Day 7

Day 7: October 5, 2021 (Mesa AZ to Tonto Basin AZ)

Today, we switched support.  Jeremiah and Tim took over for Logan.  Logan set the bar very high for the support team, so Miah and Tim have their work cut out for them.  

We got a late start due to the weather in Mesa.  We were hoping to get on the road by 5:30 AM but delayed for a few hours as a thunderstorm passed through.  I don’t mind riding in the dark, I don’t mind riding the rain, I don’t like riding in the dark and in the rain.  I also have a rule not to ride when it’s lightening out.

With my renewed focus and energy, I felt good.  We rode through a few light rain showers in the morning but not too bad.  In the early afternoon, Miah was driving the RV and Tim was riding with me.   As with Logan, the plan was to take the RV up the road about 5 miles and then find a good place to pull over and wait.  

Miah did this and he was on the other side of a small mountain range.  On his side, it was partly cloudy and no rain.  On our side, a storm built.  We saw it coming it.  The winds picked up and it started raining heavily.  There was no shelter nearby, so we kept riding.  Then it started to hail.  We were belted with marble sized hail.  Several of them hurt and left red marks.  

We found a small tree to get under to wait the hail out.  When it stopped hailing, we continued riding.  It was still raining.  We passed over the crest of the small mountain range, the weather changed.  It was partly cloudy and no rain. 

We had an early dinner at a place in Punkin Center AZ.  Great food, great service, and inexpensive.

I made a few notes for my writing and called it a day at 6:30 PM.