schnauzers.ws

If you have read past year’s ride reports, then you’ll know I have always liked the valley of the sun. In fact the Phoenix area was on my top 3 list of places to move to. Denver won out because that’s where the jobs were. In any case, I continue my goal of getting there at least once a year. Usually as an add-on to a conference I am attending as was this case. Given the start times and golf tournament (I don’t play), I would get at least two and maybe three rides in.

When I arrived on Friday, Gary called to say he had kid duty and couldn’t ride. So after an uneventful unpacking and assembly of the bike, I was off to one of my favorite solo riding areas. McDowell Mountain Regional Park was empty as I pulled in and started the long loop.

Yeh, nothing very technical but it is fast and flowing. It also prevents me from doing something stupid while I am alone. Still, I find this "race course" very entertaining.

First thing I notice having been in the front range for a while is there are no climbs. Just flat out fun speeding along the desert trail.

Occasionally, you come across a drop into a wash, but if you know they are there it’s no big deal.

The turns are banked and what little loose stuff there is does keep you awake.

It was not easy getting the self-timing shots to work. This was the third attempt.

I like the south ridge the best and it’s probably the most technical section of the trail, which is not saying much. None-the-less I like babyheads.

Great views, warm weather, and desert landscape. Excellent!

Saturday I met Gary (GeeDub) and his friend John for a Trail 100 ride. John was inspiration for any rider. 62 years old, built like a twenty year old, and very fast! I was prepared for a death march, and they made sure I got it.

We ride from Gary’s house to the trailhead and a speedy start into the rising "hot" sun.

The pace continued quickly as we continued on mile after mile of singletrack.

Every now and then some technical sections are thrown in, but i think the main thing about this trail is endurance. I can usually go the distance, but the lack of long exhausting climbs was taking it’s toll.

Gary was nice enough to stop every once in a while so I could quench my parched throat. I was drinking water like a fish.

some of the technical areas began to take their tole on equipment. In this case, I’m right behind Gary as he rounds a fast downhill over some babyheads. He manages to catch a triangle shaped rock on the edge of his tire and pop. Ssssssssss. A hole right through the sidewall.

After patching it (which held for the rest of the ride) we continue on.

John poses along the singletrack.

What you don’t see in the next picture was the harder line straight up. I tried an alternate but came unglued.

We continued on for 28 miles (a few along the canal). Thankfully there was a place to refill water (and it was refrigerated) along the way.

It was a long hot ride and the death march at the end did me in. Brats for lunch were a good pick-me-up though.

Since that ride had drained me and created a nasty chaff in a few areas, I cortizoned the affected areas and waited to see what Sunday would bring. Though the redness had eased, my legs were screaming no mas. So I did a 20 mile ride along the dirt road through the Indian reservation with South Mountain (I think it was) in the foreground.