I never thought I’d look forward to a climbing up and around a mountain, but after about 100 miles of straight-as-an-arrow roads, it was great to have a change! Click on image to enlarge.
30 March 2011. Today was a relaxing day, though I did pedal 66 miles. I got a much earlier start than the day before: leaving around 7 am. After the straight-line Route 60 from Quartzsite, this section finally had a bit of a hill and some curves. I never imagined I would like a hill!
As we rose (only about 600 feet), the vegetation became more interesting. Saguaro, hedgehog, barrel, and prickly-pear cactus, Ocotillo (is that a cactus?), yucca (Joshua Tree), palo verde, mesquite. From my bike, I scanned Black Mountain hoping to spot a desert big-horn sheep, but no luck—it would have required extraordinary luck.
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