Monday October 14 - Flagstaff AZ to Silver City NM

 

It was mid 30's when I woke up this morning, but the temperature rises pretty quickly out here once the sun comes up. I walked the 1/2 mile to my favorite coffee shop, Macy's European Coffee House. I got a large cup and sat in quiet bliss for half an hour. Light traffic in Macy's, students are already in class. The walk back warmed me up a bit and by the time I got packed and handed in the key, it was already 50 degrees. Today I am aiming for Silver City NM. I have been there before a couple times and it is just a bit over 300 miles, and it will be warm tomorrow morning. One last run through Flagstaff (seems bigger and busier than last trip) and then back on Rt 40 east. I gassed up a couple times today since places are fairly far apart, so any opportunity I can get. Interstate to Holbrook and then south on Rt 180, which I spent the rest of the day on. Today was a day of contrasts with interstate followed by open empty grasslands followed by big mountain sweepers. I thought it was going to be just flat and dry all day but not so.
I got gas in Holbrook and a guy who passed me twice this morning on a Triumph twin. We chatted for a half hour. He is a motorcycle mechanic for Los Angeles Police Dept and the have a fleet of police motorcycles. I told him my early dream was

to be a motorcycle mechanic, but he says it's a competitive job market. He is in a good spot where he is and these days the Police Dept has fleet contracts and they go back and forth between Harley's, BMW's, and bigger Japanese bikes. The used bike get sold to Mexico and when the Mexicans wear them out, they go further south. He says they have Harleys down there pushing 300K miles. He is going from LA to Texas on his Triumph. Nice guy.
After a couple hours of riding across horizon to horizon empty grass/desert, I stopped in Springerville AZ for coffee and next door was an auto parts store, so I bought a can of Fix-A-Flat for some piece of mind. If I did not bring a spare tube or tire irons this trip, so I'll go for the piece of mind. A woman from Columbia (South America) and her mother or aunt chatted me up in the parking lot. She belongs to a large motorcycle club in Columbia and they do tours in Central and South America. She showed me pictures of their last tour to Mexico. Big bikes!
I was expecting more empty grassland, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned to a long steady climb over a 8800' pass and then over the Continental Divide. Lots of

coniferous trees with the accompanying scents. Wonderful wonderful afternoon. I stopped in Alpine which looks like a pretty healthy mountain town, albeit remote. Felt like being in the Rockies.
Then a long decent into Silver City and a hotel. Chatted with a guy riding with his wife from Florida to Texas (the long way). He was retired and had been through a few large bikes. His wife loves riding on the back so he was a little envious of my small bike.
Found a local place with a bar, beer, Cobb salad and Green Bay football game. Chatted up a construction guy who had been in town 10 months building a retirement complex in town. All in all a surprisingly nice day. Not sure where tomorrow.

Odometer beginning of trip = 35820
Odometer beginning of day = 40415
Odometer end of day = 40737
Miles today = 322
Miles on trip to date = 4917
Travel days = 14
Zero days = 2
Average miles per traveling day = 351