Day 10, March 15: Apache Junction to Globe, AZ

57 of 57 miles
Temperature range mid-50’s to mid 70’s

Today was billed as one of the toughest rides of the Southern Tier and it did not disappoint. We started riding at sunrise in anticipation of a long day of climbing. Below are the elevations for today’s ride from the Adventure Cycling maps.

The road was relatively flat out of Apache Junction to Florence for about 15 miles with the Superstition Mountains to the north.


A group stopped to fix the first flat of the day and to stretch out leg muscles.

Superstition Mountains, now to the northwest

Next, we began a 15-mile climb over Gonzales Pass at 2651’ with a slight descent into the town of Superior. The scenery was spectacular with yellow poppies and numerous other wildflowers (photos at the end of post) lining the roadside. We ate lunch at the Buckboard Restaurant, also the site of the World’s Smallest Museum, which I took a two-minute detour to explore in detail.

Looking back toward Apache Junction

Superior, AZ

Then the real fun started. During the next 10 miles, we gained 2000’ at a 7 % grade, traveling over a long bridge traversing the steep gorge of Queen Creek and, then, through the Queen Creek Tunnel. We reached the crest of the climb at the Signal Mountain Pass at 4600’. Finally, we had a long descent through road construction into the town of Miami, followed by another 5-mile climb to our hotel in Globe.

Queen Creek Bridge

The grade we just rode up

Signal Mountain Pass

Globe is quite a grim industrial town that I later learned is the gateway to Roosevelt Lake, a popular destination for Phoenix and Tucson residents. That explained the volume of traffic on the road all day, a Sunday with magnificent weather. RV’s were particularly plentiful, one of which buzzed not five feet from my left shoulder and did the same to many other riders. This, combined with the lack of road shoulders during the final 25 miles, made for less than ideal riding conditions where you had to be alert every moment.

However, despite the traffic and road hazards, the views were magnificent and the landscape was truly breathtaking. I felt a sense of accomplishment to have finished such a challenging ride.