Southern Tier Part 3

My trail name is RustyCrank. I'm an artist and college professor from Brooklyn, NY. In the last five years since I set out to cross the United States on the Adventure Cycling Trans American route, I've logged thousands of miles all over this continent and others. I’m back on the Southern Tier route to complete my third and final segment. When I arrive in San Diego, I'll have achieved the Triple Crown of American long-distance cycling.  Because of the intense summer heat and bitter winter cold, the Southern Tier route needs to be cycled in either the spring or fall. As a college professor those months are unavailable to me, so I broke the route into three sections. Starting in 2021 during spring break, I took advantage of online teaching to cycle the first section from St. Augustine, Florida to Biloxi, Mississippi. I was accompanied by my dog Blanka, whom I pulled behind me in a wagon. In 2022, and again at spring break, I hired subs for the extra week and rode solo from Bil...

• Introduction • Table of Contents • Getting back to where I left off • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #1 El Paso, TX to Leasburg Dam State Park, NM • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #2 Leasburg Dam State Park, NM, to Hillsboro, NM • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #3 Hillsboro, NM to Forks Campground - Gila National Forest, NM • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #4 Forks Campground - Gila National Forest, NM to Tyrone, NM • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #5 Tyrone, NM to Twin Knolls, AZ • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #6 Twin Knolls, AZ to Globe, AZ • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #7 Globe, AZ to Sycamore Creektrail, AZ • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #8 Sycamore Creektrail, AZ to Phoenix, AZ • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #9 Phoenix, AZ to Wickenburg, AZ • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #10 Wickenburg, AZ to Quartzite, AZ • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #11 Quartzite, AZ to Orita, CA • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #12 Orita, CA to Ocotillo, CA • Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #13 Ocotillo, CA to San Diego, CA • Epilogue • Stats • G...

Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #5 May 29, 2023 Tyrone, NM to Twin Knolls, AZ - 89 Miles Start 7:22 PM MDST Finish 6:09 PM PDST Total Duration 11:47 Moving Time 7:17 Stopped Time 4:30 Ascent 2550'  Descent 4415' Tour Total 368 Miles Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/122835760 I slept well stealth camping in the scrubby dirt cow pasture on the other side of the fence from the highway. I set up in the dark underneath a half moon with the stars blazing. I found a nice smooth spot, and spent some time looking for goat heads and other prickly things that would puncture my Thermarest. I noticed a large earthen scar to the north. I had one bar of service and tried to upload the last two days worth of stats. I failed on all sites except Strava. I inadvertently slept with my sleeping bag inside out. It didn’t get extremely cold last night, and there were faint murmurs of motor traffic from the highway. I woke up with the sun. I had dreams about skiing in Brooklyn with the Century Plu...

Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #6 May 30, 2023 Twin Knolls, AZ to Globe, AZ - 109 Miles Start 6:20 AM Finish 8:16 PM Total Duration 13:56 Moving Time 8:44 Stopped Time 5:11 Ascent 2903'  Descent 3801' Tour Total 477 Miles Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/122947744 I slept well behind the water tank trailer off to the side of US 70. It got chilly in the night and I used my sleeping bag. I woke up with the sun and it was 5:20 AM. Oh right! Pacific time. It was a slow pack-up, and I sat on a large block of wood and enjoyed an ice cold Starbucks Frappuccino and a pack of Hostess Donettes. Last night I had sat up on the truck and admired the sky to the west. The sunset, moon, and stars were fantastic. This morning after breakfast I rode back through the gate and took a right on US Highway 70 west. I was wearing my short-sleeve jersey and cycling shorts, and the air was  chilly. A long shadow was cast out in front of me. Visibility was clear with haze in the valley to the west....

Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #7 May 31, 2023 Globe, AZ - Sycamore Creektrail, AZ 81 Miles Start 5:59 AM Finish 7:49 PM Total Duration 13:50 Moving Time 7:21 Stopped Time 6:29 Ascent 5328'  Descent 6200' Tour Total 558 Miles Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123058831 I slept well stealth camping at the dusty Southeast Wash, off to the side of Highway 188 east of Globe. Last night in my tent I hopelessly tried to upload my stats with one bar, and finally gave up. I woke up at exactly 5:20 AM as was now the norm. I could hear occasional motor traffic throughout the night and again this morning as I was packing. I had been somewhat visible from the road. Last night I covered my headlamp every time a car passed. This morning as I was packing, a freight train came through and blew its horn. It was a slow pack up in the fine brown dust, and I rode back to the fence for breakfast on the other side. My bike shorts didn’t get caught on the chain link crossing this morning like las...

Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #8 June 1, 2023 Sycamore Creektrail, AZ to Phoenix, AZ - 72 Miles Start 6:49 AM Finish 4:00 PM Total Duration 9:11 Moving Time 5:59 Stopped Time 3:11 Ascent 2239'  Descent 3418' Tour Total 630 Miles Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123157651 I slept well last night wild camping alongside Sycamore Creek south of Sunflower, AZ. It was warm when I went to bed but it quickly got chilly. I had to unfurl my silk liner and later my sleeping bag. This morning I let myself sleep in. There were loud birds squawking outside my tent. It was 6 AM when I got up, and the traffic from the nearby highway was loud. There was no breakfast this morning, but I had a large rock that I could sit on for a moment before departing. I rode out to the highway and took a right on State Highway 87 a.k.a. the Beeline Highway. I was wearing my short-sleeve jersey and cycling shorts. It was a little chilly but the sun was strong. I crossed Camp Creek, and there were saguaro ...

Southern Tier Part 3 - Day #9 June 2, 2023 Phoenix, AZ - Wickenburg, AZ 80 Miles Start 7:00 AM Finish 7:53 PM Total Duration 12:53 Moving Time 7:07 Stopped Time 5:46 Ascent 2782'  Descent 1329' Tour Total 710 Miles Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/123309072 I slept well in room # 241 at the Hampton Inn Biltmore in Phoenix. The air conditioner had a mind of its own and the room fluctuated between hot and cold. It was never just right. Breakfast service began at 6 AM and I set my alarm for 5:45. I got up, folded my laundry, packed, and cleaned my chain. My devices were fully charged and I was back at level one. I had a great breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage slices, and home fried potatoes, along with two bowls of Kellogg’s Krave chocolate cereal and several glasses of cranberry juice. While sitting there in the breakfast area, I realized that yesterday I had forgotten to use the pool. Phoenix is a flat horizontal city, spreading out like a checkerboard in ev...