P4W2 Day 6 Wickenberg - Apache Jxn., AZ 99 miles

The bulk of the day was spent navigating Phoenix.  It was essentially 60 miles across the metro area.  I had not appreciated the size
of the city.  Only in the evening when I was at a slightly greater elevation could I see the vastness of it, with lights stretching for miles.  The streets of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa were wide and bike friendly.

In the city itself, Phoenix is quite flat.  The orange trees and palm trees lining the streets give the feel of south Florida, minus the mangroves and
the snook.  I am glad I had good maps.  The city seemed to go on forever, and without the topographic relief, it would have been easy to get turned around.

The climate in southern Arizona has obvious appeal.  Winter days are almost all sunny, and
folks were complaining about temps around 60 being a cold snap!  But the growth of desert cities makes one wonder how long it can continue.
Marc Reisner's decades-old book Cadillac Desert speaks to the conundrum of eventual water shortages in the mountain west.  Even a mummichog might have a tough time surviving in the named 'rivers' I pedaled over
today...they were dry!

If the sun keeps on shining through the desert, it will be a big help. Tonight temps are in the 20s, but will increase quickly when the sun
rises in the morning.