For once getting up early doesn't mean dark and cold, though it is tough to leave such a comfortable bed. We are first in line at the breakfast buffet and having filled up with sufficient liquid and calories we head out through Tempe. First thing we see is the impressive Sun Devil Stadium , home of the Arizona State football team; then a landmark of a sort as we end the first of the 7 Adventure Cycling maps we are following.
The route continues into Mesa, which is obviously a very fancy suburb, however we are most impressed by what appears to be a fantastically maintained school. Actually it turns out to be the spring training complex for the Chicago Cubs baseball team so Tim has to stop and be photographed by the gate. Gradually the route climbs and the suburbs become less and less fancy, and finally we leave the urban sprawl behind and make for Gonzales pass, which is our gateway to the Rocky Mountains. It's not a bad climb and we enjoy a good downhill run before climbing across a valley into Superior for more Mexican food.
Climbing into the mountains
The next stretch was one of the least pleasant of the ride, a steep climb on a fairly busy narrow road including 200 yards through a tunnel in which the traffic noise was deafening. We were even passed by a mobile home, luckily not at one of the narrowest points! The downhill run was fun and brought us quickly into Miami, an old fashioned town dominated by a huge old copper mine, then on through Claypool to Globe on a busy stretch of road surrounded by shops.
This is a big mining area
Globe
Evening in Globe
The campground was hard to find as the street address didn't seem to exist, and pretty basic (no showers, chemical toilet), but it did boast a batting cage if we felt like working on our baseball swing. Took a walk into the old town center, which has seen better days (in the heyday of Copper no doubt), and finally settled on getting some food from a store and a pizza. Back at the campsite we chatted to a German couple touring on mountain bikes before an early night.
