What the heck have I done the past few months? Nothing exciting, which is why Memorial Day weekend was great! My SAT (self-appointed trainer) and I joined our friends Carl, Lifan, Steve, and Ian for our (sort of) annual mountain biking camping weekend near Prescott. I did go on a few “training” mountain bike rides in anticipation of the Memorial Day weekend trip, during which I saw a gila monster (!) and saguaro cacti in bloom:

A gila monster! So cool!

Pretty saguaro cactus blossoms.

Currently, there are fire restrictions in place all around Arizona, which means camping spots are super limited. A lot of campgrounds are closed, including most primitive camping areas. However, we decided to do the primitive camping thing at Thumb Butte, which was open (the fire pits were taped up as a visual reminder not to start campfires).

The temperature was lovely and cool, albeit windy (the highs were in the high 60sF/low 70s….a.k.a. low 20s celsius). I was actually cold and delighted in wearing my favourite puffy jacket.

Phoenix has been heating up a lot lately, i.e. we are basically back to cookie-baking temperature now, so enjoying the cooler weather in Prescott was a treat. Being outside at noon is always more fun when you’re not concerned about heatstroke.

The happy group.

More proof that I actually ride a mountain bike!

My SAT has gotten into archery recently, and brought his bow, arrows, and practice target on the weekend to practice. Here he is, pretending to be Robin Hood:

Whenever we camp with our friends, one of the highlights is making s’mores around the campfire. Sadly, that did not happen this year due to the fire restrictions. However, Lifan made some s’mores bark that was absolutely delicious! I would have included a photo of the bark, but we ate it too quickly. I am DEFINITELY making some s’mores bark for the next camping trip, even if campfires are allowed.