My route through Arizona started at Monument Valley on the Utah border. I then followed the desert road through the Navajo Indian reservation (road 163 and 160) down to Cameron. From Cameron I detoured up to the Grand Canyon (road 64) before heading down to Flagstaff (road 180). From Flagstaff I cycled down route 89a, past the touristic town of Sedona, then over a steep and long pass to Prescott. Staying on route 89, I dropped down into the Sonoran desert just past Yarnell, cycled along route 60 and detoured Phoenix on route 301. I headed south along route 85 down to the spectacular 'Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument' and crossed the border at Lukeville.
Date
Distance
Altitude gain
Place
03.09.05
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Monument Valley
04.09.05
164 km
0835 m
Monument Valley - Tuba City
05.09.05
097 km
1220 m
Tuba City - Desert View (Grand Canyon)
06.09.05
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---
Grand Canyon
07.09.05
110 km
0745 m
Desert View - Kaibab Nat. Forest
08.09.05
066 km
0570 m
Kaibab Nat. Forest - Flagstaff
09.09.05
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---
Flagstaff (Equipment service)
10.09.05
---
---
Flagstaff (Equipment service)
11.09.05
111 km
1515 m
Flagstaff - Mangus Mountains
12.09.05
101 km
0970 m
Mangus Mountains - Yarnell
13.09.05
154 km
0215 m
Yarnell - Buckeye hill
14.09.05
120 km
0390 m
Buckeye hill - Ajo
15.09.05
104 km
0510 m
Ajo - Quitovac (Mexico)
We got to Monument Valley (Utah/ Arizona border) on the 03.09.05. The cycling was hard due to the head-wind and midday heat so we were quite glad when the clouds rolled in and I was able to pitch the tent in cloudy weather. the only problem was that the wind picked up and stayed all night which caused a lot of dust! The fine desert dust particles seem to get in everywhere and soon the inside of the tent was layered with red dust!!
right: sunrise at Monument Valley in the Navajo Indian reservation. The reservation has hardly no flowing rivers and is basically only desert.
.....the road is loooooong!!! The ride through the desert was also pretty and offers more than just rocks and sand. The yellow desert flowers are really beautiful and somehow hundreds of rabbits live and survive in this harsh environment. Some(a lot) are killed on the road and cycling along in the midday heat with the penetrating smell of dead carcasses can be quite awefull!
After 2 days of cycling we finally made it to the Grand Canyon. The 50km ride up from Cameron to the rim at 2270m was quite strenuous. It is a constant uphill & no place to get water on the way. It was great to reach the cooler and forested plateau near the rim of the canyon. The touristic season is over and there was ample space at the lovely 'desert view' campground. The scenery from there, overlooking the Colorado river is spectacular.
Dad (Walter) left me at Grand Canyon to catch his flight back to Switzerland from Phoenix. We enjoyed our last barbecue (1 of many which we had along the way) with some good beer and wine. For me it is now back to pasta or rice (I can not carry bulky items to eat). I sure will miss the tasty New York steaks!
right: overlooking the Grand Canyon from the south rim.
left: the view from the south rim! The Canyon is really larger and deeper than what I had expected!
From the Grand Canyon I cycled down to Flagstaff, pitching my tent on the way somewhere in the Kaibab National Forest. That night I really slept very badly... it is mating season (no not for me!!) and the elk were making a hell of a noise all night, only a few metres from my tent. When I had pitched my tent as the sun went down I also did not realize that there was a bee hive very close by! While having breakfast in the morning the bees plagued me just as badly as the mosquitos up north!! Luckily I did not get stung! I cycled on to Flagstaff in lovely cool, overcast weather.
In Flagstaff I had a 2 day rest to catch up on cleaning my cooker, tent, washing clothes, purchasing maps and books, route planning and overhauling my bike. The world famous Route 66 passes through Flagstaff and it just so happened to be that while I was there, the Route 66 parade was on. I enjoyed this city quite a lot! About a third of the population are students and the campus is really large and very nice. Different bands were playing at the square, so the evenings were not boring!!
right: In the centre of Flagstaff where many roads meet, including the world famous route 66.
I left Flagstaff on the 11.09.05 and took a narrow and rather dangerous road (a lot of traffic) down to the world famous and rather very touristic town of Sedona. (it is famous for it's beautiful surrounding of red rocks). I however would not recommend to stay there what so ever, just one huge tourist centre!!!. After an expensive lunch (Sedona is abnormally expensive!), I continued on my way towards the desert. I misinterpreted the map completely and had a 1100m uphill that evening which ended up to be one of the steepest climbs of my whole trip. The road winds up numerous switchbacks for 30km, past the town of Jerome and on and on and on...I was glad to pitch my tent at the top just as it got dark! Dead tired!! (I had dropped into the desert and then back up onto the plateau only to find myself dropping again the next day)! I usually do not mind the hills but when it is hot it is a different story!
While buying food at a supermarket in Prescott the next day I had an interesting chat with Kelly (84 years old). His car, a 1978 Buick has done 518 000 miles!!! (over 800 000 kilometres). He is proud of it! Kelly has been living off an oxygen tank ever since his troop got hit by a Japanese bomb in the second world war. He was one of the very few that survived that attack but the fumes and smoke (he was trapped) damaged his lungs very badly! His breathing is very hard and he says it is getting very difficult! He had tears in his eyes and mentioned that his wife had just died 2 months ago and that he will probably join her soon! These encounters makes one think quite a bit!!!
About 60 km after Prescott it was truly time to say goodbye to the plateau which protected me from the heat and I dropped down into the Sonoran desert on the 13.09.05. The 600 meter altitude drop was also the entrance into a 'sauna hot' climate!!! The minute I hit the desert the temperature was soaring high!
right: seen everywhere throughout the Sonoran desert is the beautiful 'Engelmann Prickly Pear' cactus.
left: at last, after not meeting a touring cyclist for more than 2000 km, I met John. Throughout the USA I always heard people say: "o wow what you are doing is so so cool, if I were your age I would also do such a trip"...(just an excuse!). John is a good example, he is 74 years old and is cycling through the whole USA in his cowboy boots and jeans. Upon asking him "John, are you not hot in all that clothing" (it was about 36 degrees at the time), his answer in his Texan English was "no, you see, the more you sweat the cooler it gets when you ride in the wind". Well I was not going to try that technique!!!
right: sunrise behind a 'Saguaro' cactus. Getting up after sunrise is out of the question! The best time of the day is 1 hour before sunrise! After sunrise it takes about 1 hour and the desert is heated up like an oven!
left: camping in the middle of the Sonoran desert south of Phoenix. It is truly one of the most spectacular deserts which I have seen. Not just sand but beautiful cactus', hills and other plants and desert wildlife such as the roadrunner (well known bird due to the famous cartoon series of the 'roadrunner'). It really is fascinating to watch them run around in the desert.
I reached the lovely little town of Ajo in the middle of the Sonoran desert on the 14.09.05. It was so hot that I was not intending to pitch my tent. (my brain refused!) and so I stayed in a motel for the first time since I began my trip up in Alaska. And wow was it nice!!!! A huge bed, TV and the best thing of all an AIRCON!!!! The plaza in Ajo is really beautiful, resembling more of a Latin American town! (well it used to be before the Mexican /USA war!).
On the 15.09.05 it was time to say good bye to the USA and enter Mexico. Before entering Mexico I had a very hot ride through the 'Organ Pipes Cactus Nat. Monument' but the scenery was really stunning. All over the desert I could see nothing but 'Saguaro', 'Organ Pipes' and 'Chainfruit chollea' cactus'.
I left the USA with mixed feelings: Somewhat I was not sure what I am about to encounter in Latin America but somehow I had the urge to leave the USA. Looking back I can say that the USA has fantastic scenery and the people were so helpfull and friendly but I also realized a few thing about the USA which I do not like at all. One thing is the vast amount of fuel consumed in the USA. It is ridiculous. Did you know that the US population is about 4 % of the world population, yet they consume nearly 25 % of the worlds fuel! I do not like this figure and it is the reason why the USA gets involved in wars! I know, no one likes to mention it but that is the reason! Without fuel the country will collapse, and that is what is so shocking! Addiction to a large amount of fuel! (I do not mean to insult anyone by writing this, it is simply my opinion!).
Again, I can just thank all the US Americans which I met along my journey, your hospitality and kindness will not be forgotten. Thanks!
For next stage see: Sonora, Previous stage see: Utah
ARIZONA
We got to Monument Valley (Utah/ Arizona border) on the 03.09.05. The cycling was hard due to the head-wind and midday heat so we were quite glad when the clouds rolled in and I was able to pitch the tent in cloudy weather. the only problem was that the wind picked up and stayed all night which caused a lot of dust! The fine desert dust particles seem to get in everywhere and soon the inside of the tent was layered with red dust!!
right: sunrise at Monument Valley in the Navajo Indian reservation. The reservation has hardly no flowing rivers and is basically only desert.
.....the road is loooooong!!! The ride through the desert was also pretty and offers more than just rocks and sand. The yellow desert flowers are really beautiful and somehow hundreds of rabbits live and survive in this harsh environment. Some(a lot) are killed on the road and cycling along in the midday heat with the penetrating smell of dead carcasses can be quite awefull!
After 2 days of cycling we finally made it to the Grand Canyon. The 50km ride up from Cameron to the rim at 2270m was quite strenuous. It is a constant uphill & no place to get water on the way. It was great to reach the cooler and forested plateau near the rim of the canyon. The touristic season is over and there was ample space at the lovely 'desert view' campground. The scenery from there, overlooking the Colorado river is spectacular. 
Dad (Walter) left me at Grand Canyon to catch his flight back to Switzerland from Phoenix. We enjoyed our last barbecue (1 of many which we had along the way) with some good beer and wine. For me it is now back to pasta or rice (I can not carry bulky items to eat). I sure will miss the tasty New York steaks!
right: overlooking the Grand Canyon from the south rim.
left: the view from the south rim! The Canyon is really larger and deeper than what I had expected!
In Flagstaff I had a 2 day rest to catch up on cleaning my cooker, tent, washing clothes, purchasing maps and books, route planning and overhauling my bike. The world famous Route 66 passes through Flagstaff and it just so happened to be that while I was there, the Route 66 parade was on. I enjoyed this city quite a lot! About a third of the population are students and the campus is really large and very nice. Different bands were playing at the square, so the evenings were not boring!!
right: In the centre of Flagstaff where many roads meet, including the world famous route 66.
I left Flagstaff on the 11.09.05 and took a narrow and rather dangerous road (a lot of traffic) down to the world famous and rather very touristic town of Sedona. (it is famous for it's beautiful surrounding of red rocks). I however would not recommend to stay there what so ever, just one huge tourist centre!!!. After an expensive lunch (Sedona is abnormally expensive!), I continued on my way towards the desert. I misinterpreted the map completely and had a 1100m uphill that evening which ended up to be one of the steepest climbs of my whole trip. The road winds up numerous switchbacks for 30km, past the town of Jerome and on and on and on...I was glad to pitch my tent at the top just as it got dark! Dead tired!! (I had dropped into the desert and then back up onto the plateau only to find myself dropping again the next day)! I usually do not mind the hills but when it is hot it is a different story!
While buying food at a supermarket in Prescott the next day I had an interesting chat with Kelly (84 years old). His car, a 1978 Buick has done 518 000 miles!!! (over 800 000 kilometres). He is proud of it! Kelly has been living off an oxygen tank ever since his troop got hit by a Japanese bomb in the second world war. He was one of the very few that survived that attack but the fumes and smoke (he was trapped) damaged his lungs very badly! His breathing is very hard and he says it is getting very difficult! He had tears in his eyes and mentioned that his wife had just died 2 months ago and that he will probably join her soon! These encounters makes one think quite a bit!!!
About 60 km after Prescott it was truly time to say goodbye to the plateau which protected me from the heat and I dropped down into the Sonoran desert on the 13.09.05. The 600 meter altitude drop was also the entrance into a 'sauna hot' climate!!! The minute I hit the desert the temperature was soaring high!
right: seen everywhere throughout the Sonoran desert is the beautiful 'Engelmann Prickly Pear' cactus.
left: at last, after not meeting a touring cyclist for more than 2000 km, I met John. Throughout the USA I always heard people say: "o wow what you are doing is so so cool, if I were your age I would also do such a trip"...(just an excuse!). John is a good example, he is 74 years old and is cycling through the whole USA in his cowboy boots and jeans. Upon asking him "John, are you not hot in all that clothing" (it was about 36 degrees at the time), his answer in his Texan English was "no, you see, the more you sweat the cooler it gets when you ride in the wind". Well I was not going to try that technique!!!
right: sunrise behind a 'Saguaro' cactus. Getting up after sunrise is out of the question! The best time of the day is 1 hour before sunrise! After sunrise it takes about 1 hour and the desert is heated up like an oven! 
left: camping in the middle of the Sonoran desert south of Phoenix. It is truly one of the most spectacular deserts which I have seen. Not just sand but beautiful cactus', hills and other plants and desert wildlife such as the roadrunner (well known bird due to the famous cartoon series of the 'roadrunner'). It really is fascinating to watch them run around in the desert.
I reached the lovely little town of Ajo in the middle of the Sonoran desert on the 14.09.05. It was so hot that I was not intending to pitch my tent. (my brain refused!) and so I stayed in a motel for the first time since I began my trip up in Alaska. And wow was it nice!!!! A huge bed, TV and the best thing of all an AIRCON!!!! The plaza in Ajo is really beautiful, resembling more of a Latin American town! (well it used to be before the Mexican /USA war!).
On the 15.09.05 it was time to say good bye to the USA and enter Mexico. Before entering Mexico I had a very hot ride through the 'Organ Pipes Cactus Nat. Monument' but the scenery was really stunning. All over the desert I could see nothing but 'Saguaro', 'Organ Pipes' and 'Chainfruit chollea' cactus'.