Whitski Rides: Day 31 - September 5 Ropin' the Wind & Dry Heat

This morning as we loaded the bikes, it was 66 degrees and with a more reasonable level of humidity. This actually made it feel a bit cool so we all opted for light sleeves. We had planned to leave at our usual 8am, but everyone was ready at 7:40am. The sun had just peeked through the darkness so we headed out. Within 10 miles we crossed into the mountain time zone, so now it was just prior to 8am.

The first two hours on I-10 this morning were quite enjoyable. The interstate cut through the Texas Mountain Trail region of the state. And that's just what was noticeable this morning, the mountains! We were on the outskirts of El Paso an "hour" later thanks to the time zone change. As I-10 weaved through town, the homes of Juarez, Mexico could be viewed from the road. With a turn down one of several exits we could have entered our third country of this trip. We opted to cross the New Mexico border instead.

We fueled in Las Cruces and then headed for the Arizona state line. The temp had already come up to 77 degrees. The winds had also picked up and we had to keep a good grip on the bars.

We fueled the bikes and ourselves in Willcox where temps were now close to 90 degrees. We also gained another hour back as AZ doesn't recognize daylight savings time. The winds continued to blow and we saw a number of signs cautioning us about dust storms and what to do if visibility was zero. Sounded harrowing, but luckily the winds weren't quite to that level. The landscape was now changing from scrub brush to cacti.

Just prior to Benson we came through the Texas Canyon. Out of seemingly no where, large rock formations sprung up.

Beyond the canyon traffic started to pick up as holiday travelers were returning to the city. The heat was intensifying too. By the time we stopped for a break at the Tucson HD it was 100 degrees. We cooled off in the a/c and re-hydrated. Our room for tonight was just a short distance from there. On the way we were treated to what Tucson is known for, the saguaro cactus amongst a variety of others.