24.3 miles, 2165 feet climbed
We woke to the prospect of significant rain if we were to leave at our normal starting times. Departure was pushed back to 11 am. At 11 it was raining in Benson. Our leader recommended shuttling to a starting point in Tombstone, which would avoid the rains. A few riders opted to start in Benson, wanting to ride every inch of the tour route (known in the business as “EFI”). I chose to shuttle. For those who started in Benson the rains let up after about 7 miles but strong headwinds gave them a workout.
With the number of riders on this tour there is only 1 support vehicle. That means that we couldn’t proceed directly to Tombstone but had to provide the normal water/food stop service to those riders.
Once we got to Tombstone, we walked around it’s touristy downtown and had lunch as the EFI riders arrived. It was difficult to find a place to park the van/trailer to unload our bikes. I didn’t start riding the second half until about 2:30.
While now a very short day (24 vs the original 50 miles), there were some significant climbs, including the last 5 miles toward the summit just before Bisbee. That summit–at approximately 6045 feet–is the highest elevation we will see on this trip. The Continental Divide, though lower, will come in New Mexico in 2 days. The final couple of miles into Bisbee was a nice downhill all the way to the front door of our hotel.
Due to the delays, I didn’t get to see much of Bisbee while it was open. It is worth a followup trip.
