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After a couple of 'rest' days in Sedona (trail riding without all the camping gear attached), I loaded up and hit the road again. The only feasible way to Flagstaff is via the 4wd Schnebly Hill road, which eventually leads up to I-17 for the rest of the journey. I reckoned that the first part of the day would be fun and that the second half... not so much. I was right.
There was scattered rain in the forecast, and it began to sprinkle as I headed up Schnebly Hill. I was the only bicyclist out there, but there were many jeeps taking tourists up for photos. It was a long climb but my spirits were lifted by the fantastic views of red rock buttes and pinnacles. At the top the road continued into a flat plateau of piñon forest. It was much cooler up here and the rain continued to fall.
Eventually the rain turned to sleet and came down even harder. My fingertips were white as I dug into my backpack to put on every piece of clothing I had. At one point I passed an old trailer in the woods and took shelter underneath it. The rain eased a bit after awhile and I continued on to Flagstaff. I was on the interstate for about 20 miles and then got on the urban bike path. It was pretty late and getting dark and I was cold and hungry. I fished around for some jerky and ate it while pedaling, drool coming off my lips. I couldn't see very well because my sunglasses were coated in rain and sweat and sunblock. Finally I pulled into the driveway of the AirBnB that Jill had arranged, and met the proprietor, who offered some chili. I couldn't turn that down.
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