Looks like it will Tucson, Az till Christmas. Helena’s son is deployed in Afganastain untill next year and asked me to stay through Christmas.
Doing more through planning and training the next few weeks. The weather is great of course.
Supplies from my 1st leg trips notes I got today;
Gasket kit for my 25yr old MSR stove.
Fold up tent chair to replace the Walmart camping chair.
Ultra light cooking pot/bowls even has strainer lid for after you boil the noodles.
Set of bunge cords
WD-40 to clean the chain with.
The photo is St. Mary’s Hospital the first hospital in Arizona.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day. I certainly did and the good days continue. All of the my family are in good shape and were somewhere with their family. I just ate dinner, watched cartoons and ate dinner again all rest on Thursday at Helena Perez’s with her family and friends.

Today Friday – Helena’s Granddaughter and I went for a bike ride to the park

to total extent of my exercise. I also had more turkey, and pie.

Savannah replaces the uncomfortable cargo in the trailer for a ride to the park.

Helena and Michael in Tucson Az for the next few weeks.

There is more planning in to guesstimate the arrival in Fairbanks and north at the right time of year(in summer not winter) and do another assessment on  the gear and hauling set up. Also exploring fund raising for charities abilities. The key to freedom is the have free people providing freely to those in need, their family, friends, neighbors. The communist models show us where large scale government provided assistance ends up going. The Romans with bread and circus didn’t do too well either, depending where you were at in the Colosseum.

And the view from the park and the weather is awfully nice here right now.

So this little pause in the Journey is just that. The first 7 days with good fortune, good people and some stiff physical challenges have firmed my resolve and heighten by passion to get into the teeth of this. I am really looking forward to being 50lbs lighter while doing the most of this.

Keep you posted.

Wednesday started started out just great.

Fr. Balduck brought down warm buttered toast and cheese for breakfast. He then said Mass in the church and away I went refreshed all the way.

Riding along across the desert for the next 1.5 miles.

Yep I was at the San Pedro river for the night.

The next 12 miles were all up hill to get out of the San Pedro river valley. (little note the San Pedro River originates in Senora, Mexico and runs North across the border up to near Tucson, and I thought everything ran down the side of the globe.)

Camera operator malfunction missed a number of good pictures

About 1:00PM  as I am nearing Oracal, AZ, Helena called and said she was off work and driving up from Tucson to pick me up, so I won’t be late.

Funny how folks were really know well  can all of sudden turn into and angel at just the right moment to make life a little better.

Needless to say I was very glad and besides the last 30miles was all down hill anyway.

To say that this journey is starting out with lots of cool experiences is an understatement. Either the nature around me, or the people that seem to just happen to appear at the moment to provide me yet another example of the goodness of God and the Goodness of the people in it. Even today I was surprised with abilities that God has provided in my own body. Man if this old fat guy with a limp can get up this hill in the rain and head wind, any one can do lots more than what our limited minds can image.

My first normal camp spot, 1st time with tent, perfect to handle the rain during the night.

The Shores Gila River park- as Jerry says the water attracts the bugs and I stayed way up here.

Sitting in the warming sun looking over the river below, is one of those small moments in time that can be drawn on forever.

Nice little park and camp area next to the Gila River, AZ

Morning sun warming my back and drying the tent

This saguaro Cactus reminded me of playing Leggo challenge with my Grand children Belle, Gracelyn, and Gabe.

On the road some down, some up and some level. The thing about being at the river is you get to go up and up and over to get to the next river, funny about rivers that way.

If you use electricity this is part of your carbon foot print - Slag pile from copper mine. Oh yea you have to burn something to melt this.

The two fellows at the top looked like were trying figure out where to put the next load.  They waved and I waved back thankful for all the copper I am carrying in the phone, the computer, the wires where I will plug in to charger the batteries, and on and on.

The first little town since Globe - talked with 3 folks out riding their Bike, a Harley and Ymahahaha, and the Harley ride called it.

Often wonder where they get the names for these little towns, this one come  from “Mammoth” gold strike made in 1874. After the gold played out they kept mining the copper and still do.

Blessed Sacrament Church and Fr. Balduck O.F.M.

Here is another one of those little times that can’t be planned by men.

The sign for this little church is in Mammoth

I pulled my bike up a steep drive way to rest and say a little prayer. To my surprise the front door was unlocked and there was no one around.

While sitting inside the church, I realized that physically I had done as much as should push me to do. (I have in the past sometimes pushed past the limits) As I came out of the church an older gentleman had just driven up and got out. Turned out he was he pastor Fr. Balduck, of the Order of Friers Minor, The Fransicans founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. I asked if he would mind if I camped out, of course he said yes. Fr. Balduck then unlocked the bathroom door, and then said he was leaving the church open and I should sleep in side. Later in the evening Father brought down some heated up Turkey dinner leftovers and a bottle of water with 1/4 of a pineapple upside down cake. What a deal again.

Sleeping in a church near the presence of Christ is really peaceful.

Blessed Sacrament Church a great place to pray and sleep.

Another great morning – finally broke out the stove and am having a cup of coffee before getting started. Trying out the smart phone for this entry.

This morning turned out really difficult. It did start rain showers and cold head wind. I just couldn’t seem to get up to  speed going up the inclines, and even pulling the ICE Wagon for a few hours, I began to think I was really running out of gas.

Then I could see in the distance the picnic stop at the crest of the hill that I remembered. Looking back I took this picture

8 percent next 5 miles no wonder I am a little tireder

the rest of the day went much, much faster with a 7 % downhill for 7 miles (up to 43mph) For the day total was 25.5 miles. Found a great camp site at a park area see tomorrow for more. Only 2 days and 90 miles to Dinner at Helena’s.

Woke up about 4:00AM with the Moon up, only half full and still nearly cast your shadow. Decided to start walking and see if perhaps I could catch enough down hill into globe to cover the nearly 40 miles. to church.

Ralph at St. Peter’s in springerville would be proud of my night time visibility

I found a highway baracade that was lying down and use the reflective panels and flashlight

It was like a slow motion Nature show of the sun rising, My walking pulling the Ice Trike by a bungee cord around my waist was the slow motion part. As I put in pictures of today while sitting here in another tarp camp, I am totally amazed at what is possible for all of us. From the bottom of the canyon, slowly pulling out in to the sunshine and then helped out of the blue by a complete stranger, and getting to a really beautiful church in time  and beyond. WOW!!!

 

Did I really just climb this far out

You know when your doing this and the Achilles tendon says TOO early, the knee says too old the other leg says I have to all work, that is why I hurt. I think to my self YOU darn right body you should be aching and pain with what I just did you – Look and Feel how wonderful this is and here are a couple of  Ibuprofen,  now don’t bother me, While I live the beauty of this wondrous place.

So I am slogging happily along and this fellow pulls and says would you like a ride

I said how far? A very nice Apache Indian family Dad, Mom and Son heading in to Phoenix to see their daughter who has been in the hospital for a week. I didn’t say I was going to peddle the Ice Trike on a 12,000 mile journey, I just said were were going on a 12,000 mile journey. In any case I rode in the back with it, so we covered the next 15miles of up together. Turns out man often hitch hiked when he was younger and always stops for people who look like they need a ride. I guess I looked like it and he knew how much more up there was.

Once more guardian angel gets me to where where I need to be with a little time to spare. Oh Yea the body parts were glad too.

and the name of church is Holy Angels - I think, someone is trying to say something here

Holy Angels Church built 1918 with school.

This is not for my Uncle Jim - the spelling is is the same. Beautiful stain glass windows, statues and carvings.

Mass was a little long because they have a new priest who was assigned by his Archbishop in the Leyton, Philippians a week ago that his new parish would be Miami / Globe, AZ in the USA. The USA is considered a missionary country.

Must be in the desert, everything has thorns.

I am about 2 miles out side of Globe, Az in a tarp camping site on the side of the road. Hardly any traffic, but good cell and internet.

These stickers make find a stealth camp better to do in daylight that just pull over in the dark and throw out the tarp.

The nice part is that it is 30 degrees warmer. So I changed my socks and took off the long underwear and am wearing only one coat.

Only 98 miles to Tucson, unless I find a short cut.

Road on after Show Low, AZ down Hwy 60 for about 2 hours after dark. put on my flashing lights and went down hill like crazy.

When finally too cold and tired just pulled off the road and set up the tarp camp.

Didn’t want to get out this morning too warm and snuggely. The air mattress is worth it’s weight in gold, which is what I think it weighs sometimes.

I hope the salt river canyon is over the next range way out there

OOPs there is the Cedar Canyon to on the way.

I didn’t notice the angel behind me when I took this picture down into Cedar Canyon. Not really but you could sure think there was one.

These signs are among my favorites of all the highway signs. I just wish they weren't only on the top of hills.

Is life that way too. I guess it is if you stay on road, if you go off the road it may be a cliff to the bottom. UMM. Anyway I got the ICE Wagon up to 41mph before I chickened out and started using the brakes. Must be getting scarred in my old age, OH I mean cautious.

No relation to previous sign - but I am finally to the Bigone on this leg.

Yes is really is me all tired and stuff

earlier this year I too a picture of Michael, Anthony, and Raven from this same spot, It was a lot warmer in July, and we were on our way to see Helena in Tucson.  Perhaps they can take this ride later in thier life.

By the time I reached the bottom I was so tired and it is 20 degrees warmer at the bottom I just rolled in tarp with the sleeping bag on top of me. I wondering how I was going to make up and out the canyon and into Globe in time for church tomorrow.

A great night – ya know being dead tired physically helps you sleep 50 feet from the highway – after a few minutes you don’t even hear or feel the log trucks going by(course I am little hard of hearing anyway)

I wanted to make it to 8:00AM mass at Saint Ritas in Show Low

I didn’t arrive untill 10:50AM.

Pulling into Saint Rita Church in Show Low, Az.

Well of course Mass today is at 11:00 AM and I am just in time.

The church is filling up with the PreK through 6th grade school students. So good to see the future still in place.

Nice about being older I dont’ have to project as much, Since I can remember more. Of course we all selectively choose which way to go with our thoughts up or down and sometimes sideways. stopping by here helps me choose the up direction for me. Just like riding an extra 5 miles and one more hill up and down getting to what helps is a little more work (or a lot).
Well I am just starting to get he hang of this Blog a little enough to make a couple of posts. My next goal is the other side of Salt River Canyon on the White Mountain Apache Reservation and on to Globe, Az(in time for Sunday Mass I hope) The canyon is fast down and slow up. See ya on the next Connection

The First Church St. Peter of Springerville, Az

Nelson Lake

Nelson Lake Looking back down the way

First Night on the road camping out

The first night on the road – this is view from my stealth camp site,

Just a green tarp pulled over  the bike and me wrapped in another tarp