I’m still playing the blog catchup game.
I must reluctantly admit that the focus of March was not getting outside and riding. It was sitting at the computer managing my fledgling world of websites and software. Chiefly, a slew of events on trackleaders.com. Working hard over the winter means I can have summers more free to travel and play, and have the means to make that a reality. So this is not at all a complaint. If anything, it’s a statement of gratitude. And besides, the work is even fun… most of the time.
I can only take so many hours at the computer a day, so there’s always time to get out. That usually means riding into the sunset hours.
Or running. I heart Starr Pass evenings.
In March it becomes a little harder to resist longer trips. Days are longer, temps are warmer and the desert is coming alive.
Tim McCabe had been bending my ear about a possible addition to the AZTR route in east Tucson. When he told me he’d throw in a free ‘chuckwagon’ pancake breakfast at Tanque Verde Ranch, I was sold. I respond well to food bribery, especially breakfast food.
The ride called for absurd amounts of hike-a-bike, with very little payoff in terms of great riding or sweet singletrack. Now who could I enlist for such a caper?
Lee Blackwell of course! He was quick to sign on. And quick to join me pushing bikes out the east side of the ranch.
Oh yes, people would hate me if I added this to the route.
Lee Blackwell, riding his bike! Powering through a deep sand crossing. Heck yeah!
We knew going in there wasn’t much chance of adding this to the route. But I never turn down a ride with a purpose, even if that purpose is an unlikely one. It was also new ground for us, new views and new places to walk next to our bikes. Who can resist that?
Of course, when we rejoined the route, we took the harder/longer way to get back, climbing the ‘high’ Chiva loop to return via La Mesa de Oso. It was gorgeous up there, especially with newly fashioned erosion control that serve as perfect ‘Scott-sized’ jumps (picture the kind of air Napoleon Dynamite would say ‘sweet’ too, but barely registers as both wheels off the ground). So much fun.
We descended all the hills we had previously hiked up, back into the ranch for a cool beverage and much bike talk with Tim back at the Ranch’s bike shop. It’s pretty cool to see a traditional guest ranch like this starting to modernize and adopt metal ponies into their repertoire. It was even better that they would grant AZT racers (or tourists) passage, should they desire it. Few would, though, save those that enjoy bike pushing (John Schilling, I’m looking at you).
Based on local observations, I had a hunch this was going to be a banner year for wildflowers. No winter in Tucson would be complete without a Gila bikepack, so we took a small window in the event schedule right at Eszter’s birthday.
A birthday bikepack! The flowers did not disappoint.
Nor did the riding.
As I write this it is June, and we are just back from a 3 week trip through the Pacific Northwest. Reality has been dark canopies of trees and all manner of lush greenery. Looking back at these photos it almost seems unreal, impossible.
These are places I know so very well, but they seem so distant. Besides time, we are far removed from the low Sonoran desert. Do these places still exist? Are they still accessible? I feel like might have some sense of what it’s like to look at the many Gila photos I post as an outsider.
Suffice it to say, I give the Gilas two hearty thumbs up, just as this titan of the desert does.
The evening was sublime, climbing into the depths of the canyons as the sun withdrew its influence on the world.
Save for a few rays of bending light, painting the desert with even more mysterious color.
We sat and slept on a small rocky perch. The burritos were food fit for kings and queens. I love what you can carry on short bikepacks.
In the morning, we pedaled over the crest, and made our way towards the ‘ice cream loop’ into Superior. We didn’t need a resupply, but we wanted a resupply. We wanted a big breakfast at Los Hermanos. The greatness of traveling by bike.
Our ramble continued box-ward, after climbing the Arizona Trail around Picketpost. Did we really get ourselves on top of that thing??
We ran into a guy on an electronic (motorized) mountain bike. Same guy John Schilling and I bumped into in Gold Canyon, once again riding non-motorized trails.
It may not be obvious, but lupines generally grow straight up — no curve! We had a windy night on the 2-track climbing towards Ripsey. And the morning was even worse. There’s nothing like struggling to hold onto your belongings as you try to pack up for coloring your view of the weather for the day. We decided to skip Ripsey, dropping the powerline instead.
Luckily this meant we didn’t skip the AZT dropping to the river, which we surely would have, had we ridden Ripsey.
This piece of trail is among my least favorite AZT sections, but it held the best flower show of the season for us.
Giggling and giddiness returned.
And the trail may be awkward, but it’s pretty much downhill. A superb note to end the trip on.
La Casita in Mammoth was an even sweeter note to end with.
Camp Tucson has become an annual tradition, but it almost didn’t happen for me. A little doggie race called Iditarod was going on, and the meltdowns and issues were many. There are so many people watching the race that any hiccup gets noticed within minutes. There were some big ones (luckily on SPOT’s side, not ours). Plus Matthew is out in the Alaskan backcountry managing the event. It was a stressful, if somewhat rewarding, experience.
I had to bring my phone on day 1 of camp, and answer calls / check-in at times. It was unfortunate. I would have rather not ridden had camp not been set before.
It was a good break, and the friends and riding were top notch. At this point I stopped the John Nobile / Aaron Johnson train long enough to realize the main pivot bearings in my bike were completely blown. Descending was ginger from then on, not wanting to break the bolt and completely disable my bike.
Ez quickly caught us here. This would become a theme throughout. Don’t stop more than a second or two, or she’ll catch ya!
I got to descend Milagrosa with her. In a lot of ways, I think that trail is best done at low speeds and with less punishment.
Tracking life was more stable for day two. I had a little focus available to ride hard. Kurt and I proceeded to beat up on each other, as we are apt to do. Aaron Johnson got to enjoy the beating, as well. I talked Kurt into Brown Mountain, resulting in a tit-for-tat switchback contest that was ever so fun. We both pulled off a number of tricky ones, despite riding at or near our limits.
Brown was a good choice for maximizing the fun factor. Not so good for surviving the rest of the loop. Eszter caught us licking our wounds at the visitors center. Elliot and John Nobile, as well. It was a little touch and go for me, but we finished up the complete TMP loop with the Stonehouse climb, which is rare for us (it’s too easy to bail after Sweetwater). Such a satisfying desert classic.
Day 3, after a generous Bobo’s breakfast full of grease. Even Bobo’s, legendary for recovery and anti-bonk properties, was not enough to revitalize us into attempting the biggie loop. Benji showed up fresh, causing us to fear the pace that might result. Ez, Elliot, Alexis and I opted for a mini-day 3, riding the easy sections of AZT and looping back on roads.
Even a tad bit of hike-a-bike. It was a good choice. Next year look for Camp Tucson again, this time with a new director…. Ez! I look forward to the new and improved camp.
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