Day 1 - Mid Day Journal Entry (part 2)

Flagstaff bound finally! We're only five hours behind schedule and at this point we're really thankful that we scheduled a light day for the first day of riding. It's going to be a push but we can still make our destination without much hassle. We've left the dead guy behind us and our bikes are rumbling up the hill towards Flagstaff. Just as the cactus and sage start to give way to the pines and meadows we can feel the temp start to drop. This is a double edged sword - the good is that we finally start to cool off, the cooler air has started to take the sting out of the 75mph/110 degree furnace that we've been riding in; the bad is that the temps are dropping to quickly and the breeze is heavy with water. Just as we crest the hill we see the wall of rain we're heading directly into. No shelter, nowhere to hide; while we all cursed being in our leathers just 10 minutes ago I'm certain we're all thankful that we have them on now because we are about to get soaked. We pass an exit ahead sign for Cherry Road - past experience has taught us that the exit offers no cover but the underpass does, 1 mile to shelter. Hopefully we won't get too wet between here and there. Before long we can see the underpass, hoping that we'll make it before the rain but hope is never a good plan. The rain comes, hard and heavy. It feels like 75mph needles performing some twisted acupuncture on our face and hands. The temps continue to drop - we must have gone from 110F to about 75F in just a few moments. The underpass which was once clearly visible is a misty shadow in the distance, the rain continues to pour, the bikes slow to a manageable 55mph or so only serving to prolong the soaking that we are getting but running fully loaded and two up it's always better to be safe than roadkill. Finally we are under the protection of the underpass, cold, wet and yet somehow we manage to find the humor in the day's events;

• Bad Air Intake
• Flat Tire
• Road Construction
• Dead Guy

and now a rainstorm that has forced us to pull under shelter - what next? I think we were all afraid to ask. We grab rock and wait out the rain, Flagstaff's only another 40 miles or so - my hell we still have another 250 miles or more to ride before the days end! The rain finally comes to a point where we can see more than an arms length in front of us so we saddle up and head north, once again trying to get to Flagstaff.

Back up to speed and still watching the Monsoon monsoonclouds in the distance.

Flagstaff, monsoon, bikes