Sedona mtn bike lifestyle. Picking up bits from past days.
Hey, did you watch New England eviscerate Denver? I cooked dinner @ Danny’s house, as Rebecca labeled it, ” Captain Craig” while watching the game then eating. A shower & a city camp spot for the night.
Earlier Sat Steve, the horse vet from Sun Valley, Danny, & I rode another Sedona shuttle. Danny saw 2 groups of havalinas as he rode first. Unusual as they are nocturnal. Sun Valley riding is not Sedona. We rode from Danny’s house to Airport, bandit, Carrol canyon, Bike Path, Ledge n’airy, last frontier, western civilization, cockscomb, and aeries. 14 miles, 2133′ climbing in ride of 2 1/2 hrs. Great enjoyment. Lots of short trail segments. There are so many miles of trails in Sedona. Planning a ride offers so many choices and how to put it together is mental gymnastics. I have familiarity and can contribute to a route then following it on the ground. I still show local Danny stuff he has never ridden and it is all but literally in his backyard. We argue over where we are and where we are going. Bickersons.
Whew, recall Friday. BnB shop ride @ 2:00. Zack is living here after leaving Illinois years ago. This week friends from back home visited to ride. Poor flat landers. Today’s ride was w/o exposure. I vaguely remember my early experiences here. I can empathize w/ them discovering lines thru the unkown. We rode Shades to Templeton, then down the wash to Sleezy Breezy wash, then over to shades to back to the Bean. Then an after ride fest started. About 20 people mostly in sweated riding gear hung out drinking beer, telling stories, and eating pizza. That was Fri.
Thursday was a rest day hanging around resting my arm.
Beth and I established a ride time for Sunday. She and her mom, Pat, are road tripping in Beth’s Westy. I get to be ride local today to them. I invite Steve and Danny. Pat is 65 fit and trim. She is and was a road racer w/ several national level wins. To me it was great seeing a parent and child together. Pat, like me, is a better rider than we allow ourselves to be. She’s a smoker. Danny and Beth split off to ride Hogs while us 3 rode back to the Bean. On trail HT there is a chunky stairs to roll down. Steve on his 29er rolled it sight unseen. I was intimidated by the entrance so I walked. pat was at the top asking questions on how to ride it. I pushed my bike back up and worked out a line. OK. I pulled on m y big boy pants and looked past the roll down and nailed my line. Wow! Excitement. I made it. Pat was still sorting her line out. I pushed back up and rode it again. Wow! Pat gave it her go and rolled it out. Wow! We fist bumped in exhilaration. Further along there is a steep drop that Steve again rode down. I know of the drop. I looked it over, sized it up then rolled to the edge 3 times and stopped. I wouldn’t trust the bike and my ability to ride the drop.
Pat’s shock leaked all its air which prevented her from riding her bigger 2X10 chain ring. We got her to the highway for her downhill ride to BnB. I guide Steve over to Shades for our downhill reward. I counted 9 riders for a Sunday mid afternoon overcast chilly day ride.
And back @ the Bean for some beer drinking. Joe the geologist from Flag rolled in. I rode w/ him last spring in Flag. It was great being among so many people that i know that the locals don’t know. Steve from Sun Valley, ID; Beth from Asheville, NC; Joe from Flag; then the BnB locals.
New issue of Bikemag is out. The issue is all about reporting on 2012 bikes etc tested in the Pisgah based out of Brevard. I devoured the mag identifying my visit to those places. How cool. Cover line: Transylvania County America’s best kept secret. I been there and spent time. I look forward to my visit this spring. I’ve been everywhere man.
Danny, Beth, Pat, and I ate dinner @ a Thai restaurant waited on by Hispanics. Boisterous evening.
Now I am out @ Deer pass rd for the night. Nobody else around. Tomorrow is another chiro visit then a DR visit for my INR test. Forecast calls for rain tomorrow a reason for a rest day.
Sat b-fast was @ Wildflower.