Today I rode McDowell park Pemberton loop w/ Grace & her bf, John. Grace said it was a year ago on this day that she rode outside. This year back in Huntsville she would still be inside. Hot sunny day, getting warm for me this early, 60 degree is just great.

Catchup:

Friday drove back to Urgent care to deal w/ continuing abdomen pain. Doc says that nothing is growing inside me and probably never was but to have my guts checked out by specialist up in Flag. Mon I’ ll make the appointment.

Drove back down canyon and onto I-17 to Black Canyon City & Black Canyon trail. Managing time to be @ Carrie’s house in Scottsdale @ 5:00. Desert south of Sedona is really greening up. Black canyon is around 2200′ well below Sedona’s 4500′. Upper 60s, just perfect for ride in Sonoran desert, tree cover is Saguaro cactus. Challenging single track mostly bench cut side mtn traversing, edge dropped away that would hurt stopping on. Broken rock, sharp edged and about fist sized. Keith told me to bring Tevas to cross Aqua Fria and he was right, the river was just below my knees flowing w/ gusto. Jan. rains flooded the river and littered the shoreline w/ debris. It was quite a flood, maybe 15 feet above present level. Lots of firewood. Rode out & back, i turned around @ 1 1/2 hours for 3 hour ride. Took 15 min less to get back.

Back on I-17 and megalopolis of Phoenix to Carrie’s house. I was going into the city while masses were leaving the city. Found her family’s home. She saw my van and said that her husband, Nick, was going to drool over it. He contained himself but inquisitive. I learned that he would like to take less than 1 week trips & return to a home base. Carrie & my middle sister were best of friends and she was shared by my family. I was away @ school and wasn’t part of  family. Visiting w/ Carrie was sort of like talking to a sister. Great stimulating conversation w/ Carrie & Nick and were joined off & on by their brain popping 2 semester son. His brain is being filled & stretched and worked, I could handle about the first 3 lines of a point and my brain would start missing cogs. Nick stretched my mind as an age peer and counselling profession. The two of us shared early Sat morn soaking up more knowledge.

I bid adieu to wonderful warm people & shuffled down to Tempe to Meet Grace at a bike shop were they were renting bikes. She was running late but called me to keep me updated on progress. Their bikes were mid level full suspension but were lead heavy. They wanted to ride McDowell instead of technical Hawes. Paid $6.00 entry fee. Wow, Rocky Mountain bikes had a bike demo going on. Grace & John scored  way better bikes that put a big smile on their faces. John races under 40 expert and had a jones to be itched so he took off. Trails here are mostly decomposed granite, you stay out of the washes as they are filled w/ large grain sand. 2 hours of almost race pace 22.26 miles, 1489′ vert in 2 hrs 8 mins. I missed bfast and did not much better for lunch causing an energy shortfall. New bike is a blast to ride. Worked on suntan w/out leg armor. Getting tanned.

Took a shower park facility.

On way out of park a sheriff officer was waving drivers around his rig. I looked back and he was preparing to help a rattlesnake off the warm pavement.

Drove back to bike shop to return bikes and me to buy a jug of Hammer gel huckleberry flavor. During 1st visit I bought a packet and gulped it on the ride. Pretty tasty.

Grace turns 49 tomorrow.

Drove 90 miles back to Beaverhead flats campspot. Infrequent lightning flashes lighted the sky where I was going. Started sprinkling just b4 I pulled into camp. Its gentling raining now.

Today was the photo shoot. Just like any other day but much more. Drove into MBH for meeting w/ Dawn, the photographer, and shop ride and follow her shooting requests. She mixed it up w/ the riders, the  locals and several newbies. We rode off and she joined us @ a trailhead. She had other locations in mind for shooting so I left the ride. She didn’t ask me to injure myself  doing a big roll in or gap jump. I followed her instructions and she shot. She was composing the picture and i was part of it. This wasn’t  5 or 6 snapshots and we move on deal. All day and she took over 300 pictures. She will select about 20 pics and will send to BikeMag from which the writer will select his. I learned to ask more questions. Creative shots.

My sister Lise from Ohio called long distance. Alright, by cell phone. Show of hands for when you remember when long distance was a big deal as it cost $, when time was money. When somebody answered the phone and learned that the caller was asking for another person and that it was long distance. The receiver would drop everything and c0me running.  And now it was Verizon to Verizon therefor free. We talked for 45 mins for free.

Back at favorite desert spot.

I know i have not ridden all the trails here but I have ridden an absolutely incredible miles and hours of trail.

Drove down to Bike & Bean to ride w/ owner, Jimmie, for afternoon ride. e had to work but talked of joining us during the ride. Jason and I left. The plan was to meet Jimmie @ a TH south of where I had been riding. Before we arrived jason’s phone rang. It was Chewie who decided to join. He rode from the shop via Highline to TH in 40 mins. Amazing. A little further on and we were just above the TH and the phone rang again. It was Jimmie @ the TH. Amazing. From here we rode Turkey creek further south and climbed out of valley to high ridge over looking out to Sedona & beyond. Spectacular vista. Trail climbing up was volcanic basalt. Different kind of rock. Going up it was a bit of hike a bike. I was studying the rough nature of the rocks and was thinking a bit of hike a bike down. Rode it all down except 1 spot I didn’t set up for. Tell you, the new bike and now w/ 23psi tubeless tires i just skootch over things. Light of day is that flat light late in afternoon. The blue sky, red rock, & long shadows was pick the superlative. Another 2 hour ride.

Finished @ 5:30. Jason’s plan was to ride the road back to shop if Jimmie didn’t show. he did and we all piled into his truck for the ride back. He has a full size truck w/ a padded blanket over the closed tailgate. You put your bike on the tailgate w/ the front wheel hanging over. The padding protect the bike and when more are added they keep themselves in place. Back @ shop for a beer & good spirits. People seem to enjoy working together as they hang out together even on days off.

Grace is in Tempe, AZ for her sponsor. She, her bf, & another guy, and me will be riding Hawes trail in Mesa on Sat. Friday I drive down stopping to ride Black Canyon trail then spending the evening w/ Carrie, my sister Lynn’s best friend in Scotsdale. And tomorrow is photo shoot for BikeMag.