Day Two – The Devil’s Highway

motorcycle adventures 2 Minutes

Today, Monday, April 8th I rode 165 Miles from Safford, AZ to Eagar, AZ along US Route 191 – Called the Devil’s Highway.

There are a number of stories as to how the road earned its name.  One story, shared with me by Gary France, who inspired me to travel by Motorcycle around the United States and blog, is that it was originally called US Hwy 666.  But the road signs were being stolen too often.  By the way, check out Gary at http://www.garysfrance.com/france-in-america/

Another story is that the hairpin turns, sudden bad weather and the dangerous rock falls make it the Devil’s workshop.  Also, it is a 90 mile stretch with no services on the road.

Today I was very lucky.  The weather was perfect and I had to only deal with the turns and rock falls and gravel on the road.

US 191, going north from Safford to Alpine, is an amazing road as it starts out in the desert and is straight as an arrow.  It then meanders into foothills and you arrive at the Morenci Mine.

The Morenci Mine is a large, make that HUGE, copper mine.  Morenci represents one of the largest copper reserves in the United States and in the world.

You then past the mine and enter the Apache National Forest and the highway turns into a Bikers dream (in good weather) with lots of twists and turns and beautiful Vistas.

Entering US 191 from Safford.

The Southern Start to US 191
High desert and straight as an arrow

The Morenci Mine.

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First, I dropped off my resume – They told me I was not qualified
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It is an incredible operation – The initial underground mining began in 1881 and the mine later transitioned to open-pit mining beginning in 1937.

And this is what comes out.

Once past the mine, 191 becomes a beautiful road with breathtaking vistas.

Tight twisting corners
Steep switch backs
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A view from US 191

Once I got through the twists and turns, the road meandered through the mountains that still had quite a bit of snow on the ground.

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And the subsequent runoff created beautiful streams.

A long day in the saddle – 165 miles took me over 7 hours due to the nature of US 191.  My average speed was approximately 30 – 35 MPH.  And, I must admit, I only brought one bottle of water and by the end, I was hurting.  I won’t let that happen again!

Another sunny and warm day to enjoy the adventure.  However, changes are coming.  Tomorrow the forecast is…

Wind Advisory in effect from Tuesday, 9:00 AM MST until Wednesday, 5:00 PM MST. Source: U.S. National Weather Service
WINDS…Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts from 40 to 55 mph on Tuesday, switching to the northwest on Wednesday. Stronger, but localized wind gusts, are possible Tuesday night.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I planned to ride 166 miles to Window Rock, AZ along Route 180 and visit the Petrified Forest.  We will see if I can accomplish that goal with the wind conditions.  At least there is no rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  That comes on Wednesday.

Wish me luck and Keep Wheeling!

 

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Published by Paul Kramer

Paul Kramer’s award-winning and distinguished career is characterized by a long track record of building high-performance sales and marketing communication organizations. He brings a high-energy, enthusiastic approach to marketing that is contagious and produces results. His expertise is a unique blend of creativity, technical marketing analysis, and a keen business sense for strategic positioning. He has worked with some of the world's greatest communication companies, including Grey Advertising, Bates Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, D.L. Ryan Companies and Epsilon. He is skilled in all areas of marketing from both the agency and client side of the business. He is especially strong in strategic planning, global marketing, national brand & account management, marketing communications, licensing and business development. In addition, he has a solid thirty plus year management foundation with accomplishments in P&L management, intellectual property, forming and maintaining strategic alliances and building business. Mr. Kramer has documented successes in companies from $10 Million to $100 Million in size, with industries ranging from automotive, restaurant to consumer packaged goods and durable goods. He brings an unusually strong multi-product, multi-market background. The beneficiaries of his marketing acumen include Johnson & Johnson, M&M Mars, Cadbury, Toyota, The Stanley Works, Timex, Wal*Mart, Alcoa, Novartis and more. Mr. Kramer has received awards for his career accomplishments, including a Promotional Marketing Association Reggie for Global Marketing and a Promotional Marketing Association Reggie for Account Specific Marketing. Mr. Kramer is married to Catherine and has two beautiful daughters, Emma and Sarah, and his hobbies include tennis, motorcycling, and boating.

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4 thoughts on “Day Two – The Devil’s Highway”

  1. Hey Paul…if you want some more thrills and chills, you may want to try the Salt River Canyon on Rte 60 between Globe and Show Low. Second only to the Grand Canyon for eye candy. Plus you have the benefit of being able to ride through it on a paved road. Wherever you go, enjoy the ride.

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    1. Bill, I think that the salt river canyon is on my itinerary. But, with 50 MPH winds today, I am happy I am not going over it. Petrified Forest is worth a visit.

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