Well, we rode our bikes another 380 miles out of the Phoenix area. When I type it out, I realize that this is only 100 miles more (or so) than going from Anchorage to Homer, Alaska. I console myself with the fact that Alaska is the biggest state of this union. We put our rubbers to hills and slogged. We met good souls and saw the sun rise and fall on the glory that is earth – our only home.

As the holidays approach, I grow sentimental. My biological father (which is a technical term for ‘the man that impregnated my mother’) left before I was born. One of the first Christmas’ I remember is in a basement apartment in Anchorage, Alaska. It was here, that we had mattresses on the floor and a colorful lite tree from Charlie Brown. On Christmas morning, my mother held me in her flesh, with her hands and her warm breath on my forehead. These thoughts make me wonder what my own children will remember for their Christmases.

As a side note, I switched up the route page. Courtesy of All Trails, I added our route which now includes an elevation profile.

We wish you the warmest love and embraces for this holiday season. May your love be embraced and returned in the fullest,

The Latvian Alaskan Family

Ophelia, Augustine, Ance, and Forest

Nov. 19th – 21st – Gilbert to Mid-town Phoenix

0 Miles. David and Julian (Juneau Alaskan friends/family) came through town having just gotten done with an epic sailing trip in the Sea of Cortez. They picked us up and brought us to an AirBnB for two nights. We promptly made too much food, drank too much beer, and generally caused a mess of a ruckus. On the second night, we invited the Quigley’s over, which resulted in a late night pool party with several folks being tossed in the pool against their volition.

Nov. 22nd – 30th – Mid-town to Gilbert

0 miles. Back to the Quigley’s. Ance left to Juneau for a week of work at some ungodly hour on the 22nd. The girls and I stayed back for a week of Thanksgiving leisure time with Chris, Jonna, Presley, and Elyse. Over our eight days, the kids, surprisingly, didn’t wring each others’ necks. They got along quite well. There were costume parties and a 2 act play over two or three days called Cahicuable (an amalgamation of the words cat, hippie, and cannibal). Each act consisted of 10 to 20 seconds of dialogue. The core of the story seemed to be a hippie (Augustine) who owned a cat (Ophelia) tricking a cannibal (Elyse) into trading cold hard cash for worthless seashells to buy a lucrative piece of property – which the cannibal was not able to purchase due to the trick the hippie played. The introductory narrator (Presley) seemed aloof of the whole drama unfolding. I imagine the critical reception will be mixed on Broadway. 

We also had time to tool around town. I preliminary took the girls on unloaded bicycles to the Gilbert Regional Park with an outstanding splash park and playground. While Ance was still out of town, I loaded the kids up in an Uber to the Phoenix Children’s Science Museum near downtown. There, they generally caused an uproar and had a good time.

Thanksgiving at the Quigley’s brought some 25 family and friends over to their house. I got to meet Chris’ parents and siblings. For the most part, I hung out with Steve (Chris’ father) to watch the Raiders narrowly win over the Dallas Cowboys – thank baby Jesus. I may have imbibed too much Tequila and got into a historical debate with Chris’ brother-in-law and may have pestered his mother with a pepper of stupid questions. In the end, I didn’t get thrown out, so, I must have kept it together alright.

After Ance got back from Juneau on the 30th, we took the day to ride our bikes over to Legoland and the local Seaworld aquarium in Tempe. The girls had a blast at the King’s blaster ride, Merlin’s Apprentice ride, and the several areas to actually build dinosaurs and towers. Spent the evening with the Quigelys riding to a local BBQ joint and chit-chatting in the garage until the yawning took over all of us. I just want to take the time here to jot down some notes about the Quigleys. On top of being a beautiful family full of smiles and big hearts, they took a random cyclist family in over a holiday week. They are kind, graceful, and some of the most open hearted and kind people we’ve ever met. We wish we could emulate their souls.

Dec. 1st – Gilbert to Usery Regional Park

20 miles. Got school done and all packed up/cleaned up around noon. Set off into the suburban jungle for a mostly urban ride for the day. Stopped in at the post office to send off cards we’ve neglected since the Grand Canyon. Also sent off canvas paintings made at the Quigley’s. We additionally stopped off at a couple of stores to re-supply since we pretty much had nothing in the food bag following our leisurely break.

A puzzle of suburban asphalt roads for most of the day, and then, a slow few miles uphill to Usery park. The sky fell asleep in a silk of orange, red, and pink. Tossing and turning in our dreams of sorbet ice cream and Easter.

Dec. 2nd – Usery Park to Cline Cabin Road

20 miles. Late departure due to Ophelia having an accident in her sleeping bag. Ance took an unloaded bike with sleeping bags and clothes to wash and dry some 6 miles back into Phoenix. Meanwhile, the kids did schoolwork. 

Set off from Usery Park at 12:10 PM. Slow steep hills and a generally uphill day. After an hour of riding, pulled off into Water Users Recreational Site for snacks and a dip. The water was quite low, flush with plant growth. No matter, kids went romping. Then, right when Ance and I stripped down to our birthday suits, a couple of ass riding adventures showed up for a drink – of course.

Finished off our day, after the naked watery dip, with a leisurely climb and then a pleasant mile or two to our undeclared side off dirt road campsite. We set up camp quickly at 5:20 PM, with the sun setting at 5:30 PM.

Dec. 3rd – Cline Cabin Road to 2 Miles North of Sunflower

16 miles. Watched the traffic scoot up the nearby hill while we ate a breakfast of sandwiches. The hills around here spill forth from the earth in rumpled dents of rock and dirt. The sun smears the sky in dreamy pastels.

Set off for a day of slow brutish peddling. Up, up, up. The beeline highway roars with fairly constant traffic. Augustine and Ophelia caught colds over the Thanksgiving week. Augustine has been a super trooper – pulling herself together after bouts of tears and some coughing.

Stopped at the gates of Sunflower towing and called Rochelle, who came out and directed us her spigot. Wonderfully nice woman. Her place sits not only on the Adventure Cycling Souther Tier route, but also on the Arizona Trail – so she is accustomed to filling up water bottles for thirsty travelers. She let us know about the upcoming hills and the potential for snow this coming Friday. Oh, goody.

Carried on for another grade beating for a couple of miles. Pulled off onto an access road and found a trashy nook to pop up the tent, Ance pulled a David Sedaris and picked up trash in the surrounding area with dogged determination. We’re all pooped. We gamely put on a movie on the tablet and promptly fell asleep while the Disney plot rambled on through the night.

Dec. 4th – 2 Miles North of Sunflower to 2 Miles South of Jakes Corner

20 miles. Woke in our nook to the melody of hard rubber and asphalt. Finally conquered the summits that have been throwing slow days at our feet. Steep, steep – had a 7% drop for 1500ft or so and then another steepy climb before descending into Jakes Corner.

Stopped in at the local General Store for some bread, Ice Cream and a Chelada. Met some Christian Motorcyclists – Richard and Pete. After chatting with Richard for a bit, he brought Pete over, “This is our Chaplin, Pete, we’d like to pray for you if that is okay?” Ance and I both agreed yes and Pete dove into a prayer regarding the beauty of God’s creations and keeping us all safe as we journey through it. Halfway through the incantation, Ophelia babbled in confusion asking if we could finally go. Some people’s kids.

Road on for a couple of miles past Jakes Corner onto a little dirt road with a beautifully flat, relatively clean, camp spot for the night.

Dec. 5th – 6th – 2 Miles South of Jake Corner to Cholla Campground

21 miles. Most pleasant day of riding since leaving Gilbert, AZ. Coasting and soaking up the mountains and the sites. Stopped in at Tonto Basin stores for a minor re-supply around 11:30 AM. Then set off for some easy riding all the way to Cholla Campground. 

Got some showers in and played some cards. The Quigley Family (our Thanksgiving week family hosts) around 4 PM with cold beer, Ice cream, hamburgers, ice, and rambunctious smiles. A wild good time until 7 PM. Off to bed for Shanghai Noon and dreams.

We ended up staying for an extra day to rest the legs and generally be lazy. We ate food, played cards, kids bumbled to the playground, and another round of showers for all.

Dec. 7th – Cholla Campground to FSR 242

20 miles. Got a tight 10 hours of sleep in. Tough life. Leftovers for breakfast – pasta topped with an egg enough for Ance and I. Ophelia and Augustine got some bean and cheese quesadillas.

Wrapped up schoolwork, packed up, and headed over to the showers. Met Jack, a 74 year old former high school social studies teacher from Oklahoma. A big smile and captivating storyteller. We chatted for a half an hour with the camp host until the children begged us to go and take a shower.

Tepid shower on this side of warm. Loaded up and hit the road for a gental 15/16 miles into Roosevelt. The whole of the bowl that holds the artificial Roosevelt reservoir is surrounded with towering craggy faces of red barren rock. 

Stopped in at the small town of Roosevelt to fill up water for the evening and downed a dog with horseradish sauce. The last 4 to 5 miles a 6% slog of a hill.

Turned off onto a forest service road with a little pull out that overlooks the climb we just ascended. Stories before bed.

Dec. 8th – 9th – FSR 242 to Globe

18 miles. Bewildering sunrise overlooking Roosevelt lake. Quietest night of sleep since leaving Phoenix – owing to the ability to get away from the road. Fried summer sausage, eggs, and cheesy bread for breakfast. Ophelia has more energy than an errant firecracker set off in a sleeping bag. She chatters and yips and crawls and giggles starting on the wrong side of 7 AM. 

Plugged through school work and packed up the cyclist suburban load and off we plowed. 2 1/2 miles of steep asphalt to the 3800ft summit and then a rapid plummet for a couple of miles. Ance with the trailer today, which means, I am the caboose. I don’t like it. Something about being able to see my wife pulling the 4 year old and the 10 year old on her own, causes my brain to jump into hyper caution mode. I envision crashes, bruises, and blood. Lots of blood. These visions lead me to roll down steep grades at a grandma’s pace when riding bitch. Put me in the front through – Mario Andretti, on a bike. 

After the quick decent, rolling hills pretty much all the way to Globe. The final turn into Globe, coming from the west, slaps you around a bit. Lunch at Fry’s (Alaskans think Fred Meyers) of fried and baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and Mexican elotes – mayo, salt, pepper, lime juice, and Tapatio. Last 2.8 miles to the Gila County RV park on the industrious 60 highway.

Globe is a town that appears to be haphazardly tossed about on steep bulbous hills. It is quirky and weird and I really like it. Spent the evening washing clothes, making dinner and calling friends and family. Washed dishes in the evening and got my feet wet in the most annoying spigot on the planet.  The cold seeped into my toe bones and made my feet burn after warming up in the sleeping bag. As Augustine would say, “I’ve lost all my Alaskan senses.” 

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We ended up staying in Globe for an extra day. How could you not? A place called Globe? You’ve gotta explore, right?

Dec. 10th – Globe to 7 Miles East of Peridot (San Carlos Reservation)

29 miles. Slow wake up call. The girls only have a 4 day schoolweek, so this is the beginning of their three day weekend. We switched on morning cartoons courtesy of PBS kids. Breakfast of beans, cheese, and Jalapeño quesadillas. 

The rain had come down in torrent of slapping droplets for most of the night. The air has an Autumn crispiness to it with a clinging punchiness of cranberries – though I don’t see a cranberry in sight.

Set off from the RV park around 10:30 AM. Slow monkeys through town. Stopped at ACE for some stove fuel. Nice and easy slow glide for 7 miles and then an easy uphill grade for a few miles. Stopped for lunch watching the traffic thunder on by in a valley of mountains. Continued on for another 7 miles into Peridot. While Ance was in the store I met David. Originally from the Navajo Nation, he moved to the Apache Reservation young. We apparently showed up at his favorite perch outside the Nolines general store. His brother-in-law greeted him in Apache, mostly joking around, “I said to him, ‘you should let them pull you around.’”

Pulled off onto a little dirt road to an overlook off the highway. Chile and rice (with jalapeños, Ance and I are on a bit of kick). I am pretty sure we all passed out around 8:30 PM. Wild party animals.

Dec. 11th – 7 Miles East of Peridot to 2 Miles E of Fort Thomas

28 miles. Chilly start to the day. Coffee made by the morning heaven light. Off we set by 10:30 AM. The hills rolled in exactly 1 mile intervals for 8 miles, as if they were planned and engineered that way. 

After 16 miles in we pulled off into the Bylas rest area. Bought some snacks and milled around lazily for a little over an hour. As with the Navajo Reservation, there are stray dogs everywhere. Nearby a team of builders are making a rift of dog houses.

Rode into Fort Thomas Family Dollar to fill up waters and then we trucked on for another couple of miles. Camped in front of what appeared to be abandoned farm hand buildings.

Dec. 12th – 2 Miles E of Fort Thomas to Safford

21 miles. Ophelia’s names day. She woke before the morning light peeped, and we all wished her a happy names day upon waking from our sleeping bag cocoons. After leaving the tranquility of the tent, however, my day quickly descended into some outer circle of hell. After watching the sun warm the frosty earth and breakfast we packed and loaded up, only to find Ance’s rear wheel with a flat. Unloaded the bike, patched the tube. Put wheel back together. Loaded up. I could hear air escaping. My patch? No, another hole I missed somehow. This one on the inside rim side. Checked rim – can’t figure out where the hole came from. Patch hole, put wheel back together. Patch fails. Face-desk. Awesome. Threw a mini tantrum. Put in new tube. Finally off.

Minor headwind with the slightest of uphill grade made the first half of the day a continuation of irritation. In Pima we stopped at a gas station and got a $5 pizza, which began to turn the day around for me. Trucked on for another handful of slow miles into Safford. Checked into Walmart to get some gifts for Ophelia. Then onto the Safford Inn for a celebratory night. Shoved down some more pizza that Ance got at some insane deal. Opened presents and watched Frozen 2 – Ophelia’s choice.

Dec.13th – Safford to Hackberry Rd.

22 miles. Ate hotel supplied cereal for breakfast – frosted flakes for me, which I don’t think I’ve had in about a decade. Schoolwork, washed clothes, and Ance jetted out to pick-up supplies. Then off we set out of town.

First half of the day, 15 miles of slow uphill grade for two hours. At lunch we modified our holiday traveling plans (again) to really, really make it into Silver City for Ophelia’s birthday on the 18th. We also felt we could make it another 15 miles to top off the day. 

Almost immediately after departing from our lunch spot we were greeted with a steeper, slower grade. So instead of 15, we made 7 miles for the latter half of the day and parked for the night on Hackberry road.  A lonely tree with Christmas ornaments sways. The desert spreads out into an endless expanse of tan dirt and silent low lying bushes.

Dec. 14th – Hackberry Rd. to 9 Miles Southeast of Duncan (New Mexico)

26 miles. Took 2.5 hours to get the 17 miles to Duncan. A mural on a building portrays a Duncan full of shops, hustle, and bustle. The 2021 Duncan this side of the mural appears to be a forgotten crack of asphalt America. The town creaks of dust and rust. Had a great lunch from Hilda’s Kitchen – bacon cheeseburgers, a loaded kid burger for Augustine, chicken nuggets from Ophelia, and fries all around. Ate in the small deserted square.

Got back on the bikes and trucked on. Just past Franklin, stopped in at a Latino owned shop to grab some stove fuel. They were all out, but the owner took one of his partially used canisters and gave it to us, “you need it more than I do, I can get another.” His 12 year old daughter rung up Ance for some dulce de leche cone treats. The fuel was on the casa.

Steady push into New Mexico. Just a mile or so from the targeted camp spot (a road in the nowhere) Ance got another flat. Approaching dark, I didn’t want to unload the bikes and perform a patch – the whole process takes anywhere from 15 to 20 mins. So we frantically pumped and rode a few rounds until we got to our campsite. A private property sign hung on the gate of the road we anticipated pulling off onto. So we opted for the opposite side of the road.

While Ance and Augustine set up camp, I made an attempt at patching Ance’s tire. Again on the inside rim. Realized during the pump and ride adventure that one of Ance’s spokes was broken. It had been the head of the spoke that has been puncturing the tube all along. Somehow I didn’t notice. Really observant. All this is to say, my patch failed. And, we have no more spare tubes (something I neglected to purchase in Safford).

We ate dinner (Cesar salad with turkey wraps) and the girls had a dance party in the moonlight with their flashing tooth brushes. Ance and I made plans for me having to hitchhike back to Safford to pick up tubes if my next patch also failed in the morning.

Dec. 15th – 9 Miles Southeast of Duncan to Lordsburg

27 miles. Woke and performed a careful patch on Ance’s tire. Surprisingly, it held. No hitchhiking for me today. Breakfast and schoolwork and off we rode into the big brown yonder.

The conditions are perfect for riding. The wind is blowing 13 to 25 MPH out of the northwest, we are traveling southeast. The terrain is either flat or just slightly uphill – we fly like freedom birds all the way to Lordsburg. 27 miles in one sitting pedal (2 hours and 30 mins).

Lordsburg is another place that America and its God seems to have forgotten on the edge of the deserted dirt of the universe. Stopped in at the local grocery and beelined it to the Lordsberg KOA. Potatoes with sour cream and marinated chicken for dinner.

Dec. 16th – Lordsburg to Hwy 90 Milepost 13

16 miles. After a day where we made 27 miles in 2.5 hours, today we huffed and puffed and peddled our butts off for 3 hours and 45 minutes to put down 16 miles. Breakfast burritos with sausage, eggs, onions, peppers and jalapeños.

Augustine took her Language Skills unit 3 post test this morning. Got 1 wrong – it’s vs. its. I still jumble that up as well, so, all good.

The grade up visually appeared like peanuts – which it is. However, for this suburban biking family, carrying some 14 liters of water on top of everything else, it grinds down your soul at 4 to 5 miles per hour clip. Watched the face of a red cliff face approach us the whole live long day.

Pulled off onto a gated road just before sundown. Setup camp and the temperature fell like a rock. Rice and beans for dinner and then off to tent bed. Light story reading and then a Disney movie blaring in the lonely desert.

Took about 30 mins for my toes to warm.

Dec. 17th – Hwy 90 Milepost 13 to Silver City

30 miles. Due to the heightened elevation (we’re in the 6,000ft range) trees more than 3 feet tall spring forth from the desert, casting silhouettes of life. A thin layer of frost coats our tent, bags, and bikes. The shadows from the trees cradle the cold.

Got on the road at 10 AM – early for us. Steady (sometimes steep) huffing and puffing for around 12 to 13 miles. After crossing the continental divide at 6,355ft, the grade relented a bit and began opening up stretches of easy riding. At 15 miles in, we pulled into the Ridge Park RV for lunch.

Saw our first live snake while walking our bike to a picnic table. The park owner indicated it was a good snake. Good in the sense that it apparently eats rodents and rattlesnakes. “If you hear a rattle, stay away.” I think If’ll just stay away from all snakes, rattlesnake eater or not.

The light is harsh in a winter way. A steady cold breeze whirls around in gusty gestures, reminding all living things that seasons change. Mounted back onto the bicycles and hustled our way another 15 miles to Silver City. A nice drop and steady climb awaited us. Ance has a broken spoke and failing hub on her rear wheel. Augustine has a broken bolt lodged in her front rack eyelet – the rack itself is now zip tied to the front fork. During the final 8 miles, my rear derailleur cable began to fray making most of my higher gears inoperable. Luckily, there is a bike shop in Silver City.

Rolled into the Silver City RV park and got a cabin for 3 days. Ophelia’s birthday is tomorrow and we need to stick around to get our bicycles back in working order again. Took a hot shower. Ance and Augustine took a short unloaded bicycle ride to the store to gather supplies for Ophelia’s birthday bash tomorrow. Then we enjoyed the indoor warmth for the evening.

Dec. 18th – 19th – Silver City

0 Miles. Woke in a heated cabin in a fold out bed. Ophelia woke at 6 AM on her birthday with her typical giddiness. We spent the day watching movies and playing games. Ophelia opened gifts and we did the candle ritual – stick them in a cake, light them on fire, sing a happy birthday incantation while the wax melts, and then the birth child puts out the flames with the force of their breath.

Went out to dinner at the Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery. The beer was bubbly, wet, and delicious. The food was consumed with merriment. Following dinner, stopped in at an ice cream shop which makes their own frozen cream concoctions. Kids loved it. Played checkers with Augustine – now she is obsessed with it. Finished off the evening with a glow stick dance party.

Today is the 19th. As long as our bikes are fixed up, we’ll be heading out tomorrow. Today will be a day of general laziness without a driving purpose what-so-ever.