Trans America Cycling Day 6 - Quartzsite, AZ to Wickenburg, AZ

The link to today's route and statistics is found here.

A highlight of the day was meeting Steve, the vagabond cyclist at a SAG stop.  Steve had left his home in Michigan several months earlier and was cycling with no particular route in mind.

Steve shows us his bike at a SAG stop

Steve's bike is heavily loaded, so that he can camp alongside the road

Steve carries a tent for roadside camping, but he prefers to sleep indoors wherever possible.   Steve has a tactic that he employs that sometimes finds him free lodging.  He says that he smiles and waves at persons sitting on a porch in front of their house.  If the homeowners wave back, he cycles nearby to strike up a conversation.  Steve is a very amicable fellow.  He says that often he is invited in to spend the night.  That suits Steve, as he gets lonely cycling alone all day and welcomes the company . . . and a home cooked meal.

When we met Steve, there were dust devils moving over the desert floor about a quarter mile to a half mile away.  A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small (half a metre wide and a few metres tall) to large (more than 10 metres wide and more than 1000 metres tall). The primary vertical motion is upward. Dust devils are usually harmless, but can on rare occasions grow large enough to pose a threat to both people and property.

Photo of a dust devil taken from the SAG stop

Across from our first SAG stop in Brenda was an enormous saguaro cactus. This beauty could be near its lifespan of 150 years or so, and its height may be 40 foot, a very respectable height for a saguaro cactus.

Tour staff at huge saguaro cactus in Brenda

Just beyond Brenda was a large and well outfitted RV park.  Such parks are common in Arizona and are a haven for snowbirds from the north wanting to warm their bones in the sun and heat of the southwest.

RV park offering Snowbird Sprcial of $1470 for 6 months, presumably the cost to park an RV and possibly for some utilities

The events of September 11, 2001 were felt in the high Arizona desert.  Most older Americans remember vividly where they were when the World Trade Centers came down.  A plaque  commemorates the heroics of the New York City Fire Department (NYFD).  the monument was erected through efforts of the local fire department in the area around Salome.

Cyclist Barry from Oklahoma honors those fallen at the Twin Towers

9/11 monument in Salome includes a section of I-beam from the Twin Towers

In the early 20th century, Arizona’s leaders knew the state’s future depended on a water supply that was secure, stable and renewable. They pursued that vision; the result was Central Arizona Project (CAP), a 336-mile system that brings Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona, which is the state’s single largest renewable water supply serving 80% of the state’s population.  Other water for Arizona's large cities comes from canals bringing water from Arizona's northern mountains. 

We cycled over a canal of the Central Arizona Project

The region of Arizona on the later part of today’s ride had relatively lush vegetation as compared to the desert that we passed through earlier in the day. There is a large underground aquifer from which water is pumped.  The area resembled the Imperial Valley of California seen on days 3 and 4 of the tour.  There the life giving water mostly came from irrigation canals fed by river water.  The soil just requires water to produce a bountiful harvest.  

Water pumped from an aquifer to quench the thirst of pistachio trees

Our final destination of Wickenburg claims to be the team roping capital of the world. Evidently roping instruction is available most days in the winter.  Many horses could be seen in the field and in stables while cycling into town.