Up, up and into Globe

50.50 miles, 4000' of elevation gain, 77 degrees.
Today was another gorgeous day on our ride across the United States. The views of the hills of Arizona were spectacular. We left early and enjoyed the early light on the hills with a palate of intense colors. Kodak opportunities galore.
I rode alone today as it was going to be a heavy climbing day and I prefer my own pace with a limited number of short stops. No more than 5 minutes. Arrived in the town of Superior by 10 am but did not partake of second breakfast at the local hangout, The Buckboard Restaurant. As a mecca for motorcycles it get crowded with slow service and that does really not work well for me. I did find a really nice Rest Area for a bathroom break and off I went up the hill. During some of the Woman Tours Southern Tier rides across the US, this road was shut down due to snow so we all felt lucky to have incredible weather. The grade was consistently 5-7% but that was not the biggest concern. The traffic definitely was a problem as cars, motor homes, semis, etc all fly by you at 60 miles per hour. Fortunately we all arrived safely and I was in Globe by 12 noon and had my PB&J sandwich and dried fruit and nuts in the air conditioned hotel.
My routine when I arrive is to eat lunch in the end town, take a shower, launder my cycling kit and hang everything out to dry by the pool using the clothes line and inflatable hangers that were recommended by a previous participant. Thanks Ida. Then I ice my knee that was broken two years ago and check email and do my blog. I am now beyond tan so I do not sit outside by the pool after the ride is over. I use my arm coolers and slather on sun block but being out on the bike for so many hours definitely tans me.I didn't expect such warm weather which is very unusual for this time of the year but it is better than snow.