The new rage

It’s the new rage that’s sweeping the city. Get on the bandwagon before everyone else falls off!

Climbing Milagrosa.

OK, it’s just the new rage for Jay and myself.

I realized today that I had climbed the trail four times since returning to Tucson, and have yet to descend it. That’s just not right.

Well, today we rode out and back, from Tucson to the saddle above Molino. ~3000 feet of climbing, almost all of it hard. Add in an hour of trying and retrying various moves and we were both fried by the time we hit the Molino climb. I was good for 50 feet of techy/steep trail, then I had no power left. I’d look ahead at the next ledge and KNOW I didn’t have the focus and will to power through it. Resting was the only way to ride it now.

Fortunately there were a few opportunities to rest. Richard Kane was out with a crew of ~8, yanking out one of the worst plants in the world: white-thorn acacia, otherwise known as cat’s claw. The Bellota section of the AZT badly needed some pruning/grubbing, and it was great to see the segment steward out on trail.

And we needed the excuse to regain some strength for that beast of a climb. I’ve never, ever, hit that climb with any approximation of strength. Touring, racing, or just riding, I’m always sapped when I hit the water/solar tank and “it’s on.” Still, with some rest stops we were able to ride most of it.

At the saddle the storm clouds made their transition from Rincon to Catalina, by way of our saddle. Snow flurries circled around us. We turned and quickly descended.

I’m finally getting a little descending confidence back. A couple of the switchbacks, though I ride them uphill, I usually bail out of the downhill. Not today, though.

As we hit Milagrosa I was reminded why people ride it downhill. It’s fun, damn fun. No two ways about it, it’s a world class trail.

Recovering and feasting on Cheezy Bites Pizza at home, I went outside and saw this:

I’ve never seen snow accumulate in Tucson! Apparently it’s been over 10 years. So a ride plan is hatching for early morning, because I know it’s not going to stick around long. My weak body cries for sleeping in and a day+ of convalescing, but someone’s gotta do it.