RAW Recon

Yarnell Grade near Congress, AZ

The Yarnell Grade.  As you approach Congress, AZ and you see the Grade on the horizon, it always causes me to GULP.  I will never forget climbing Yarnell Grade during the RAAM in 2008.  I remember climbing steadily and being focused on keeping the pedals turning.  I snuck a glance over my right shoulder and saw a scene similar to the picture -- and I quickly looked back forward.  I thought to myself, "Wow!  This is a real mountain!"

I've been feeling unsettled about hotel rooms for the first night of RAW.  I've been designated team captain -- mainly, because I'm the type of guy who will take care of all these details.  I thought we stayed in Salome, AZ last year and the hotel we stayed in was disgusting -- you know the kind of hotel when you feel dirtier after your shower?

I've been looking for a better alternative on the internet with no luck.  I wasn't even able to find the low-rent hotel from last year.  I thought ... "Well, maybe they've gone out of business -- no surprise there."  So, I had made reservations at a hotel about 15 miles off the route (not an optimum situation).  But, I wasn't happy with that arrangement, and it's just been bugging me.

It's too cold to ride here, and Claire's working, so I decided to take a trip to AZ to get some good intel.  One of the benefits of my job, I guess, is free air travel, so I took the Company jet to PHX and arrived at 8:10 am.  (If I had to pay for my round-trip, it would have cost $763.40!)  I picked up my rental car for a daily rate of $11.48 (the taxes, fees, and undercoating were more than the car) and I headed towards Salome, AZ (TS5).

When I pulled into Salome, I was momentarily confused.  This isn't where we stayed last year!  Then, I quickly realized my mistake -- we had stayed in Parker, AZ last year (TS4)!  I turned the car towards Parker and 50 miles or so later, I was parked in front of the dump we stayed in last year -- the Stardust Motel.  Across the street was the equally disgusting El Rancho Motel.  I scouted the town and found a Motel 6, the Kola Inn, and last but certainly the best, the Best Western Parker Inn.  Additionally, I found three other merchants which may come in handy during the race ... Walmart, Safeway, and CVS!

This trip was worth its weight in gold.  I avoided a very big mistake which would have been a real pain to handle during the race.  As I tell everyone, the RAAM (and to a lesser extent, RAW) are not really bike races, but logistics races.  My trip on this frigid day in January will pay dividends in June.

In addition to securing our overnight lodging, I was also able to test and validate some of the GPS data and equipment I'm planning to use also.

So, I finished my 370-mile loop and surveyed Time Stations 4, 5 and 6 -- Parker, Salome, and Congress.  I got back to PHX, caught an early flight back to SAT and was home by 10 pm.  It was a great day which satisfied my unrest about where we will stay in June.

But, most of all, it was a beautiful day in the desert southwest; an area of our country I truly love.  And, climbing the Yarnell Grade in my rental car only heightens my anticipation of climbing it again on my bike soon!