Day 86, Bylas, Arizona
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Day 86 Painting Across America was a gorgeous one! From the moment I woke up, I knew it would be a good day- because the church I slept outside of had a beautiful view as soon as I slid out of my sleeping bag. I skated from Fort Thomas to Bylas, Arizona- the Apache Reservation in the area, and the scenes and the people were incredible this day! I stopped into a convenience store to load up on drinks and snacks, and I was informed that I was a block from the skatepark! I got to pump around for a short session, and it was a lot of fun to take a break from the monotony of the mission! Further down the road I met a couple who was working on clearing out the walking paths and sidewalks in the community- we had a good chat about the project, and they wished me luck on my adventures. The Mountains began getting larger and the scenery was breathtaking! I had to sit down and capture the mountains in the distance for today’s painting. I had fun going a bit more illustrative and bold on my contrast today, subconsciously exaggerating the peaks and valleys to make the scene feel powerful. I skated down to Peridot, where I hit my 36 mile mark- and decided to push another 14 into the night… not realizing the next 9 miles were straight uphill! I was stopped by 4 vehicles who all asked me if I needed help or a ride, and the last car was two women who gave me a sandwich and some menudo and a bottle of water! For an out of place white boy, I felt a lot of love on the res, and enjoyed visiting the land. I ended up at the Apache Gold Casino for the night… too tired to gamble! 52 miles and a 1400 foot climb... but it felt like going up Everest towards the end.
