Written by: Julio Galindo
Day 6 of our cycling adventure. We rode from Dateland, Arizona to Gila Bend, Arizona for a total of 50 miles. One person woke up and had a big wet spot on his sleeping mat. He had to explain how he was startled by his alarm and knocked over his water bottle and reassured us that he did not wet the bed. When he said that, I told him not to worry about it and then I gave him a wink and he winked back; just kidding, I didn’t actually tell him that, I just wanted to add a little flavor to the story.
One person slept on his own over at one of the buildings we showered in which was a little walk away. He walked into the cafeteria for breakfast and everyone was giving him a hard time, but playful. Since he was on his own there was a worry he wouldn’t wake up on time. Wake up time was at 3:45 am. During our morning circle we were informed that a rider on the other ride across the country had an accident and suffered broken ribs because they took a spill on a downhill, and for us just to be cautious and stay safe. When we started riding and got on to the interstate it was as if we were going directly towards the sun. Stephany, my wife, got her 1st flat today, and 2nd of the entire group for the duration of the trip that we’ve been on so far. We had to pump it twice, though, because after the first time when I was unscrewing the pump, I accidentally unscrewed the valve as well. Close to an exit on the interstate, we looked left and saw miles and miles of solar panels and at the 1st rest stop there was a sign that explained how Arizona uses solar power to get a lot of energy.
One of our riders let one of our sag support people ride his bike for the last 15 miles, and the last time this person rode a bike was about 3 years ago on a fixie. This is the fastest we’ve ever finished a ride completing it before 10:00 a.m. We went to go a campsite to shower. We also enjoyed a small pool for a little while with the water being very nice and fresh. A rider spoke with the person providing access and he explained how there are people that come in seasons when it’s cold where they live. And how after about 4 months they go back to where they live, similar to birds who migrate for the season. We went to get something to eat in a small group, and once we got back my twenty minute nap turned into a heavy slumber of more than an hour. I woke up and started working with the dinner team to prepare fajitas for dinner. Then to end the night, one rider brought out the pickle jar for the juice and a few of us also wanted some shots of pickle juice.
