Day 4, Wickenburg Arizona to Cottonwood Arizona
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Category: Bike Ride
Today was a day of serious climbing. The climbs out of Wickenburg were gradual ascents, and that worked fine until we started the first serious climb. The first rest stop was at the bottom of the climb, and I got my first flat just before pulling into the rest stop. The climb was on highway 89, up the White Spar highway into the little town of Yarnell. The climb was about 5 miles long, and by the top of the climb, we had climbed a total of 2,860 feet since leaving Wickenburg. It was a beautiful climb, and at times, the valley floor below could be seen below (a good perspective on the climbing). The next climb was from the town of Willhoit over the mountains into Prescott, AZ. Another good climb that we made good time up. Lunch was at the top of the climb, and by this time we had gained over 4500 feet. Maneuvering through Prescott was exciting, since we covered ground over a large part of the town. Leaving Prescott, we headed East on Highway 89-A. That lead to the last climb over Mt. Mingus and into the town of Jerome, AZ. It rained hard at the bottom of the climb, but didn’t last too long. Most of the climb was over wet roads. The last rest stop was at the summit of Mt. Mingus, and by this time we had climbed around 8500 feet since leaving Wickenburg. Coming down from the summit was a very long descent into Jerome, and 8 miles thereafter, into the town of Cottonwood. The descent was a hugh rush, picking up some very respectable speeds.
The town of Jerome is an interesting place, with many houses and buildings on the side of the hills. Originally a mining town, it was a notorious wild west town that is today a tourist destination.
By the time we got to Cottonwood, the sky opened up and rained pretty hard. We had to wait for the rain to subside so that we could take care of the end of ride duties, namely washing the bike, washing the riding clothes, and finally, washing ourselves.
Most nights, it is difficult for me to sleep well, thinking about the next day’s ride. However, I climbed well enough today to be confident in my ability to handle climbs. Hopefully, this will make me sleep well tonight, since we still have a lot of climbing to do tomorrow. Tomorrow, we head up to Winslow AZ on Interstate 40. I have been through Winslow many times, but never on a bicycle. Should be another interesting day. More tomorrow....
Click here for today’s pictures
The town of Jerome is an interesting place, with many houses and buildings on the side of the hills. Originally a mining town, it was a notorious wild west town that is today a tourist destination.
By the time we got to Cottonwood, the sky opened up and rained pretty hard. We had to wait for the rain to subside so that we could take care of the end of ride duties, namely washing the bike, washing the riding clothes, and finally, washing ourselves.
Most nights, it is difficult for me to sleep well, thinking about the next day’s ride. However, I climbed well enough today to be confident in my ability to handle climbs. Hopefully, this will make me sleep well tonight, since we still have a lot of climbing to do tomorrow. Tomorrow, we head up to Winslow AZ on Interstate 40. I have been through Winslow many times, but never on a bicycle. Should be another interesting day. More tomorrow....
Click here for today’s pictures
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