Before dawn, as is almost always the case, I arose and began the early morning rituals... Stars were plainly visible when I stepped outside to check for such things... a very good sign! Temps were not too cold either, so... While the Gerbings would need to be worn, they would not likely need to be plugged-in. It looked like another good day to head out and see what surprises we could stumble across...
We'd entered Socorro, NM, technically from the south, but that was only because the road from the east we'd been on didn't actually enter town; rather, it ended at I-25 about ten miles south of town. North from there would have taken us towards Albuquerque, and we had no reason to go there. South would have taken us towards Las Cruces and we'd just been through there... West... well, that was the way I'd been thinking all along, and it was the reason we'd come this way in the first place…
I had it in my mind to return to eastern Arizona for a ride on ‘The Beast’… US HWY 191, as it is known today, was originally designated US HWY 666… ergo the moniker ‘The Beast’. The section of interest is a long (93 miles), twisty road through some of the more scenic parts of that amazing state that is so full of contrasts and stunning beauty. Funny about that…
I didn’t ‘warm’ to Arizona right away. However, after having ridden around this state many times, I must admit it has grown on me… To the point, in fact, I can now truthfully say that ‘I get it’! No real danger of me relocating out here, and I still can’t bring myself to consider roaming around during summer, but it does clearly hold some special magic, and I understand now why so many folks do find it to be a good place to live… summers notwithstanding!
The first time I’d ridden ‘the beast’ was in ’93. My traveling companion and I were Gold Wing riders at the time, and we’d both read an article about that road in the GWRRA magazine… We’d ridden out from Florida to see for ourselves, and… WOW! That had been on my first visit to this amazing state, and, while I had been impressed, I’d also been unmoved to spend much time there… That has all changed by now!
Just under sixty miles west of Socorro, the ‘Very Large Array’ (VLA) comes into view as a rise is crossed and the barely visible facility can be spotted off in the distance in the middle of a vast valley/plateau. An astronomy center for studying the heavens… or so they claim... I’m sure conspiracy buffs and theorists could offer far more sinister reasons for its existence!
Lots of… ‘natural scenery’, but little in the way of manmade stuff along this route except for the VLA… A very tiny hamlet once in a while, an infrequent car passing or oncoming now and then… otherwise, just ALI and her often lost operator… who by now can execute U-turns with ease! Interesting countryside, though… and definitely worth a looksee, in my opinion…
Sometime, and I don’t recall just when or how far we’d come, we came upon the road I’d wanted to ride southwest over to US HWY 180. I hadn’t ridden that road before, so we were long overdue to tick that item off our to-do list… We did... Nothing extraordinary or particularly noteworthy but still a very enjoyable ride.
We then made the turn onto US 180 for the scoot up to Alpine, AZ. So far, the ride had been really nice… not too cold, only partly cloudy sky so no threat of precip, and traffic had been extremely light. Even the road surfaces were good to tolerable, but no bad stretches… A truly great day for stretching our limbs and limbering our imaginations!
When we’d pulled out that morning, I wasn’t sure where we’d end up for the night… Alpine? Eager? Springerville? Show Low? What I didn’t anticipate was ending up in Safford, AZ… That would require us to ride the beast that afternoon, and I had thought we wouldn’t have enough time…
There have been more than enough personal critter-sightings (elk and deer mostly, but mountain goats and sheep can also be seen) during the day to convince this rider that this is no road to ride at night! No services most of the way either. Once committed, the rider must either finish the run or return to Alpine... or sleep under a tree someplace.
We rolled the dice, since it appeared there would be plenty of time to make the jaunt back south... We were right! After topping-off in Alpine (no services along this route until near the southern end), off we rode... The first nearly thirty miles had recently been resurfaced, so I was starting to think perhaps it had been 'improved' all the way, and that perhaps some of the challenge may have been eliminated... Not so!!!
Twenty-eight miles south of Alpine, there is an overlook, and it is definitely worth a stop! A couple of pictures from there...
Shots from other lookouts and pauses along the way...
Our girl truly is amazing, isn’t she…?
We arrived in Safford before dark, and I was greatly relieved! It was getting late, though, so we didn't make it by much. If we'd been playing horseshoes, I suppose we'd have scored a 'leaner'...
The following morning, I couldn't resist taking this shot. As well as any, this scene points out some of the many contrasts in this awesome place... Palm trees in the foreground, snow-capped peaks in the background!
No encounters with any beasts are being admitted to here, but I can say that all this day did hold, particularly the scenery, was well worth the hours spent in the saddle! We saw plenty of critters, but they were all at a safe distance, and the road itself was overall in good shape. Shucks, I've got half a mind to ride some more soon...
DDT
