Day 4, Through the Fort to Patagonia

Our group before descending down to Patagonia

What a change in weather!  40 degree start at 7:30 am, by 1 pm in the 60's.  Today's ride took us through Fort Huachuca to Sonoita, then over to Patagonia and back.  This was the best ride so far.  The scenery was incredible, the road to Sonoita rolling hills.   Fort Huachuca reminds me of a really nice college campus, but my thought was, the semester abroad is terrible.

Art1, Art2, Joe and I pretty much stuck together.  These guys are so nice.  Art1 always makes sure I'm behind them, and, if not, he slows for me to catch up.  Art2 is a 39 year old from Pennsylvania.  Pretty agile on the bike, he bunny hopped the cattle grates with about 4 inches to spare.  I could predict what Art1's brain was thinking the first time he saw Art2 bunny hop over the grate.  Sure enough, he was doing it, almost clearing them.

'Art' parking

Me, Art2, Bob Stapleton (HTC Highroad team owner) and Art

The road to Patagonia and is an out and back, starting with a fun 12 mile descent.  We had coffee at a charming little cafe, complete with some guys who had just ridden in on their motorcycles.  For some reason I started talking to them about the fact that it's legal in AZ to carry a gun.  Sure enough, all of them said they had a gun, one guy even had two, one strapped to his leg!  This guy took one gun out to show me.  Actually they were pretty nice guys, of course Republicans, and we discussed just a little politics.  Romney is their favorite.  When they started talking about Obama and how we will have to "pay for everyone and everything" I decided I better shut up.  We said goodbye and agreed that "Republicans can be nice" and "all is not lost" according to one wearing a USS Reagan cap.

Gun buds

Art, Patagonia local & Art2

Going back up the hill from Patagonia with a 6% grade was kind of hard.  Luckily some riders came by us and we hooked on.  They pulled us up the hill at about 16 mph.  Lunch again was amazing; hot off the grill, grilled cheese sandwiches, and these are not your usual grilled cheese - they are made with pumpernickel bread or round whole wheat bread slices with tomato.  Potato salad and apple pie.  As usual, ice cold drinks, Gatorade, water, and supplements. Cool seating with planks on overturned buckets.  Oh yeah, they always have racks for your bikes.  The staff of PAC Tours work very hard!   A class act for sure.

Lunch stop.  Staff; Gladys (75 y/o from Argentina) and Barb (who gave great massages after rides!)

Jim, Art2, me and Art 1, last rest stop  

Stats:  100.2 miles, 16.0 average speed, 4855 feet of gain, max speed 39.7, time 6:15.

Tomorrow we go back to Bisbee via the climb up Mule Pass.  About 95 miles.