Day 27 Sat. Oct. 11, 2008

From Heber to Payson 53 miles
Last night I went to bed at 9:11 pm, after that sumptuous meal at Sassy’s Café. This morning I got up at 5:30 and performed my ritual. I had my oatmeal with raisins and bananas and my cup of Ovaltine.

I got my bike out of the van. Sometimes there is not enough space to keep it in the motel room. The front wheel was flat! Oh no! Not again! I was so upset. I went back in the motel room to inform Pam. I went to the front desk and inquired from the manager if he knew of anyone in Heber who was capable of assisting me. He recommended Herber Tires.

They could not do it. No one else in town could, so I waited until Pam was ready to leave. We packed the van and headed west on Hwy 260 toward Payson.

The rain fell last night. There was a chill in the air and the constant wind brought out the leather jackets and woolen padded jean jackets. The wind was blowing about 25 to 30 with gusts up to 50 and 60.

Heading west is a dream of difficult, hazardous and uplifting moments, tiresome, yet exuberant because at the end of this journey, I will be surrounded by those I love, by those who care for my well being and believe in my dream. For all of you who played a roll in the creation of this impossible, incredulous ride, thank you profoundly.

We found a bike shop owned by Paul Wolfe, who was very careful to pay attention to all the details of my cycling needs. Paul repaired the 2 front wheels, inserted slime in the original front wheel and calibrated my odometer.

While he was working on my bike, Pam took a walk and decided to walk into a very attractive place called Majestic Mountain Inn. They had a vacancy but quoted a price that was too high. When she told them our story, they gave her a very substantial discount that brought it within our price range. It was just a stone’s throw from the Bike Shop and Tiny’s Restaurant where we ate.. The room was very nice and large enough to get my bike next to my bed., to keep the temperature of the wheels even. It’s nice to be clean and well fed after a long day.