Day 71: June 1, 2007
Globe, Arizona to Tempe, Arizona
Distance: 82 miles in 5h 16m
Total: 2972 miles

Crossed a 6,200 foot pass after Globe, then rode mostly downhill to Tempe. Joined by cyclists Dan Muchow (West Point '72), and Bob Beane, a leader of the Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club. Jorge drove the support vehicle and made sure we didn't die of dehydration. We stopped at the Boeing plant in Mesa, and were wamly received by a large crowd of supporters. Thanks to Ron Carpenter (West Point '66) for getting his fellow Boeing co-workers to meet us, and also for buying us lunch! Bob and his fiancee Linda treated us to some margaritas on Mill Street at the end of the cycling day.

Days 72-76: June 2-6, 2007
Training rides around Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and Chandler, Arizona

This week I passed the 3,000 mile point. Jorge and I rode almost every day along some great cycling routes - Tempe is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. Several times we rode near the Rio Salado - which of course in Spanish means the 'River of Salad'. All of the communities we rode through are part of Maricopa County - the county that just keeps growing and growing and growing...

We are getting prepared to do the "Ride the Rockies" 6-day cycling event in Colorado, which will start on June 17th. http://www.ridetherockies.com/default.asp Hopefully, we will be somewhat prepared for some of those monster climbs in Colorado - but I guess we won't know how we will handle those altitudes until we get there.

Bob Beane of the Phoenix Metro Bike Club, took the time to ride with us and show us the sights. Rick, the owner of Javelina Cycles in Phoenix ( http://javelinacycles.com/ ) went all-out to help us with our equipment during our stay, giving our bikes free tune-ups and hooking us up with extra gear and equipment. After 3,000 miles, I was ready for a new chain, so Rick took care of that as well. Also, many thanks to my friend and West Point classmate Kevin Kluetz, and his wife Sandra, for providing us with lodging and food during our visit to the Phoenix area.

Day 77: June 7, 2007 
Road trip from Phoenix, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico

We are driving from Arizona to Colorado and hoping to see some of the sights along the way. The goal is to get to Colorado and complete the "Ride the Rockies" event without seeking medical attention. I thought about pedaling the whole way, but one of my friends reminded me that it's about 900 miles from Phoenix to Denver, so we decided to take Jorge's car and do some riding whenever we can. During the drive, we kept on passing over the Rio Puerco - which in Spanish means the River of Pork. After Colorado, we will head back to Phoenix by car, and then continue pedaling to San Diego.