Diary of Scott Morris

6/28

Today was a hard but very interesting day. We started early climbing the paved NM 126 out of Cuba. After a few miles of rolling things turned steeper. But we were in the very nice tree filled canyon that was straight out of the Wasatch Mountains. I could tell we were further north–fewer ponderosa …. [Continue reading]

6/19/04

The trip began with a short drive to the Chiricahua Mountiains in eastern Arizona. Doug Kelly was gracious enough to give us a ride. In the end he really went out of his way to help us start out this adventure.

We drove a short was up Cave Creek canyon and found a nice …. [Continue reading]

We headed for the Pinalenos to test some of our new gear and because, well, it’s my favorite place on the planet. The tall trees and crisp air welcomed us as we settled in to camp at Hospital Flat. From there we did a quick ride around Grant Hill, the traditional warmup ride.

Paula’s new …. [Continue reading]

Preparations for the ‘Divide’ ride have been extensive, including dropping some serious money into new gear and fun stuff. Things are starting to come together, but it is a lot of (very enjoyable) work. The route research, many equipment decisions and overall unknown factor make this a very interesting venture. We’ll see how it all …. [Continue reading]

Number of successful vs. total switchbacks on our ride 5/20/04:

Lady Bug trail: 41/64 (64%) Arcadia trail: 44/49 (89%) (Up: 24/29 Downhill: 20/20) Webb Peak trail: 10/10 (100%)

Total: 95/123 (77%)

We spent the previous evening warming our switchback skills and enjoying the cool mountain air on Grant Hill and the Arcadia climb (from Shannon …. [Continue reading]

I have long known that this day would come; too long have I escaped it. After almost four years of narrowly avoiding the sharp succulents of Arizona, my time has come. At least it happened on a hard trail: Brown Mountain. But it wasn’t at a particularly hard spot.

I’ve never had anything but a …. [Continue reading]

The Swift trail, the road that climbs and traverses Mt. Graham, is still closed to all motorized traffic. This presents a remarkable opportunity to those willing to put in a little effort: a deserted wilderness to explore. Mt. Graham quite often seems deserted (I have yet to see another mountain biker in all of my …. [Continue reading]

Alan and I spent another superb evening of challenge out at the Agua Caliente trail. I rode my other bike this time but an still unsure which one is “better.” My lungs burned throughout the climb, a function of my tired state as well as the springtime pollen that is continually causing me greif.

At …. [Continue reading]

Enjoyed a nice technical workout on the Agua Caliente trail this evening. The wind was completely out of control, but thankfully blowing us up the steep rocky trail. The parking lot was deserted, as usual, and not a soul on the trail.

Alan and I both struggled, dabbed and walked all over the place, but …. [Continue reading]