Reporting on Thursday, May 14, 2009
Riding Route:Highway 89 from Wickenburg to Prescott, AZ

Temp: in the 80's/Winds 10-15 mph

Elevation Climb: 7600 feet!

Miles Ridden Today: 59

History and fact from Hank's Almanac: Cross-Country Car Ride! On July 26th, 1903, a doctor named Horatio Nelson Jackson became the first person to have driven a car across the entire United States. Jackson and his companions (who included a jaunty, goggle-wearing bulldog named Bud) drove from San Francisco to New York City in less than two months--quite a feat at the time! (We're riding our bikes in less time than Horatio made it in the car)!

Our first serious mountain pass...Yarnell! 7600 feet of climbing! A real test! It was a great day! I rode much of the time by myself. I knew as I was climbing the main 26 mile uphill grade that all the training I had done was paying off. It was amazing to look down on the valley and the desert below...knowing that I had peddled every inch to the top of the mountain. At the end of the ride there was a real downhill slope. I don't like going downhill! The fastest I'll go is 30+ mph. Some of the other riders whizzed past me! Safety, safety, safety I keep telling myself! It was a wonderful experience going from the dryness of the desert to the cooler air and the ponderosa pines of the mountains. Hurray! Our destination was Prescott, AZ - and as you can see from the picture above I ended up on historic "Gurley Street"! I left at 7:15 a.m. and arrived at the hotel at 2:15.

Tonight I did my laundry and then jumped in the jacuzzi! Ah-h - pain relief! Another biker ended up in the hospital with hydration problems. We have to remember to drink liquids! More tomorrow!