I changed my course on Saturday and moved a little south of my planned route. Instead of going through Kansas and Colorado to Arizona, I decided to go through Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle and New Mexico. It turned out to be a good decision. Yesterday afternoon I was getting gas and met a couple of riders from Durango, CO. They said they had spent the day in snow, sleet and rain riding down. They were about to head east on I-40, so I was at least able to give them the good news that it was mainly dry and warmer the direction they were going. Unfortunately, my direction, west on I-40, was just the opposite, wetter and colder.
I traveled 630 miles on Sunday from Bristow, OK to Albuquerque, NM. I managed to dodge most of the rain showers I could see north and south of me between Oklahoma and Clines Corner, NM. My luck ran out in Clines Corner. I could see the weather coming ahead of me, so I stopped for gas and geared up. Plus, it seemed it was getting colder every mile. That was a good decision since I hit the first rain within a mile of leaving Clines Corner.
The 60 miles or so to Albuquerque was intermittent with showers and road spray, but nothing too treacherous. The problem was the temperature because I was freezing my rear off. Thank goodness I decided to try on a couple of extra layers at Clines Corner.
I plan to upload some pictures and do the blog entry for the entire ride out while I'm relaxing in Vegas Tuesday. However, it is Vegas, so no promises. I need to get back on the road. My old body is feeling the effects of 3 days of riding, but I think I've got one more good day left in me. Then I can rest. The wedding is on Wednesday, so a couple of days of R&R should have me ready for the road again.
The temperature in Albuquerque is 35 degrees right now. If I can make it the next 140 miles to Arizona, I should be ok. I know Grants and Gallup were getting some snow and rain yesterday evening. Hopefully, that has cleared and it will be smooth riding over the Continental Divide this morning. Grants is about 60 miles down the road and the temperature there is 24 degrees right now (hopefully it will warm up to a balmy freezing by the time I get there). Gallup is on the other side of the divide and showing 22 degrees right now. Holbrook will be my first stop in Arizona and it's already 29 degrees there.
Gonna be a cold day on the motorcycle!
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