Yesterday was the big Black Canyon trail ride w/ a group of Phoenix riders from a program Meetup. I camped @ TH @ Rock City then drove back down !-17 to meeting place. Amy, the event organizer had it down as she had every rider assigned to a shuttle rig and we left like almost right now. I rode w/ 3 others in Diana’s truck. All of us drove N on I-17 to Bloody Basin exit to the N end of the trail, our starting point. About 10 of us signed up for the whole 48 miles. Trail drops elevation going S, ride this way. Maybe 20 riders all starting from same place, some men got their hair up and sped their pace up, as time went on riders sorted themselves out to the riders and pretenders. I was in the former until Table mesa road @ mile 38, 6 hrs 49 mins later @ 3:45. I started running out of steam and the snap to do distance b4 dark. Only after I downloaded the Edge did I learn my error meaning I had just 10 miles to go in 90 mins. Once I decided to escape and started on a refreshing beer @ the truck I was done. Great rideable challenging hand built trail to ride. Cloudless day, temp in low 70s, no shade. My issue was w/ energy management in not drinking enough h2o. At rest stops I found shade to take shelter in contrary to everybody else. Phoenix people used to this desert as they stayed in the sunshine, several wore all black.  I rode the piece I rode several weeks ago w/ BnB guys onto next section below Bumble Bee. Then 1st of 3 wet feet crossings of the Agua Fria river up new section of trail that I rode last spring @ the trail dedication. Several of the switchbacks were too tight for me to ride. Crossed river 2nd time on piece of trail i had ridden 2x b4. Flotsam from last Jan floods were still noticeable high above the h2o. New tree growth had sprouted. Grinder of a climb out of river. My group shrunk to 5, the leaders were Amy and a guy both on single speed hard tail 29rs. I was between them and the remaining 2 riders. Lots of chain fruit cholla, aka jumping cholla bordered the trail. On a rough downhill i chose a line close to the trail edge and brushed maybe 1 thorn. I noticed piercing pain immediately. I just knew i had a cholla ball embedded on my knee. Only @ bottom of downhill did I look @ my knee: nothing. Wow. Somewhere b4 Table Mesa signs of horse use appeared.

So I accepted a bail out ride back to my van. I bid adieu and headed back to KOA @ Black Canyon city for a $5.00 shower that I was so looking forward to after 5 days no shower. Bummer, the XG had a propane disaster and couldn’t heat h2o. They told me of another RV park on the other side of I-17. The front desk lady let me shower for free. Cool. Apparently once every month the park has a party for all the birthday and anniversaries that month. There was a gaggle of people enjoying a pot luck. I was invited to stay for cake but i decided I needed to get to camp @ Sedona all the while managing leg cramping. At camp i put off going to bed waiting for potential cramps to go away. I was so beat up i didn’t sleep well, hindering also was a vicious wind storm that literally rocked my van.

I made today a recuperation day spending most of it @ BnB watching football on TV. Camped again @ Beaverhead. Tomorrow is an afternoon ride w/ Jimmy & gang.

That is the folks from Shenandoah Bicycle Co from Harrisonburg, VA.

Yesterday was chilly and very windy. I had a 1:30 chiro appointment in west Sedona. I bagged the ride and did my wash which is next door to chiro clinic. Plan is to spend 1 hr @ chiro then go for a short ride. Have clean clothes. Chiro visit went sideways time wise and I didn’t get out till just about 4. Started heading down to BnB. As I passed MBH I caught a quick glance of what I thought was Tim’s reddish colored Sprinter. I swung around and greeted him head on. They rode one day on the Syllamo in AR then drove straight across. New plan: I lead them back out to Deer Pass rd camp for the night. Timwho owns SBC & s.o. Sue Haywood, Colin who works for Tim, and Nate are here. They set up their car camp on the big flat under full moon light. We piled into Tim’s van sitting on seats. He heated us w/ a Little Buddy like I first used but hooked to a big propane tank which meant long burn time over the 1# can. Very chilly night.  Got down to 23 when I crawled out of bed.

In the AM I hung in my van for bfast & cleanup waiting for the sun to do its job. Tim built up Sue’s Turner Flux. 4 Turners out of 5 just like our ride back @ Big Schloss in VA last summer. Most Turners I have ever ridden w/.

Day wore on before we headed into town.  Tim knows Ross Schnell who is still in town, he and Susan were teammates on the Trek factory team. Sue was denied a position on the US Olympic team back maybe 2 Olympics ago by a clerical error. She’s that good.

We headed out from Ross’ rental up to airport and they took off leaving me behind. My maximum was wait @ every intersection for me to catch up and direct the route. We rode the west Sedona look that I am getting more familiar with. Both route finding and riding. They smoked the desert. I rode a few more pieces. I finally made the last climbing switchback on Sketch although I thought my heart was going to pound right out of my chest. We parted company @ MBH. Sunday night they move into their rental for a week.

My move was driving down to BnB to visit as I had been gone 2 days. Pulled into parking lot and there was Doug from Wed’s ride and the guys from Moab that are staying @ Ross’. I joined in the post ride baffonery @ the shop.

Load up & head south as the sun was going down. I planned on staying @ Black Canyon city TH but several guys said locals are tweakers and I would not be safe. I had spent 3 nights there previously. Instead i drove further south to tomorrow’s ride end TH. Pulled in and read sign that said closes @ sundown & camping by permit only. Bummer. Turned around & drove 10 miles back up I-17 to were i would have stayed. I’m here for the night.

Interesting chiro visit. I saw DR Holladay on the last day I was in Sedona last year. She treats world class athletes. She gave me 2 breathing exercises to help fight the COPD. Bicycling creates a hunched over position causing the chest to collapse. Result is to move my shoulders back to straighten my hunch out.

Tomorrow is the 48 miles on the Black Canyon Trail in the Sonorran desert. Shade is in the shadow of Saguaro cactus, don’t throw much. Forecast temp is 69 under clear skies.

Moon is almost full that lights the desert up. Still using heater on low during the night as temps are still just above freezing, van is not hot, chilly warm maybe. I enjoy leaving a warm bed to a less than outside air temp living room.

Rolled into MBH for Wed shop ride. No Rama, just regular Kevin, newbie Clint, and for me first timer Doug. I learned that Doug has been living on the road for 2 years on the Colorado Plateau living out of a pulled by bike a 2 wheel trailer. He is living out in the desert a bit outside of town this ways. We have shared some of the same rides. I am living large compared to him. He earns $ doing jobs, a more simple life than mine. So, to those of you who can’t afford it, just hitch a trailer to your bike and take off. He is living on the sharp edge. He might be the grass hopper to my ant. He shared trails out NW of Sedona, a lot of horse trails. And then I lead him back to shop on social trails that we normally ride. He had an eye opener to the views and the quality of the social trails: more technical than horse trails. I’ll get him out for more of it.

Long day for amount of miles and time spent riding, 20 miles in 3 hrs 17 min, 2442′ climbed.

Hit a broken tree branch while threading a slim line on a narrow sandstone bench ripping open my jersey, score another tree gash. Today I rode in shirt sleeves. Last year I tanned through a rip on another jersey. the first time I noticed the tan I thought something was the matter w/ my skin. This desert riding is tough on clothing and flesh.

Tomorrow is a chiro appointment. I plan on getting in a ride b4 then back down to BnB. Doug visited there and speaks highly of the shop that they let him use a bike stand and their tools to work on his bike. Sat is the Black Canyon trail ride.