October 30
71mi/114km
+2800ft/850m
We knew we had a big day today with rain in the forecast, so we set alarms for the first time on this journey. We wanted to get started at first light, which is about 6:30 these days. We were packed up by 6:00 and went to the coffee shop for some caffeine and pastries before we hit the road.
The first part of the morning was so nice and quiet. There were few vehicles on the road, and although it was overcast it was still a nice sunrise. We were on the highway all day- first 89A then joining 89. The chances of rain decreased from yesterday’s forecast, and it stayed dry until around lunchtime.
We stopped at the gas station in Gap and ate some snacks, but didn’t bother to eat lunch. We were hoping for some fry bread, but due to the bad weather, nothing was open. In the afternoon it rained off and on, but it never got too crazy. All of the climbing was in the first half of the day, and the afternoon was flat and downhill. Still, we haven’t done a big day like this since Washington, and our knees and butts were sore!
We arrived in Cameron around 4:30, about an hour before sunset, and checked into our room at the trading post. The restaurant there had fry bread tacos, so we got to satisfy that craving for dinner at least. We are beat and so happy to be in warm beds for the night!
Initially, our plan from here was to go to the East rim of the Grand Canyon before heading south toward Flagstaff. However, there is a huge storm hitting the day after tomorrow with flash flood warnings all over the state. Riding on the dirt roads is not a good idea. We could wait out the storm in the park, but all the lodges are closed and the water in the campground is shut off due to a previous flood that has damaged the water pipeline. Plus, high winds are expected. Sitting in our tent in a storm for a day does not sound very fun, and we’ve been to the canyon plenty of times before. We decided that instead, we will stick to the highway tomorrow and ride all the way to Flagstaff. Then we can stay in a hotel to wait out the storm, which should be starting by tomorrow night. Riding the highway isn’t ideal, but it seems like the best option in this weather.
