We left Safford after eating breakfast at the hotel.  Temperatures were in the upper 50's and we had a very pleasant tailwind.  Besides,  the road from Safford to Bylas was the flattest section we've seen for a while.  It was a blessing.  We wanted to cover 70 rather serviceless miles today.

Riding was good, and we breezed into Fort Thomas, the first 22 miles in about an hour and a half.  We stopped briefly at the store there and chatted with the young clerk who said he'd see  several riders over the past week.  We inquired about Jake, the young rider we last saw a few weeks back, and learned that he's about 2 days ahead of us.  It's unlikely that we'll catch up to him, but good to know he's doing well.

The 11 mile stretch into Bylas was equally pleasant, and while the map didn't indicate any services besides a post office,  there was a nice looking convenience store and a equally attractive rest area where we stopped to eat some snacks.

Then, although the Adventure Cycling map didn't indicate it, things got much tougher.  The 25 miles between Bylas and Peridot involved crossing several dry river beds, meaning significant descents and climbs that had us in and out of our granny gears most of the afternoon.  That was exacerbated by large clumps of stickery mesquite bushes that often encroached on the entire shoulder, forcing us onto the road proper with drivers who were none too willing to slow down or mover over.

We did have one significant find this afternoon that Barb has been anxiously anticipating since we entered Arizona.  We spotted our first Saguaro cactus.  Actually there were many of them dotted on several hillsides that we had ample opportunity to observed from a distance as we twiddled away in our granny gears.  I'm told that even if it means a considerable hike through rattlesnake infested ground, she expects to return home with a photo of herself standing next to a nice Saguaro specimen.  Good thing she has that horseshoe.

At Peridot we stopped for a quick lunch of a sandwich, soda, and (thanks to my wonderful sister) a pack of Lorna Doone cookies.  While space seemed adequate, there were no chairs in the convenience store, so we sat on the floor near the back of the store and chatted with a teller when she wasn't busy cashing checks for folks.

Adventure Cycling did indicate the next big climb, an 8 mile 800 foot rise that wasn't so steep, but tantalized us several times into believing that we might have reached the top, to level off for a few hundred feet and then continue upward.

When we did reach the top, both of us were relieved that it wasn't another series of dry ravines to cross, but proceeded pretty gently downhill toward the Apache Gold Casino, where we're spending the night.   The last mile however degenerated as the shoulder became a series of grass-filled cracks that had had enough undisturbed time to rival most speed bumps.

We're now relaxing in our room, having cleaned up and eaten supper.  We have a few big climbs early tomorrow, and then a descent that includes the Queen Creek tunnel.  Every cyclist describes it as an experience they'd rather not repeat, but all seem to have made it through unscathed.  A few prayers for our safety would be appreciated.

We'll probably be in Apache Junction tomorrow.  And then heading for Tempe on Saturday.

Tired, but well.