May 11, 2023

Day 5 - Wickenburg, AZ to Prescott, AZ - 60 miles - 5,581 feet of climbing - 4:46 hours in the saddle

The last couple of days in the desert on the I-10 with big miles and heat seemed like a survival test.  But today felt like I was settling in.

The headlines for today are climbing and false flats.  On the tour, less miles = more climbing.

We rolled out of Wickenburg at 7:30 and after a couple of miles the group seems to break into solo riders or small groups.  I rode most of the day solo, but enjoyed the camaraderie of the group at the SAG.

Some amazing cactus in the desert today as well as many abandoned buildings and even towns.

The climbing to Yarnell Pass began at mile 19 and by mile 25, we had climbed 2,800 feet.  When riding straight toward the mountain, the grade seemed steep.  But for whatever reason, once I was riding the switchbacks along the mountain I felt stronger (despite the grade being about the same).  In the middle of the next pic you can see the road that leads to the Pass.

We were rewarded with a SAG at the top of the climb.  The pig  won by a snout and fortunately I didn’t see any mountain lions (but I did see a big snake slither across the road).

We had a fast downhill off of Yarnell Pass.  I still don’t feel comfortable on fast downhills on my Cervelo R5 (especially when some wind is involved), so I rode my brakes some.

Next up was 5 - 8 miles of false flats.  A false flat is when the the road looks flat, but it is actually going uphill.  When you look back at the road it is apparent that you were going uphill.  Riding the false flats was deceivingly difficult (both physically and mentally).  I kept thinking I should be going 15 mph, but I was working hard to go 10 mph!

After the false flats, the final climb to Prescott began.  The uphill ride hugging the mountain and then the sweeping downhills were amazing.  Just when I thought I was at the top, I would round the corner and see another incline!  Then ther would be a downhill section, that you knew you would be paying for that descent when the next ascent reclaimed those feet and then some.  We peaked at 6,100 feet above sea level (keeping in mind Dallas is around 500).

On the downhill into Prescott, the vegetation turned from scrubby trees to tall straight ponderosa pines.

Got into town by 2:00, in time to have a late lunch and a hazy.

Sporting my new Cawley Partners kit today. 

Tomorrow is another short ride…..so you know what that means!  Stay tuned!

Savor the Journey // Achieve the Goal