Dateline: Flagstaff,AZ
Up & at it early & drove North and climbed to Flagstaff. I chose to drive S to I-17 instead of driving holiday weekend traffic up the canyon going North. Sedona sits around 4000′ & change, Flagstaff is 7200′. Climbed out of desert and into mixed open P-pine & Doug fir. Flagstaff is a sleepy town of 55,000 plus. Not a tourist stop but it is on RT 66.
GPSd Absolute Bikes for ride & map info, arrived before opening. There was no sign stating today’s closure. GPSd grocery store while I waited. Back @ shop a young rigid single speed rider gave me maybe 3 days of riding out here @ Dry lake Hills area. Primitive camping also.
Drove to informal TH and parked amid 9 other rigs. Saw broken window glass in several places which generated concern and caution. A guy said hello and asked questions about my van. I am the tourist trap. He told me that Rocky Ridge is an ok uphill instead of recommended road ride. I took his word & headed out.
Rocky Ridge is its namesake. The rocks here are blobs of embedded, round, grippy shapes. I made more than I would have made last week but still walked several. The new bars make me sit up straighter which lightens up the front end which allows for easier front wheel lofting. Also my head is up so I can see further down trail.
Dropped out on rugged 2 wheel drive road to climb the rest of the way. Seems like the climb took just over an hour & climbed 1500′, just like the ol’ west rides: Get the climb in on a road and then downhill on ST. What a view from ridge. This area rises solely from desert below. Trail has dirt on it and more rocks. The trail snaked between some pretty tight pinch spots like derailleur snappers. I scraped thru a spot and thought I ripped the derai… . but no.
A guy was riding up trail as I was going down. He looked familiar, yes he is, he rode on the shop ride yesterday in Sedona. He and his female friend are Aussies over here on business and they tacked on a week of bike riding vaca. He asked if I was following him. T-storm had been threatening. They were on their way up into it and I was going down away from it. I put on my rainjacket when I felt serious sprinkles. A little while later they caught up w/ me and we enjoyed the technical rocks the rest of way down.
I missed debriefing w/ the Seattle guy after yesterday’s ride. At first during the ride he was quiet like he was accessing a comparison w/ what he knows for rides. And then he became verbose. Oh, well, I told him.
Temp dropped up here, forecast is for 37 degrees. No outside shower and probably down comforter sleeping. Great sleeping. Cold enough almost for knee warmers.
Will ride from camp tomorrow. rented a movie from red box for this evening’ distraction.