Climbing Gonzales Pass

Wednesday March 22, day 18. Superior to Globe 22 miles or 36 km

36 km might not sound like much but we climbed from 2200 ft to 4800 ft. It rained hard most of the night but my bed was toasty warm. Slow start to the day hoping that the rain would stop. It wasn't till 11am that the rain changed to a gentle drizzle. I wore all my rain gear and winter gloves. And off we went.


Immediately the climbing started. We had to conquer the Gonzales Pass. I huffed and puffed my way up the mountain while sprayed with loads of water from traffic that zoomed passed us. I was realizing how close we had come to being flooded. There were deep puddles of water on the shoulder and the road. And looking to the side I could see huge streams of water gushing down. The water looked mean, angry, and dirty. Yet the sound of it had a calming affect on me. The scenery also began to change. Hardly any cacti but slowly trees began to appear. First small ones but soon I saw tall bushy trees. 

As I climbed to about 4800 ft my fingers became cold and numb. It was difficult to shift gears and to break while going down. The sun tried to make an appearance but decided "not today".

At around 1.30 pm we arrived in Globe. We were very cold and all we wanted was a place for the night. First camping wanted $40.00 for a piece of dirt. However, Vicki secured us a place behind the Baptist Church. We are good. Tents are set up and it has been dry for the past hour. We even found an outlet for both Annie and Ruby who are now getting  their fix. 

Yet our day wasn't finished.  Because we were guests at the Baptist church, we were invited to join them for their Wednesday evening service. And from one thing came another. We are now inside their Fellowship Hall where we have a bathroom, where it is dry and where it is 71 degrees. All our gear is packed except our sleeping bag and mattress. Annie is still finishing her fix but now in a warm kitchen. I am so thankful and happy.



What a day of struggles and then Blessings- grateful you’re both inside ❤️ (Patsy)

Greetings from Santa Cruz! happy to watch your blogs but we are too spoiled for such a trip! Great job, the both of you.(Maura, Warm Shower hostess)


Comments

  1. Anonymous23 March 2023 at 05:41

    What a day of struggles and then Blessings- grateful you’re both inside ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  2. Maura23 March 2023 at 11:10

    Greetings from Santa Cruz! happy to watch your blogs but we are too spoiled for such a trip! Great job, the both of you. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous24 March 2023 at 17:56

      It prepares us for what is to come in 2 days. Almost 9000 ft of climbing. So happy that you are following my blog. Just keep on pedeling.

      Delete

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