Day 12... A Day of Extreme...

Heat, cool, food portions, and panic...

It's also the day we got to the turn around point in our trip, Pinetop, AZ.
Saturday started as a nice, but not real cool morning. We took advantage of the hotel's continental breakfast. It was a treat to have frosted flakes and ice cold milk after a week of eggs, meat and potatoes for breakfast.
We left Grants, NM and went south on NM-117, along side the El Malpais N.M.

Soon, we were riding NM-36 to Quemado, NM-32 to Apache Creek, and NM-12 to Reserve. In Reserve, we stopped at the first place we came to for lunch, Carmen's Authentic Mexican & American Food.

The special of the day was...

It was bigger than I expected... I started to eat it before I remembered to take a picture. It must be healthy, it has lettuce, beans and green chili.....

After lunch came the heat. 106 degrees (41.1 C) in Clifton, AZ. And if the heat wasn't enough, there was the FEAR/panic of the first 10 or so miles of US-191 from Morenci to the north. There is a HUGE copper mine at the edge of town. They have mined right up to both sides of the highway. When I could get the courage to look sideways, I couldn't see the bottom. Karen, It was 100 times worse than seeing just "the tops of the trees". I could only look at the road! John drove into a "scenic overlook" of the mine and drove right to the edge for a few pictures. I drove only far enough off the road to be out of the way of traffic! After about 10 miles or so, the road is like many other mountain roads, up, down, and lots of curves, no problem. At least there were fewer sections of long vertical drops next to the road.

I have NO pictures of any views near the mine or the first 10 miles or so.

Before coming off the mountain, we rode through Hannagan Meadow. The temps at 9200' (2800m) was a very nice 61 degrees (16.1C). We gassed up in Alpine, AZ and John called his cousin Paul. He gave us directions to Pinetop and told John to call him back when we got there, and he'd come and meet us at the Chevron station.
We spent the night with Paul and his wife, Mona, and their dog Maggie.
It was a 400 mile day, and the point where we turn for home!
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Day 11... Another Rough Day!!

I got a good nights sleep in Chama. The temps dropped over night and made it quite comfortable... for now... The first thing we did was visit the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad yard. They had 2 locomotives steamed up and ready for the day.

We took 64 out of Chama, then 537 to 550 into Bernalilo. I managed to snap a few quick pics. The temps climbed fast once we started down to lower elevations. The best description I can think of for the scenery along 550 is to compare it to the Disney/Pixar movie "Cars". I wanted to stop for more photos, but there was no place to stop. I really need to look into a mount for my camera.

We violated our No Interstate policy and followed I-25 to I-40 to Grants, NM. By the time we got that far, I was shot for the day. A hotel room with A/C and a cool shower was what I needed.
John and I are wondering what were we thinking... riding through NM and AZ in August...????

Day 10..Into New Mexico.

What a difference a day makes. We woke to mild temps at the Limon KOA. They had an all you can eat pancake breakfast, and we took advantage of it. We hit the road around 8:00 and continued south on 71.
If the USA has an "outback", we drove through it. Yesterday, we did more than 75 miles and more than 100 miles today in some very desolate looking land!

We followed along a section of the old Santa Fe Trail.

The Fort Carson Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site.

By the time we reached Trinidad, the temp had started to climb into the low 90's. A big contrast to most of the morning's mid 70's.
From Trinidad, we took a scenic loop on CO-12, up to La Veta.
Along the way, we stopped in Stonewall for lunch at the Stonewall Shopping Bag. I had a great Green Chili covered Burger.

Right outside the window was a very busy Hummingbird feeder.

I was a little nervous about climbing the mountains...

But it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, even at 10,230' (3118m). The climb was not too steep, going up or down.

We stopped for a few pictures of the narrow gauge trains in Antonito.

Then we finished the last stretch of mountain passes to Chama, NM.

We ended the 397 mile day at the Chama Trails Inn Motel.

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Day 9...Belle Fourche, SD to Limon, CO

Today, John and I packed up and left South Dakota, and started on our way to AZ. We made it 458 miles to Limon, CO. It was a challenge to get this far today. At one point I passed a bank clock that showed 105 degrees (40 C). We were wetting the cooling vests at every stop. I was filling the camelbak as often as I could. It was almost painful to stop and try to take a picture. Opening the face shield was like stepping in front of a blast furnace!!!
We stopped for the night at the KOA. Their camper cabins have air conditioning!!!
I only got a few pictures today.

Bob, this is pasture land......

Going...

going....

Gone....

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Day 8... Hot Springs & Sturgis Nightlife.

As usual, there was no agreement on what to do today, so John and I went for a ride. We went down to Hot Springs to see some friends. I think the others went to Wyoming.
Our route down to Hot Springs brought us down through Spearfish Canyon, then south on 85 to Newcastle, WY. Along the way we stopped at the scenic overlook. I told John to go stand on the rock.... More guts than I have...

We went east on 16 through Wind Cave N.P., there were a lot of Buffalo out near the road.

After Hot Springs, the ride back to camp was non stop. We stayed at camp for a while then went into Sturgis for the evening. The nightlife was kind of slow.
This bike has a rear tire from a semi truck on it.

Some assorted night shots from Main Street....

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