From Globe I climbed (back to back 6k+ days) and have been in familiar Ponderosa pine forest.  Goodbye to the Sonoran Desert... And hello to... All the campgrounds with services (outhouses, water, trash, etc.) are still closed, which makes them great places to camp alone!  No need for a shower when you've got a lake.  And "friends" I spent most of a day riding along the scenic Mogollon Rim (top photo of my bike) on a windy day. Another day of riding forest roads got me to Flagstaff and friendly Warmshowers hosts Didn't look like a canyon to me... Great bikeways here.  Today I got most of my chores done, including replacing a worn out rear tire, and enjoyed non- camping food. It's raining and 35 degrees so I'm happy to be inside.  Supposed to snow an inch overnight and my hosts are fine with me spending another night, so double rest day.  F...

I'm in Globe taking a rest/planning/prep day...my legs are happy.  From Tucson I climbed Mt. Lemmon on pavement and enjoyed a nice night up top  Plenty of sweating on this trip and it's been important to plan water availability.  I can carry 9L if needed, but haven't yet.  After buying a sandwich in Summerhaven at 8k elevation I dropped back down and made my way to Oracle. That's the 4wd road in the distance. I've been hosted by Warmshowers people in Sierra Vista, Tucson, Oracle and now Globe.  Warmshowers is a network of people who travel by bike and the wonderful people who provide a place to stay, a shower!, good conversations and often a meal.  The socializing is always interesting and nice after riding solo and it's excellent to meet people with sometimes very different lives. The route passes by many mining towns like Winkleman.  That's the tallest free-standing structure in AZ, a smelte...

Quick post tonight...  I'm in Tucson going up Mt. Lemmon tomorrow.  Day 1 was cloudy and cool (wish that weather had stayed!) for the ride south to the border.  I rode north on the San Pedro Trail and found a decent campsite away from where this guy warned me. After 10 miles on day 2 I had breakfast in Tombstone  before 30 miles of harder going with sandy sections, headwinds and 5 times unloading the bike to climb gates and this It was getting late before I found a spot just in time for a beautiful sunset. I've been dropping elevation and it was hotter today (day 3)... I made it over a pass to Tucson and finished the last of 5.5 liters of water as I arrived.  If my legs hold up to the climbing I'll be in Oracle the 5th and Globe the 7th.

  Monday I'm heading down to the border near Sierra Vista, AZ to start riding north.  I'll be on the Western Wildlands Route and pedaling my new steed!  Here's the description:   https://bikepackingroots.org/project/western-wildlands-route/ Assuming all goes well I'll ride 3+ weeks to Kanab or Escalante in Utah where I'll meet Noel for some desert camping.   The bike's a Priority 600 ADX with a Pinion gearbox and Gates Belt Drive so no dirty chain or derailleur worries.  I'll need to carry up to 9 liters of water a couple of times, but this bike can handle it.  I've bikepacked (mostly dirt roads and trails, as opposed to bike touring on mostly paved roads) a few times and am looking forward to a bigger trip away from cars.  Depending on summer plans I might return to ride the Utah, Idaho and Montana sections later.  Happy Spring!

To wrap up our SE Asia trip we headed to the beach on a Cambodian island not far from Thailand.  Our lodging... M'pai Bay is a fishing village discovered by the backpacker and ex-pat crowd.  Even with the tourists it's quiet and the local kids play on the beach. Lowest cost "boat" I've seen. Besides relaxing on island time, we came here so I could get dive certified.  Success! We enjoyed some tasty food, snorkeling, massages for Noel and sunsets. Now comes the long trip home after our  adventures and experiences.  Thanks for reading!

Nong Khiaw is a 4+ hour drive on bad roads so we took a boat halfway. Not in the flatlands any more! One day we visited a village museum where people lived in caves to survive the US bombing.  The hikes still have signs warning you to stay on the trail due to unexploded ordinance. The boat ride seating tweaked my back (recovered quickly) so while Noel went downriver to villages and waterfalls I went uphill for views and some new birds in the forest. On the drive back to Luang Prabang our driver organized a group to move a pickup that had created a roadblock. Next up - Elephant Conservation Center and it may be our favorite of the trip.  Another rough drive, but it's a peaceful place with: The ECC gets rescued elephants and works to rewild and breed them.  Tourist visits c...