 This is a really good life lesson in letting go. Buenos dias. It's actually not that cold. I thought I was gonna wake up with frost all over everything, but I'm all good. Felt great, slept all right. Had some fun dreams. And look who's waiting. Hello. Hello, Mira. You want this? Check it out. The sun has come up in one little sliver. Right on John. John is the chosen one. Oh, it's the morning Mira Hugs. Oh, you look so cute. How many sticks do you have in your mouth? How many sticks do you have in your mouth? One, two, three. Come on, give me one. Give me one, give me one, go on, give me one. This was a really nice place to camp. And it was kind of cozy to be amongst the trees. Last night we heard coyotes, really close. We heard elk, bugling. And last night when I had to get up to pee, I mean the stars and the silhouettes of the trees and the moon, pretty spectacular. You ready to ride bikes? Yeah, you ready to ride bikes? You ready to go? Yeah, yeah, I can't hear you. What, are you excited? You ready? Got your sticks? Bouncy, bouncy, boing, boing, boing. No flatties, no crashes, no whammies. Yeah, it's gonna be another good one. How do I know that? Well, I don't know 100% for sure, but whenever you start your day on a bike with a good friend and an awesome dog, it's probably gonna be a good day. We're starting to see some mountains off in the distance. This is definitely a much different landscape than what we've been riding the past week. Here last night we have ice. We found some water here. It's a little muddy. We're not desperate for water yet, but we're always on the lookout because when you're in the desert, like I've said, you never know when the next supply is. And our map has some spots that said this might have water, this might have some water, so it's always a might, it's never a guarantee. And we're not gonna drink this water. We're gonna hope that there's something cleaner down the line. Hi, Mira. Thank you for the hug. Mm-hmm, thank you for the Mira hug. It is time to get off this dirt road and head on to the actual AZT. We're probably gonna see some single track, which will be awesome. I've always wanted to ride a bit of this trail, and now I get a little taste of it. How long are we gonna be on this, do you know? No, I don't. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Well, we'll be on it for a little bit at least, which you put in there, John. Just a little dog packing world tour sticker. So we were just about to jump on our bikes, and I saw out of the corner of my eye a little box, and I was like, ooh, that might be a trail magic box. John? So it must be stuff because it's brimming. On the outside, there are some yellow cling-sliced peaches in extra light syrup. Open it, let's see what's inside. Open the box, John! This is kind of exciting, I've never opened one of these before. You know, you go to hot, and it's like total leftovers. Oh, yeah, look at that! Look at that, John. A little bit of water, we got some oatmeal, we've got some fuel cans. Fuel cans. People doing nice things for other people, eh? That's cool, it says it's maintained by volunteers. Take what you need, putts and disco, that must be their trail names. Yeah. Look at that juicy peach. Mmm. Mmm, mmm, mmm. You know, it tastes better because it was put there with love. We don't eat much in the way of fruit and veg on these trips, do we? No, we definitely don't. It's hard when you're doing them just long. It's hard to pack bananas, I mean, maybe an apple you can pull off, but everything gets smashed. All right, thank you magic box of goodies. That was awesome. Mira is happy, aren't you, Mira? Aren't you happy? You're a happy, happy dog, you're a happy, happy dog. So we came from way out there in the Flatlands, heading up and up and up. And that's where we're going, that's John and Mira. There's a little dot right there. Chugging along, chugging along on the AZT. You know what John calls the AZT? The AZT. Isn't that weird? I think that's weird. Although everybody else outside of the United States would call it that too. There's somebody hot on my tail. She wants to pass. I'll let her pass. Go for it, Mira, go. Sprint up this hill. We've been grinding all day. It's time for a Mira break. Yeah, it is, oh. Petting a dog, mid ride is good for the soul. You get to do this all the time, don't you? Yeah. Yeah, sure do. Oh, you're so sweet. You're just the sweetest thing you are. Right here is my favorite part. Now we're on single track on the AZT. Yeah, buddy, how you doing, John? Wow. There he is. How you doing, Mira? Everybody psyched. We are hitting this forest at the perfect time. This light is beautiful. As it streams in between the trees. Yeah, all the grass is golden. I like it a lot. What do you think, Mira? Is this a good place to camp? Looks nice and flat. You've already got your stick, you're ready to roll. All right, another 50 miles down. Today was pretty mild. We are at 8,000 feet above sea level right here. So once again, it could be cold, but last night wasn't that cold, it's 7,500. So who knows? I got my tent set up and my pre-dinner snack is a burrito, of course. You gotta have a burrito before you have a burrito. And I got this one at a store a couple of days ago. Bean and cheese burrito, it was 79 cents. And there goes the sun. Oh, oh, oh. There are wolves out here. There are Mexican gray wolves. So maybe I just called a whole bunch of them to come hang out with us. I wouldn't mind one to cuddle with, actually, if it was a friendly wolf, you know. But you know what I found? I found a friendly wolf right here. You're a friendly wolf, aren't you? Aren't you? Here, give it to me. All right, okay, you ready? Ready? Boom! To the right, to the right. And here is burrito number two with hatch green chilies, bean and cheddar. I have high hopes for this one. Oh yeah, I can just feel it. You know when a burrito feels right, right? And so these are just frozen burritos that I buy at gas stations or grocery stores and I stick them in my bike frame bag and throughout the day, they warm up and then when you're ready for dinner, they're warm enough. They're not hot, but they're definitely warm enough. And there's Mira, still waiting. I'm looking, MBSC, at that burrito of yours. That looks pretty good. You want this burrito, don't you, John? I do enjoy it. But it does look good. Yeah, it does, doesn't it? Yeah, it's like real beans in there. Yeah, real deal. Mm, and John made some food that he got from the Trail Magic place. That looks pretty good. What is this? Cheddar broccoli yumminess? I think it's supposed to be more creamy, but where you gotta boil it, probably maybe. No, it sucks. Oh, bummer, man, maybe that's why they left it in the Trail Magic box. I don't buy these. Threw hikers are big fans of these things, apparently. But me thinks they don't have, they've killed their taste buds, then, honestly. I'm out on a little solo walk now while John makes his dinner, and just reminiscing about the past week. It's been seven days. It's amazing how fast time flies. And we've lived a lot of fun experiences in the last seven days, and seen some beautiful things, and made some new friends, and eaten a lot of burritos and pickles. I just, whenever I do these rides, I really just, my gratitude-ometer, that's a word, fills up. I just feel really in love with life, in love with the planet, in love with everybody I meet, and it's a really good feeling. If you watch the news, it can be dark and scary. When you actually get out here, though, you're like, oh, wow, humans are awesome. And it's really good for my soul, just to be reminded of that every now and then. And, look at this, what are you waiting for? You want this stick? Is this what you're waiting for? Okay. And yes, it's been an absolute treat to be able to ride with John and Mira. And this dog right here, this dog right here has just captured my heart in every way. She is a sweetie, and she is goofy, and she makes me happy. So my tent is glowing red, and this is why. Look at those colors. Look at that dog. She's got the stick all ready for me. Thank you, wonderful, flat piece of ground with a nice soft bed of pine needles. Slept well last night. Look at that. It might not look amazing, but that's the taste of my childhood. I used to always get the maple and brown sugar oatmeal. Cheers, and thank you, John, for making this. I was very sweet of you. You're the man. Oh, I'm excited. So, John, you travel with a dog. That's pretty unique. How long have you been traveling with dogs? I know Mira's not the only one. It's been about seven or eight years now. Yeah. Yeah, I did it first with another border collie, Mellon, and then now Mira's four, so since she was three months old, when she was three months old, we flew to Spain. Spent four months there, so yeah, it seems like forever now. Yeah, and most people would think, now I'm gonna leave the dog at home. What gave you the confidence to travel with a dog on a bike? I used to be a very active climber, and I would always take my dog with me, to the crag, ice climbing, or whatever, into the mountains, skiing, and so it just seemed like an extension of that. If I had a dog, I had a dog that was one that fit my active lifestyle, and so yeah, I just looked for a way to sort that out. Do you usually get collie-type dogs, border collies? Yeah, when you say that, it sounds like I get one, like I'm going to a fast food restaurant, but they're kind of with you for a long part of your life, but she is my fifth dog, yeah, so since I was a young child, pre-teens, we had a dog in the family, and then I had them when I was out of my parents' home, so yeah. And what's the best part about having a companion with you? Well, it is that, it is that companionship. I mean, they're not humans, but there's a bond that forms between you and your dog. I mean, people know this when they have pets, you know, they refer to them as a fur child or something like that. If a dog passes away, it's a heartbreaking thing. Yeah, it's great. The other thing that people might not really realize is that it breaks down a boundary. People will approach me from across a road or a parking lot. If I've gone in to get water somewhere, they'll be like, oh, your dog's so amazing, it's beautiful, or a come out of a Mexican grocery store and there's half a dozen or more people taking selfies of Mira. If dogs can talk to each other, Mira's got some stories for other dogs. She's like, you wouldn't believe what my life is like. Yeah, totally, but they just did that, it's normal for her. Yeah, and everywhere she goes, people love her. So that's what more, and then we have sticks and exercise and sights and sounds. So yeah, it's a good life for me and it's a good life for her and the partnership works out pretty well, yeah. And there she is, waiting for a stick. There she is, the priority 600X in all her glory. And it's time to ride. I'm gonna go with the puffy this morning because it's pretty chilly. And I hate to say it, not just for you, but for me, this is our last day of riding together. It's been eight days. I only had about a week. I'm gonna be flying out of Flagstaff and it's amazing how fast time flies when you're having fun and I'm gonna miss, I'm gonna miss you a lot, brother. Hello. Hello. Are you ready? Bouncy bouncy bouncy, you're like ticker. And for our final day together, one last time, ladies and gentlemen, no crashies, no flaties, no whammies. Looks like we have a steep road for the next three miles. It's actually kind of good because it warms us up. So I just had a big time equipment whammy. I was flying my drone, getting epic shots of John and Mira going up the steep road. I was flying the drone back to me and then it got stuck way up in that tree. And I've been throwing rocks at it for the past hour. I can't even see it. I'm just throwing rocks blindly, hoping that I might hit the drone and no luck. And John's way up the road and wondering why I am and oh, this is such a bummer. This is every drone shot since our first night on the Navajo Nation and there was some really good stuff. And there's no way to get it. There's no way to climb that tree. Well, nothing to do, but move forward. Oh, it's so hard to leave it behind. Bye drone. You were good to me for a while. It's gonna be stuck up there for a long time until there's a big windstorm. Oh, man. So close to being done too. This was gonna be the last drone shot of the entire trip. This is a really good life lesson in letting go. That really is, you know, when I was younger, I used to freak out if something like this happened if I lost a toy or whatever it was and throw a tantrum. But in this moment right here, there's really nothing I can do. I tried my hardest. I threw rocks at it for an hour. I threw my arm out. My arm is really sore. And the most important thing is I'm healthy, John's healthy, Mira's healthy. We've had a great trip and that's awesome. And I'll get another drone. I'll do more bike trips. I'll be more careful in the future and you'll see some more epic drone shots. It's good to see you, Mira. You always make me feel better. Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do. Hi John, sorry for the very long wait. Oh man, I had such a great shot of you too. So did you get the footage or you get the drone? Nope, none of it. Oh no. None of it. And I got the shot. I was flying it back to me to land and it nicked the super tall tree and just got stuck way up high and you know, I've already told you all about it I'm just glad that you're here and you're here. We're healthy. Our bikes work. It's all good. It's gonna be okay. It will. Can I have a Mira hug here? Jump up. Give me a hug. Give me a hug. Give me a hug. Come on. Oh, thank you. I need a Mira hug right now. Mira doesn't care about drone shots. She just cares about love. Oh, I love you. This is exactly what I needed. I needed just a Jolly Mira to bring my spirits up. Yeah, let's go ride bikes. Let's go ride bikes. Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. All right. Let's go to Flagstaff and get a comfort burrito. What was that, John? You're gonna put some sympathy sauce on the burrito. We're back up at 8,700 feet above sea level. Slowly chugging our way to the top. So I thought we were gonna have an easy day into Flagstaff. Nope. All right, we finished up that single track was only about two miles and we are now at 9,500 feet. Luckily it's a little bit later in the day so it's a comfortable temperature. How'd you like that, John? That was amazing. So beautiful in those Aspins. Yeah, totally. Easy walking. If you're gonna take your bike out for a walk, get it some exercise, that's the place to do it. Yeah, it is a beautiful place to walk your bike. Mira loved it too. She was off of the east, just bouncing around. I've said it before, but Aspen groves always comfort me. What drone? Who cares? What matters right now is right now, riding through this Aspen grove. Oh, this is gonna have to be a really quick one. Oh, look. I call this my victory burrito. Look at that, you get a nice twirl just like I hoped, a giant burrito, a nice comfort burrito. This looks great. I've been thinking about it all day. Oh, I'm so excited. Sweet, sweet burrito. Sure, I'm gonna miss you. It's been a great week. Yeah, it's been so fun. You wanna lick my pizza fingers? John, another adventure. Thank you so much. May have my pleasure to have you. Yeah. Can you get me this, man? Oh, man. So it really has been one of the highlights of my year and just hanging out and getting to know you better and seeing the world and seeing new places. Yeah, it's a great state, isn't it? Yeah, I love Arizona. Yeah. And I wish you all the best of luck out there, man. I'm rooting you on. You have a long way to go, but around the world is quite the feat and to even dream it takes guts. And so I admire you, man. Yeah, thanks, man. It was definitely, it was a short trip, but a great trip. We packed a heck of a lot into it. We saw so much in this little time. Yeah, and the people we've met along the way, those memories will stay. So it was terrific. Absolutely. So we have one last cozy night together. I'm gonna get on a flight early in the morning and I think I'm gonna be able to steal Mira one last night. What do you think, Mira? So thank you all once again for watching my videos. It means the world to me. It means the world to him. Go subscribe to his YouTube channel and his Instagram and keep up with all of his adventures for the next few years as he rides around the world with Mira the Wonder Dog. If you like my videos, please share them with your friends. That's the best way to help me, really. And if you have the ability, join my Patreon. I do early releases and videos with no ads. And every now and then I do private live chats with my patrons. It's really a lot of fun. But again, no pressure. If you can't do it, I totally get it. You can watch my videos always for free. But I certainly appreciate you patrons out there. And John, my man, any last words? Oh, right on the spot. Right on the spot. Think of something really profound. Hurry. I got nothing, but thanks for a great pizza and a terrific week-long adventure. Many more to come, I hope. Yeah, many more to come. That's right, that's right. I'm gonna meet you other places around the world. So this is not it. Yeah, Mexico's next. Yeah, Mexico, South America, Asia, Europe. Who knows? Why don't you guys suggest to Ryan in the comments where he should meet me and Mira next. Oh, I like it, I like it. Say bye-bye. Love you, bro. Bye, folks. Do you have any last words? You're tired, you had a long day.