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Lon's Description: The red plateaus orange sky of northern Arizona are the scenes from postcards and placemats. This is Indian land. The people of Canyon de Chelly settled here thousands of years ago. From our motel in Chinle, it is a nice jeep tour back through the canyon.
Chinle, Arizona - Navajo Nation Weather.com Forecast for Chinle |
| Estimated Distance: | 128 Miles |
| Actual Distance: | 121.6 Miles |
| Cumulative Actual Distance: |
700 Miles This includes the following off course added miles: San Diego - 2.0 Miles when Chuck and Bob Harting missed a turn Winslow - 4.7 Miles when Chuck, Ken, and Les Drake went to the mural painting after the ride |
| Estimated Feet of Climbing: | 3,300 Feet |
| Actual Feet of Climbing: | 3,230 Feet |
| Cumulative Feet of Climbing: | 25,700 Feet |
| Elevation of Destination: | 5550 Feet |
| Average Speed on the Bike: | 17.1 MPH |
| Maximum Speed on the Bike: | 41.0 MPH |
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Chuck's Heart Rate Data: Max Heart Rate was 196 BPM a few weeks ago before PAC Tour |
Time above 160: 0:00 Time between 140-160: 1:58 Time below 140: 6:32 |
| Dairy Queen Count: |
1 Blythe, CA 2 Twister's Ice Cream in Williams, AZ Nothing within walking distance in Winslow |
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John Ashby from Boston, Mass, is looking good in front
of this "Out of the World" rock formation. John has done many PAC Tours and is always fun to ride with. He even laughs at Lawyer jokes ... and he is one!! Checkout a larger version of this photo |
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The native Indians were really nice everywhere
we went today. These folks were asking Cheryl all kinds of
questions and were absolutely amazed at the distances
we are covering. Actually, we are absolutely amazed at the distances we are covering!! With the great PAC Tour Support everywhere we look, our huge goal is quickly becoming an amazing reality for us!! Checkout a larger version of this photo |
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These wild sheep were out in the middle of
nowhere. Checkout a larger version of this photo |
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As we stopped to look at the sheep, Chuck thought
he would talk to them. The sheep weren't too happy with that so
they headed for the hills. Notice the great PAC Tour road that just goes on forever!! Checkout a larger version of this photo |
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Colleen Bowens from Battle Creek, Michigan always
is so happy on this tour ... always has a big smile from ear to
ear. Colleen and Cheryl are mighty fine ladies ... mentally tough and physically tough to be able to do this, for sure!! Neither of them realized the beautiful blue skies behind them here at the 4th and final Rest Stop of the day. Checkout a larger version of this photo |
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Chuck reloads his back pockets with some Fig Newtons
at the last Rest Stop here. Chuck likes Fig Newtons. He had no idea there was such a beautiful blue sky behind him. The final stretch descends nearly 800 feet into the valley below in the distance. We had fun on the descent. Checkout a larger version of this photo |
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One of the huge benefits of this PAC Tour is that
there are two Massage Therapists along who work hard as crew members
during the day and then help our legs get recovered at night. There is an extra fee for this service, but it's well worth it because it allows our legs to recover and get much stronger. Dana Shaeffer from Santa Ana, California is giving Phil's feet a good workover here. The result: Phil's feet will feel better as they crank him down the road tomorrow towards Cortez, Colorado. Checkout a larger version of this photo |
| Highlights: |
It was very pleasant weather as we rolled down
through downtown Winslow, Arizona at 6:34 this morning. When we stopped to take a photo, an Indian family stopped in their pickup truck to see if we were all right. They were very interested in what all these cyclists were doing out here today. They complimented us when they told us that we should be down in Australia at the Olympics. That made us feel real good ... but we're nowhere near good enough to be anywhere near Lance Armstrong and the other great Olympic Cyclists (even though we can dream, can't we?) At about Mile 78, we were riding together on a beautiful winding road when over on the right side of the road, a wild, ferocious, very hungry, and very ugly dog took one look at us and figured "Here comes Lunch and Dinner for me". Needless to say, we hit the hammer and sped down the road. We managed to out sprint him pretty well which really surprised us after 700 miles this week!! This reminded us of the great sequence in the movie, "American Flyer" where Kevin Costener goes "riding with Eddie". Turns out Eddie is a very mean looking pitbull who loves to chase cyclists down the road outside his house. A great moment in cycling movie history. So we "road with Eddie" today which really got our hearts racing for a bit!! It was warm today ... but not overly hot. We were greeted with temps around 85-90 degrees at the finish in Chinle, Arizona. We are now in PAC Tour mode. Our bodies are now working very well into this. It's not easy for sure but we're getting our confidence. We're now able to enjoy the beautiful scenery that we rode through today. I remember rolling down this twisty road today and it was just like a 360 Cinerama Movie unfolding before us on the left, on the right, above us, and all around with really interesting rock formations. A great day of cycling for sure. This is why we came. It is just overwhelming how beautiful this great Country is!! |
| Memorable Scenery: |
Amazing rock formations Purple daisies on the sides of the road "Riding with Eddie" |
| Mechanical Problems: |
Ken was greeted with a flat tire this morning
in our Hotel room but swapped it out in record time after finding
a very small wire in the tire Ken has now had 3 flats. Cheryl: None. Chuck: None. Ken is an excellent driver so he has just had some bad luck. |
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Biomechanical (Engine) Problems: |
No significant problems to report |
| What Worked: |
Les Drake suggested Pizza and Spaghetti for dinner last night and
that tasted real good and worked well today No cold sores so far for Chuck is a major breakthrough Cheryl reviewed her "Grateful List" with us on the bike today and this worked great to pick us up. We're grateful for many things and we all shared our thoughts together. Alex's Digital Recorder allowed his Dad to make notes on the bike again today. This is a real slick tool ... small, light, and works flawlessly. Thanks Alex: you're a great son!! San Marcos Saddle worked great (Chuck owes a BIG Thanks to Ken). Stretching on the bike worked well today. V8 Juice tastes good at Rest Stops and gives us Veggies and much needed Salt. Cee Gee Aero Bar Pads are real thick and comfortable. This allows us to remove weight off our saddles and allows us to fly down the road. (Chuck owes a BIG Thanks to Ken). |
| What Didn't Work: | No significant problems to report |
| Quote of the Day: |
Chuck as he came around a bend in the road |
