Stage 8: Flagstaff ~~> Tuba City (77 miles)
The morning air is frigid and we are very grateful for having a warm place to sleep last night. Before departing we realize that Jeff (aka “Hefe”) has another flat on his back tire. He installs a new tube but it immediately ruptures and the tire subsequently goes down again. Something is wrong with the wheel or tire we hypothesize but decide to put a new tube in and head to a friend’s for a morning meal. Breakfast is being provided by one of Jeff’s old roommates from Calvin College who saw we were in town on Facebook. Joel is the man’s name and he is a vulcanologist, stellar rock climber and all around great guy. An extraordinary spread of oatmeal/apple sauce pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup, scrambled eggs with spinach and bacon is laid out in front of us. We eat like kings and enjoy the excellent fellowship, which includes Joel’s roommate, Jeremy, who is a fellow Arkansas Razorback and avid mountain biker. Turns out we both lived in Fayetteville and attended the Univ of Arkansas at the same time but never met each other until we decided to ride bikes across the country and stop in Flagstaff. What a strange and beautiful world we live in, whether we realize it or not we are woven together by an invisible web that unites us all. Our breakfast club has much to talk about and we get a chance to meet Joel’s sister and grandparents as well. About 10:30am we leave the family breakfast with jolly hearts and full bellies, but less than a mile later Hefe’s back tire goes flat again for the 3rd time this morning. Fatty and Hefe start walking and I scout ahead in an attempt to find the closest bike shop. Turns out they found the shop before me as I was getting lost and riding around the Northern Arizona University Campus for about 30 minutes. Eventually we meet back up at the LBS (local bike shop) called Singletrack Bikes. The mechanics notice some dysfunctional rim tape on the rear wheel and discover that a pointy metal object had been pushing through and causing all the flats. We get a new $2 rim strip and Hefe purchases a touring tire to help stop all the flats and mechanical troubles. Kyle picks up a new tire as well and we are off again. Wheels down about 12:30 and we still have a long way to go to get to Tuba City. We cruise through the city and say goodbye to our favorite place so far. The San Francisco peaks loom far overhead and stand as an iconic symbol of freedom and adventure. As we ride further and further away we periodically turn back and see these glorious mountains with their snow-covered peaks shrinking upon the horizon. The wind is at our backs and the road is mostly downhill so we cover great distances in short time. The ride is smooth and we cover almost 80 miles with no more flats and no mechanical issues. Amazing how fast you can ride when everything is running smooth. We enter Tuba City in the heart of Navajo Country and decide to try out the local Chinese restaurant. The food looks great and taste even better, got some much needed veggies with the meal as well which was a welcome sight to a diet consisting largely of calorie dense hi fat and hi sugar foods. Unfortunately the Chinese upset Kyle’s stomach that night and Jeff got a little stomachache the next day. I won’t lie though; I loved it and am very excited about our next experience with Asian cuisine. After dinner we were all exhausted and began looking for places to throw up our tent. A bit of trepidation pervaded us all as we were collectively a bit nervous about offending the locals or having our gear stolen. Behind the new Native American Hotel we found a hidden spot behind a large pile of dirt to set up our camp. Jeff and I stayed up late and spoke of metaphysical matters under the stars and slept like babies.
Stage 9: Tuba City ~~> Kayenta ~~> Mexican Water (114 miles)
Our best day of riding yet! We kick off the morning by going to the local Navajo Hotel and purchase 3 continental breakfasts for only $4 each, what a great deal! After a delish start to the day Kyle and I take a little nap in the hotel lounge as Jeff finishes up some paperwork for his upcoming surgery residency in Portland. We hit the road fueled up and ready to roll. The wind propels us forward and we move with warp speed. After the little town of Black Mesa we hit a giant downhill and blast through an incredibly beautiful valley surrounded with unbelievable rock formations and some wind blown arches reminiscent of Utah. Giant mesas abound in the distance and the landscape is mesmerizing and hypnotic. Our goal for the day is to make it 75 miles to Kayenta, but we ride so fast we get into town by mid afternoon with several hours of sunlight to spare. We decide to get some good local food and make our way inside the Amigo Café. This was my first time to ever eat a Navajo Taco and it was incredible! Navajo fry bread with baked beans, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and a red & green chile combo mix to top things off. The woman working there was super nice and she hooked us up with gigantic tacos. They were so big I could only eat ½ of mine for lunch and saved the other ½ for a post ride feast. After refueling we hit the open road again and soaked in the breathtaking sights of Monument Valley. Many Western films have been made here over the years and the sheer size and grandeur of the alien rock formations left no doubt why this scenery has become so iconic. As we pass Church Rock we are all in awe and pull over to take photos and give thanks for such an incredible journey. The road rolls on and the wind blows at our backs making us feel like Hermes himself is running alongside us. Our tailwind is ~30 mph and we soar through the air as if we were riding a mythical two wheeled Pegasus. We ride swiftly and fly through the Southern tip of Monument Valley at breakneck speeds. Over the next 40 miles we hammer out a 20 mph pace and set a new record for 114 miles in a single day (all the more impressive that we were carrying our touring gear the whole way). The last few miles our legs get heavy and a nasty little headwind picks up. We slowly weave our way down the desert mountain and spot our beloved destination ahead. As we wheel up the gas station attendant speaks music to our ears, “Just put your bikes right here and yall can camp here for the night.” Thank you, thank you, thank you is all my weary mind can think. I heat up my Navajo Taco and grab a cold chocolate milk. We call our loved ones and camp under the stars in the tiny little Southwestern town of Mexican Water, Arizona.
Stage 10: Mexican Water, AZ ~~> Shiprock, NM (57 miles)
My mattress deflates sometime in the middle of the night and the hard concrete sidewalk encourages me to rise with the Sun. The morning air is still brisk and I head inside the gas station to stay warm. Sitting upon a crate of cokes, I read inspirational insights about “The Light Within” and wax philosophy on the deeper meaning of life. In time my stomach begins to growl and I’m brought back down to the foundation of “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”. Luckily the second building in Mexican Water is a quaint little restaurant (and yes there are only 2 buildings in town). Jeff is soon awake and we hang out inside the diner until Fatty rises from his slumber. Before we order, I strike up a conversation with some local Navajos and get the beta on best breakfast dishes. This is a little secret I want everyone to remember: at the Mexican Water Restaurant you can substitute 2 blueberry pancakes instead of toast! This might not excite you as much as it did me, but I can assure you this is a very big deal when you are living on a bicycle for week after week and food becomes a precious fuel. After a wonderful morning feast we rendezvous with Kayla, Julie & Carlyle Schlabach from Texas. They drove all the way to the middle of the Arizona desert to ride with us for the day! Dr Carlyle took our gear and ran sag as the girls jumped in the paceline and made us “Bisiklet Boys” look like fools. Kayla won the polka-dot jersey for “Queen of the Mountains” hands down by literally blowing us away on all the climbs. Her mom, Julie, was in incredible shape as well and had no trouble keeping pace. They pretended like biking was new to them but they rode like pros and made our trip to Shiprock all the more enjoyable. I’m not going to lie; the homemade peanut butter balls, CLIF bars, Gatorade and not having to carry our gear around were all much appreciated as well. We presented Kayla with an official “Bisiklet for Haiti” jersey as the Schlabach family bid us adieu only 5 miles from Shiprock. The Dine aka Navajo town of Shiprock gets its name from the famous rock formation which resides nearby and towers over the landscape like a phoenix rising from the ethereal ashes below. This is holy land for the Navajo and an awe inspiring sight for all who lay eyes up this natural monument. That night we went to the local grocery store and wandered up and down every aisle in a heavenly daze as all the fresh foods tantalized our senses and made us dream an endless smorgasbord of delectable dishes. We decided on Pasta Primavera and Kyle showed off his mad cooking skills as he prepared an unforgettable and much needed home cooked meal. The toasted bread with olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette set it off and the amazing wheat pasta with veggies and accompanying spinach salad knocked it out of the park. Big thanks to Nate in Shiprock for letting us crash at his place and being such a gracious host. His roommates were super cool as well; I hope all of our paths cross again one day soon. Only cause for concern was that my were legs were feeling really tired and sluggish during the mondo climbs today. We enter Colorado and the Rocky MTNs tomorrow; I hope I’m ready…
Be sure to visit www.facebook.com/bisiklethaiti to see all the fantastic photos from our epic odyssey.