Fall is a happy time in southern AZ. The word ‘cool’ rejoins the vernacular, as summer finally begins to weaken.
It also means it’s about to get cold in the high country. With lingering sinus infection and killer allergies, the theme has been to escape regularly to a place where the plants have shut down…
…and started changing color.
Chad attempts the log ride. Meeting up with friends on the mountain makes it even better.
That’s Paula’s friend Sue, who at ~70 years old still runs (and races!) trails. We showed Don, Sue and Melody some new-to-them trails.
After seeing the runners off, we rested a bit then headed Summerhaven-ward on a Pizza run.
Pedaling back, with bellies stuffed full of cheese, bread and toppings was slow but pleasurable.
My rear tire popped a few times (but sealed), then looked like this back at the house. Time for a new one, methinks.
Chad, including streamers and heroic pose, after finishing the Tour of the White Mountains. We both kept it conservative with the Coconino Loop coming right up, but it was a great day to get lost in the woods. I say lost in the woods because that’s the (good) feeling you get out there, yet the course was better marked than I’ve ever seen it. I brought the GPS with track, but never needed it.
Epicrides put on a great event. Primo weather, primo trails, hard to ask for more. It was super fun to blast out with the leaders. Pure guts and visceral thrills. Rocks flying, trying to read the trail with the sun in our eyes. So much fun that I may have to do more ‘short’ races. I sat up on the roads and watched gravy train after gravy train of riders pass me. Took about an hour to cool down from the speed workout at the beginning of the ride, but after that I was riding my own groovy gravy train and feeling top.
The singletrack was such a hoot once we got on Timber Mesa that I couldn’t resist ramping it up again. It just felt like it needed to be ridden at speed.
We capped it off with dinner at La Casita (in Mammoth) on the way back. More excuses to pass through Mammoth are needed.
~—~
Just a few days until the Coco, and it seems we will have to alter the course due to a fire on Bill Williams Mountain. Bummer – I was really looking forward to shredding Billy Williams again.
Leave a Reply