BP’ing

Chad: “Remember when 30 miles used to be epic?

…I miss those days.”

I do too, in a way. But epic is relative, and sometimes, like a cool Friday morning in Flagstaff, 30 miles can be epic again. No limits pushed or boundaries crossed, but satisfaction nonetheless, and no need to go further.

I climbed Schultzward, retracing the mellow grades Flag riders seem to prefer. But the Lev [my bike] yearned for something more, something steeper.

Little Bear wasn’t it. Why was I thinking there would be anything steep there?

I spent 10 minutes attacking that tree, busting branches so it would slide. A little lever was all it took before gravity took over. Gold star on my helmet for weekly trail work.

The Hobbit Forest and Sunset held what I was looking for — enough to make me dab and flush the blood to every cell in my being. Life!

The climb continued until further gain was blocked by this:

The view was acceptable, even without artificial elevation.

It took a while for it to sink in. I hadn’t planned on climbing Elden, which at 9300′ commands an impressive view of…. why, it’s the Coco-Mingo-Bob Loop!

It’s the closest you’re going to get to the above 3D shot without flying in an airplane. I could see Mormon Lake and thought about the sweet singletrack there. The rim and drop down to Sedona were impossible to miss. Boy was that descent fun. Mingus Mtn even loomed in the distance, what an adventure that was. The Verde Valley, so low and so far away, a different world. And finally, Bill Williams Mountain, towering, and home of must-ride trails.

So many good rides, all in plain sight. The next thought was simple but powerful. How did I get to all these places? I rode my bike there. Just like I rode to where I stand now. It took a minute to sink in, seeming implausible at first.

Damn, bikepacking is cool.