Welcome to the Grand Canyon State

This morning's cup of coffee made me realize the morning ritual takes on a whole new meaning when on a bike trip. Since it's impossible to grab and go pedal, I usually end up chatting with the locals and procuring valuable information on the upcoming ride such as the elevation and good places to rest.

Stopping for lunch at Pipe Springs National Monument, I learned how to make arrowheads and chatted with an old-school bike tramp. We exchanged stories and I powered past Fredonia and spent the night at La Ferve Lookout in the Kaibab National Forest. At one point late in the afternoon I was confused why I was moving so slow even though the ground appeared level. Was my break catching? Surely I didn't add any weight to my pack. Maybe my legs were just really tired. Finally I figured out the ground was not level and I had been gradually climbing 1000 feet over the course of several miles. Phew!