-dana
Oh my goodness. Last night we stayed in Cliff Dwellers at 4,000 feet
elevation because it is the only stop before Jacob Lake (which is at the
top of a huge mountain). We thought by looking at our photocopies of our
lost maps, that we only had about 2,500 foot climb, it looked like Jacob
Lake was at 7,000 feet. Well as you might have guessed, we were wrong.
Dead, tired, broken spoke, 9 hours of biking wrong!
The first 20 miles of our thirty miles was not bad, it was a steady climb
of about 1,000 feet. Let's see... 1,000 feet up in 20 miles, can anyone
figure out whate the grade is there? Well the last 10-14 miles about
killed us!
We went up an additional 3,000 feet in 10 miles, now figure out that grade
on the road. Even if you do not do the math to figure out how steep that
climb was you may still notice that's 4,000 feet we went up. Remember in
an earlier post I said 2,000 feet was our limit? Well I was not wrong.
After 2,000 feet we were ready to quit but, we did not have a choice so we
kept going.
So far on this trip 8,000 feet has been our highest elevation. That was
hmm let's see, oh right TODAY! We knew we had a big climb ( not that big
mind you) in front of us so we planned accordingly. We made arrangements
with the hotel ( that's right, no camping available again) to leave at 3:30
am. Actually we did not get out of there until 4:30 (more like 5-ish) and
we were off. It took us about 9 hours to make it to Jacob Lake, AZ.
Along the way, we stopped at some scenic spots for some pictures. The ride
was pretty uneventful. Heather and I noticed some really annoying
mini-flies that are attracted to my yellow bags, my leg and arm hair, and
her glasses/eyes. What is really interesting is they are limited to about
4,000-4,300 feet. Before or after that elevation they are almost
nonexistent. We have run into them pretty consistently in Arizona at those
elevations though.
We also are amazed at the transformation of the landscape at certain
elevations and geological barriers. For example, as we crested a hill at
about 6,000 feet we left the high desert and dropped into the beautiful
Kiabab Forest that Teddy Rosevelt wrote so often about. The majority of
our day was spent climbing the mointain in this forested region. It was
breathtakingly beautiful. Because we left so early in the morning there we
not many cars (one every 30 min or so) to contend with.
Although I am talking about this beautiful background and wonderful scenery
I need to make something clear here. This was TOUGH! Maybe some of he
most difficult and taxing riding I have ever done. We walked several times
(not that it is easier to walk up these hills, it just wears out different
muscles). I am not ashamed to admit it. On several occasions, I
questioned my reasoning for this trip and at times I just wanted to stop
and sleep for the rest of the day and just give up. We went higher than we
have ever gone, for longer, and up steeper hills. So while this was a
pretty sight to see, it is only in retrospect that I may truly enjoy it.
So as we finally got to the top we looked for a campground that was marked
on our map. Well if we had the back of the map we would have known it is
closed until May 15. So you guessed it, we stayed at the hotel/lodge
there. Two days ago I called adventure cycling to have then next-day-air a
map to me at this very lodge. Well they let me down, no map was there
waiting for us. Oh well I guess we get to play the guessing game for
elevation again.
A word to the wise for all you cyclist out there. Whenever you ask a
person about hills up ahead, please remember they have no idea what a hill
is while in a car. Most drivers think 1,000-2,000 feet up hill is FLAT
gound. We have learned this the hard way several times over.
On the plus side, this Jacob Lake Inn is really nice. They rooms are
modern and the people are super cool and friendly. We really are enjoying
this place. For all you Grand Canyon sightseeing people, go to the North
Rim and stay here for a night, you will not be disappointed.
On the down side, my bike broke another spoke. I am getting really good at
replacing them now though. In truth I am really frustrated with all the
mechanical failures I am having. I know it has to do with all the weight I
am carrying but what choice do I have? Heather and I talked about it and
mostly she listened to how upset I was. It felt good to vent and be heard
and sympathized with.
So I have made another change to my packing. Before I tell you what I did
let's review what I've done.
1 Dana carries all group gear and his gear. Heather carries her personal
stuff. Both have 4 main bags each, 2 front and 2 back.
2 Dana takes on all of Heather's sleeping stuff, ie, bag, bivy sac, and
sleeping pad.
3 Major change. Heather ships back (to Alex) the front rack and two font
bags, Dana repacks her stuff so she has her sleeping pad, bivy sac, and all
her clothes in two rear bags. Dana packed everything else in his four main
bags plus her sleeping bag and food bag piled on top.
4 The weight is still too much for Heather. Alex sends Dana his BoB
trailer. Heather ships (to Dana's aunt) her rear rack, her remaining two
bags , leaving just a small handlebar bag for snacks and a small bag for a
spare tube under her seat. Her bike is totally stripped down now. Dana
ships his two large rear bags and his front rack with Heather's stuff. The
front bags are moved to the rear of the bike and the BoB trailer is loaded
down. Dana is now carrying everything.
5 This now brings us to the most recent revision. Dana moved his rear bike
rack to the BoB trailer. Dana's bike is now stripped down. The rear
(formerly front) bags are moved even further back to rest over the tire on
the BoB. Everything else is packed into the bag in the BoB trailer. While
this final revision has dramatically decreased the stability of the
bike/trailer, the effort required to move the stuff has also decreased. I
think I will like this recent setup the most so far.
After fixing, washing, oiling, rotating the tires, and checking over the
bikes (3 hours), I am exausted. I hope you are all well reading this. We
are still at it and will still be going again tomorrow and the next day.
Take care.
-dana
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