Az188 Roosevelt s(u) by Bicycle - Velo

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Az188 Roosevelt - Globe s(u)

This is the main access to a large reservoir, in weekend commuting distance to Phoenix, south of Globe. Consequently this highway does not get traffic to fill out its lanes or shoulders at other times. The large lanes, huge shoulders and superwide rumble strips give that impression of being created for towing houseboats and other motorized paraphernalia. But the only decent time to bike over it is really in the colder months, and at that time - I barely perceived any traffic at all. The result is a nice road bike summit, albeit over wide, rough pavement and shoulders covered with rocks and rumble strips.

1.START-END NORTH:local low point on Az188 near Roosevelt resort turnoff
2.TOP, 3940ft
3.START-END SOUTH:local low point on Az188, where it approaches Pinal Creek

Approaches

From South. I started the elevation profile somewhere along the lake. After all, what could be lower than the lake, without overthinking the situation. Well - huge lakes in the dessert are always suspicious. This is a reservoir with water for Phoenix and a dam. Not far from this summit the road named Appache Trail follows the water to the city, but high up in the intervening hills. But immediately after diverging from Az188, the Apache Trail first descends to the bottom of the dam, and from there the profile could have been several hundred feet higher.

Az188 stays far away from the lake, as it rolls across the dessert arroyos. There is one last arroyo to cross at the town Roosevelt. The only evidence of the town from Az188 is a tourist grocery store. The road climbs to the top, using no turns that would cause a motorized vehicle to slow down. But the views certainly made me slow down and turn around. The junction with the paved road on the east side of the lake is quite a little shoulder summit climb in itself.

From North. (also described upwards) After turning off US60, Az191 is actually slightly uphill even though it
follows Pinal Creek downhill. But it does this on a ravine above the creek. The road and the wash will end up on the shore of Roosevelt Lake, but the road is going to detour over a shoulder of Salt River Mountain to get there It does so in two steps with a nice view of the mountain along the way.

The top has an elevation sign, but nothing that designates this a summit, even though my map labels it as "The Summit"

Dayride with this point as highest summit:

COMPLETELY PAVED:

( < Az88 Apache Trail s(u)-3 | US60 Jones Water - Salt River Canyon s(u) >)

Az188 Roosevelt - Globe s(u) x2: near jct FR400 Az188 <> Az`188 south <> Az`88 Roosevelt - Globe s(u) > US60 east << turnaround point in Globe with several miles of sightseeing detours in the area: 60.3miles with 4280ft of climbing in 5:21hrs (garmin etrex32x r4:24.12.18)
Notes: record warm temperatures with highs in the 80, and the first very windy day for a long time. - Best camping weather since i left beginning September. - US60 south of Globe has way too much traffic these days to be considered a "good bicycling route". - On Az188 I met Dave, 71 years old and touring the old way, as professed by him, pedal clips, paper maps, no gps, but a dedicated mp3 player, - one more dedicated painter riding from New Jersey, on the road since September, after taking care of his mother for 5 bicycle-less years.