The cabin was toasty and warm when I went to sleep at midnight.
Three hours later, it wasn't.
The coleman propane tank ran out of gas and introduced me to the cold desert night.
Jesus dude, it's 3 AM and you're still freezing in full leathers.
Propane tanks were out of supply and so was my patience for the unbearable cold.
Sigh, let's jet.
Dark - like my ex's soul
The roads at that hour were dark and even darker behind a tinted visor. Only the 6000K HID light brought some reassurance of a direction to head towards. The bike motioned for a gas stop as it once again rolled into Alpine, TX. And my stomach beckoned for something to satiate its desire.
Oh look, McDonalds is open.
Las Cruces, NM was our destination for tonight. Hm, hotels are really starting to dictate our legs. Prior to that, TX117 towards Ft. Davis would nourish our morning with smooth tarmac on roaming hills. Not to mention a vibrant sky of warm reds & oranges as the sun woke from its slumber.
A morning to ride for
The rest of the day was mostly spent on highway slabbing with the occasional halal snack break in-between. I had my fun yesterday in Big Bend. Some days you just need to get somewhere. And flying through El Paso and to Las Cruces was accomplished by mid-afternoon. What do you expect when you start the day at 3AM?
Anotha one.
Roamed around enough today. Time to get some shut eye. Tomorrow, Gila National Forest.
Or at least part of it.
_________________
The next day...
Well somebody that night left a freezer open outside because the morning air was in the 30F range. Shucks.
It's somewhat bearable if you're well dressed and standing around. It's lethal for your hands at speed. 30 minutes on the road and mis manos duelen mucho.
Fortunately, the weather started to warm up to me and the feeling was mutual. The horizon revealed snowy peaks in what was Gila National Park. Epic views, smooth roads, this was another one of America's treasures.
Mown-taynes
On the journey up there were flurries indicating a chance of snow raining down on the mountain. But I didn't give it much thought, just thinking send it.
Rising up the ranks
Back in my day, you used a gas pump like- ...
Calm before the storm
Starting to question my common sense
Life advice - trust your gut.
As I neared the Arizona border at elevation I started to see signs "Road may be Icy". Hmm. Maybe I should turn around. But hey, I've gotten this far.
Snow starts piling on the road some more. Alright this is a bit sketch...but we're so close to the Coronado Trail.
Arizona? Something ain't right
Not too long after crossing the border...
I'm stuck in a full on snow storm.
Sal, you dumbass.
After dropping my bike on the sidewalk and being helped by a man who thought of the parents who gave birth to me, I decided it was sensible to turn around. I think the roads are better...that way.
Defeated. The most accurate word to describe my emotions. Ignoring my instinct lead me into that nasty situation and what could have been something worse than a scuffed up Ducati. Kheir, time to ride back with my tail between my legs.
We pulled over to a gas station I had stopped at earlier before. Walked up to the counter with some skittles that would tend to my wounded morale.
Yeah, I rode into a snowstorm. Guess I'll have to ride all the way out of the park...
Her - Well you can take this road across the park. It gets you to Morenci faster and has some amazing valley views.
Oh. Well this might work.
Soon enough, another sign greeted me to Arizona. What followed right after was I'd describe an epic sculpture.
Arizona Round 2
Mother Nature rolled out its red carpet for me. Riding into and through the valley was redemption for my earlier screw-up. Sometimes detours prove better than what was previously planned.
Route 78
Behold.
Holy guacamoli
Into the abyss
Morenci is a wild west town nestled within a canyon. A very small, niche community with an ACE hardware hinting at an evolution of modern civilization.
Chris, my host for that night, recommended a burger joint to blow off steam from the snowstorm. The place - restaurant name- was reknown for its bleu burger which is ironic since the owner is vegetarian. Regardless, she knew how to make one hell of a burger.
Chris and I met shortly after I smashed my burger and quickly established a friendship. A very welcoming and hospitable figure, his home quickly felt as if it were mine.
You dirty girl
He was a chemical engineer for the mining company stationed in Morenci. The company specialized in mining for chemicals to produce usable copper. And Chris was more than happy to show me around the epic site.
Up the coronado trail
The evening brought more opportunity to learn about one another and share our travels. From living in California, riding through thunderstorms, and a background in martial arts Chris had lots of stories that kept us engaged for the remainder of that evening. As enjoyable as the riding can be, it's refreshing to have a connection with someone on the road. It's a branded memory that often sticks to you more than mountain views.
Although I got a cold taste of an Arizona winter, it melted away in the warm hospitality of another friend made on the road. When I needed help, I received it from two people - the guy who thought I was crazy for riding through the storm, and the one who I laughed about it with while in his humble abode.
The worst decisions can make the best of stories.
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