I finished the southern third of the Western Wildlands route at Bryce Canyon. Noel and Margo drove out to pick me up, see the scenery and do some hiking.  Nice to be back with family after a nice ride! From Marble Canyon I rode through Vermilion Cliffs past this condor viewing site, where a trio of hikers included me in their very tasty post-hike celebration. I climbed, slowly, up and was looking for a camp site when I heard "Jeff" and turned around. Lee was the only other bikepacker I met going any distance.  He rode the Arizona Trail (longer and harder) which overlaps with and crosses the Western Wildlands.  We camped together and then shared a hotel room in Kanab the next night.  I enjoyed having company. Fortunately it wasn't Sunday... shake was better than the sandwich. Kanab is seeing an influx of remote workers, retirees and the wealthy.  But still has some his...

I left Flagstaff and climbed to 9400' (high point) in the San Francisco Peaks.  Almost nobody out there and nice riding, except For one big tree crossing.  I even got fresh tracks! I stopped early to not pass this campsite by  The snow-covered peak's been visible for days.  A day of nice riding on Forest Service roads got me to the Grand Canyon and a pretty sunset. You'll notice I've been wearing a windbreaker due to temps in the 40s and 50s and nearly constant 10-20 mph winds.  In the trees it's not so bad, but open areas have been chilly.  Better to be on the cool side, but headwinds are tough going. Day 3 from Flagstaff took me out in the Navajo Nation and a reroute.  They've closed part of the Western Wildlands so I missed staying at a campsite people say is amazing - first disappointment of the trip.  It also put me on the highway, ugh  ...

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...