yet when we had another downhill to lose some hard fought elevation. 

We did summit and headed down to Miami, AZ but that was wasn't the fun it should've been. There was no shoulder and no passing lane and once again semi trucks couldn't safely get around us and had to follow us for awhile. 

We got almost to Miami (and out of downhill) when Jim's chain got wrapped around his crank arm twice. I think it took us about a half hour to un-knot the chain and push off for Globe. 

We got a few things at Safeway, shopping with my riding clothes covered with dried salt rings, and went three miles through Globe to the community center where we can camp for free but without showers. 

65 tough miles today. Wishing for break tomorrow but not seeing one.