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Friday, October 12, 2001 - Finishing Off Phoenix
Tempe AZ to KOA just outside of Apache Junction.
Only 25 miles, but all of it urban traffic. We
got a late start because we knew we didn't have far to go, but city riding can
take a long time, and we always use the big cities as an opportunity to catch up
on errands, so we didn't pull in until around 4:00. We started in Tempe,
rode all the way thru Mesa and on thru Apache Junction and are camping a mile
outside of the urban sprawl. This short ride gives us better spacing as we
move east.
Looking ahead, we are going to be back in the
mountains starting tomorrow. There are some pretty rough stretches coming
up, but we are looking forward to them because we will be out of the urban
traffic.
You may be interested in how we protect ourselves
from the mid-October sun. We use lots of high SPF sunscreen and we are
applying as many as three layers during the day. When the day is done we
have a grimy layer of sun screen, sweat, and dirt, perfect protection. It
is unfortunate we have to shower it off. In addition we wear what we call
"sun shirts". These are light, long sleeved silk shirts that can be
picked up at any second hand store for a song. The combination of shirt
and sun screen keeps us from getting scorched. The sun in July is truly
something to be feared here. Since we are cycling and shorts are
essential our legs must be satisfied with the miracle of sun screen for
protection.
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