Arizona + August = Snow

City Of Rocks

Yes, boys and girls. Believe it or not, we had another one of those temp extreme days. We started this Tuesday morning (ok, mid-morning) in the high 80°s and by mid afternoon pushing 100°, only to have it drop drastically in a matter of a few dozen miles.


We started off from City of Rocks geared up for hot weather. After all, we were still crossing arid, desert-like areas. And, yes, it was hot. and stayed hot. And
then hotter. We had to stop repeatedly to re-soak our cooling vests, add ice to our neck bands, and load up on Gatorade.

City of Rocks

We finally started seeing some greenery - as opposed to the constant cacti and scrub brush landscape - just as we were reaching the Gila National Forest. We were winding down some really cool twisties (winding roads), when the greenery started. Then the little cold air pockets. The the colder pockets. Since experience taught us to heed those cold pockets, we decided to change into our heavier Tourmaster jackets.

City of Rocks

We stopped on the side of the road and changed gear, then were on our way again. While changing, we watched the changing sky and were pretty sure we were in for some rain. Normally, I would have checked the weather beforehand but here has been no reliable cellphone service since White Sands. 


Ordinarily, rain would be no big deal but this is unfamiliar territory. Well, we didn't make it very far before we started seeing major lightning. That had us stopping again to throw on our rain gear, just in case. A cold drizzle began, then heavier rain, but nothing too drastic. So far so good, right? Right?


Wrong. The rain go heavier, then rain water started washing across the road, carrying all kinds of forest debris. All this time, there is NOWHERE we could stop and wait out the storm. Just road and more soaked road. Suddenly, the pine needle debris became branches and rocks. Not pebbles. Not gravel. Rocks. Basketball-sized rocks. This made for some white-knuckled riding. By this time, we figure we've seen the worst of it. What else could go wrong? 


A lot. We managed to avoid all the debris and we were ready for a hotel, motel, inn, teepee, yurt... anything we could hole up in and thaw out. With high hopes of a town, we come over a hill and find... snow. SNOW!!! In southern Arizona... In mid-August! And not just flurries. There were at least 2" accumulation on the road.


I had a bit of a scare on this stretch, slipping and sliding on all the slush and literally freezing my fingers, since I did not think of putting on my gauntlets at the last stop. Is the worst over? Nope!


To make our afternoon more fun, the freezing rain moved on to sleet, then to hail. Do you know how hail feels on your cold hands and legs at 40 mph? Think on that for a bit. We noticed state trooper following us for a good 15 miles and we figured he was just waiting for one of us to wreck. Or trying to decide whether we were insane. Most likely both.


We soldiered on,  not because we are particularly tough but because there was no shelter to be found. Finally, we came into a town and grabbed the first motel we came across that allowed pets.

After chiseling my butt off the saddle, which also required some prying, since I was clenching so bad on the snowy ride, we paid a ridiculous price for rooms and I wobbled to a hot, hot, hot shower. My hands were literally purple (my gloves are great... when dry). After letting the hot water restart circulation in my fingers, I got comfy under a stack of blankets and didn't budge till morning.