Day 12 Apache Jtn to Globe 55 miles

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Sept 30th
Up at 6 to try and get away for 7 , I make it for 7.15 as I knew from the forecast the cussed wind is still blowing from the east but Its not so bad over the first 10 miles.
Today is a dilema as there is camping 26 miles out in Superior, after a 1,000ft ascent, thereafter no camping or services till Globe, a further 30 miles with a 2,000ft ascent thrown in. To stop after only 26 miles (after a day off) would be a real cop out, so I decide to go for Globe.
The worst part of the days cycling was the second 10 miles , a long gradual ascent towards tthe mountains in the distance battling a fierce headwind, barely doing 6mph. On reaching the mountains I gained some shelter from the wind which I was happy to trade for the increased climbing, at least when you climb and gain altitude you are going to get some payback on the downhills.
At Superior I have a quick sandwich at a truckstop, a real earthy place.
The next strech of road is complicated as there are roadworks and the shoulder is gone a lot of the time making for close shaves with the enormous trucks servicing the mines around Globe, one of these guys skreeched to a halt behind me blaring his horn, talk about intimidating ! I felt like an ant in the path of an elphant.
The climb was a grind but the scenery was spectacular.
The only dissappointment was Globe is a long streched out place so I still had a further 5 miles to cover (uphill) when I thought I was already there
Globe is famous as the birthplace of Linda Carter - WONDER WOMAN!
The town is run down as although the mine was recently re-activated, it had been shut for many years and this shows in the many boarded up buildings.
The lady at the bare essentials (no showers one porta-loo) RV Park is nonethless bright and breezy and
full of optimism for the future of the town, she tries to encourage me to stay and 'see the sights'. Considering the time she spends with me sharing her knowledge of the local history I must be the first tourist she has seen in a while. I had to point out that a giant statue of Wonder Woman is the way forward explaining how the statue of Mel Gibson really put the Wallace monument on the map.
Todays journey took 10 hours, 7.5 hours peddaling at anaverage speed of 7.5 mph, I only had 1 hour for lunch but take a lot of short breaks on the road.
I discover today that if you stand outside the public library with a lap top even an night when its shut you can get on to their always on and unsecured wi fi.
The inauguration of the much anticipated self inflating mattres is a disaster, I decide to assist the self inflation by blowing it up manualy till it resembles a blimp, then whilst guddling about in the tent I kneel on it and hear pop and an ominous hissssssssssssss

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Photos

Yellow is the colour
Avin a banana

Big Rig
Just climbed out of that desert

Scary tunnel
I had to peddal like a demon uphill to get through here before the big rigs

Cruise America
Edwin, Carmen and I lived in one of these for a few weeks last year