Last night & tonight I splurged and spent $25 ea night to camp @ McDowell regional park. Very nice desert campground. Got in last night just about dark after driving ATV trashed back roads looking for a primitive spot to stay. Too many motor heads and the litter was disgusting. I wonder if they eat their young.
Picked campsite on outer loop by myself. The flight path to Phoenix airport is almost right over park. AT night the sky is lit by landing lights and navigation blinking lights. Stage lll means quiet engines. The planes are still a good ways up, must drop like a rock to the runway.
Yesterday drove up from Tucson. Stopped @ DNA cycles in town to buy another slime tube. Spoke w/ Chris who was the one to set my bike up last spring w/ new stem & monkey bars. He remembered me.
Called around to several bike shops seeking leg armor. Found a store & bought a pair of shin & knee protection, kind of like a baseball catcher’s get up. Hardshell on the fronts. Need it for cactus in Sedona. Next is maybe flat pedals and skate shoes.
Called Grace this AM. She will be in San Diego at end of month. I was planning on visiting w/ her there. She told me the drug company that is sponsoring her has a full itinerary and she has no free time for a visit. Cancelled plan. She said that it is bitter cold in the SE, Yesterday was the first race of the Snake Gap time challenge, it was 22 degrees. There are several creeks to ride across. She said water froze on the bikes causing all kinds of problems. She said some riders claimed peeing on derailleurs to make them work. Last March I got to sweep the 33 mile course. Won’t be back there this year for a go.
Campground host, John & wife Sandy (who has a Turner Flux) are mtn bikers. He shared trail info w/ me this AM for my ride.
30 mile desert ride, 2835′ climbed in 70 degree sunshine. Trail for most part is old double track w/ some ST added, some of which was unoriginal machine cut. Good big ring spinning.
Tomorrow is the Cactus Cup race course just down the road. Dirtbag camp in town. Still have several more rides to do here before I head back to Sedona.
Desert:
