Mingus Mountain, a.k.a., “how much further?”

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a while since we spent a weekend with our friends Carl and Lifan. We finally scheduled Memorial Day weekend to camp and mountain bike on Mingus Mountain, near Jerome, AZ, because my SAT (self-appointed trainer) was excited to show us some of the trails he’s enjoyed the past year. I was excited to escape the Phoenix heat, which was — and is — ramping up.

Both my SAT and I took Friday off work and we spent a few hours in the morning packing and getting the last details in place before heading out. When we left at around 11am, my GPS said that there was a crash a bit north of us on the I-17. Therefore, we decided to take the scenic route through Yarnell and Prescott to Mingus. Neither of us had taken that route to Prescott before and were pleasantly surprised at how pretty the drive was. We were enjoying the lush trees (yes, in Arizona!) and charming ranch houses so much that we neglected to take pictures. I’m guessing that all of the green is due to the multiple springs in the area, marked by signs indicating “Hidden Springs,” or “Iron Springs,” etc.

We arrived at the dispersed camp area around 2:30pm. (We decided to disperse camp rather than stay at the Mingus Mountain campground because our friends were bringing their dogs and the campground wouldn’t be conducive to letting the dogs roam freely.) After driving up and down the gravel road, we staked our claim to a large, lovely, tree-covered campsite. We had to drive up the gravel road about 5 minutes to get enough cell reception to text our friends the campsite location; we were going “off the grid” this weekend!

*We set up camp shortly after this picture was taken.*

A couple hours after we set up camp, our friend Ian arrived in time to start making dinner (Impossible burgers and potato salad). Delicious! Pretty soon, it was time for bed. We opted to sleep in the back of our truck and yes, it was pretty cozy. 😉 Good thing that nighttime temperatures were cool (about 8C / 45F).

The next morning, we awoke to see free range cattle grazing in our campsite! I love seeing wildlife. 🙂 While enjoying a leisurely breakfast (vegan blueberry muffins, vegan quiche, gourmet coffee), we discussed how to set up the shuttle for the day’s mountain bike ride. (For the uninitiated, a mountain bike “shuttle” refers to when (at least) 2 people drive 2 cars to where the ride ends. Then, after parking 1 car at the endpoint, both people drive the other car back to where the riders are. THEN, everyone (and their bikes) piles into the car for the drive to the trailhead. This process is adjusted depending on how many riders, bikes, and vehicles are available/needed. It took my SAT and Ian 2.5 hours to set up our shuttle (thank you!).

*Watching the cows from inside the truck bed!*

Carl and Lifan arrived mid-morning with their lovable doggies, Millie and Nala. After they settled in, we all packed into the truck (yes, all 5 of us in the cab!) and drove to the trailhead. We started with trail #9037, followed by the Black Canyon trail #114, then ended with the Gaddes #110 downhill. I think the word of the day was “adventurous,” because most of us found the first half of the ride to be fairly challenging. Why? Because the trail:

was very narrow singletrack
was overgrown (because the trail wasn’t ridden much by others and therefore not maintained)
featured lots of loose rock
was steep and exposed (i.e., the trail overlooked a canyon. Not good for those afraid of heights!).

So….yeah. That first half was a bit beyond my comfort zone. Oh. Right. I already said the ride was challenging. 😀 We went slowly and honestly, I felt like we weren’t ever going to finish the ride. I fell along one steep section because it was covered in slippery pine needles. After I fell, Lifan, who was behind me, fell in the same spot, then her husband, Carl, who was ahead of us, turned around to come back to us and then HE fell. My SAT tried to encourage us, saying that the trail would widen and that it would get easier…soon….However, before the trail got better, we had to navigate one very short and steep “hike-a-bike” (HAB) section, which is exactly as it sounds! The top of the HAB section was the physical high point of the ride, if not the psychological high point. When we reached the top, we were greeted by very gusty wind and great views. Finally! The trail DID start to open up and it became a bit smoother and easier, allowing all of us to ride much faster. We all reached the bottom safely and were extremely happy to see Ian’s Tesla waiting for us. Hooray! My SAT got everyone Cokes and snacks at the nearby Maverick gas station, as a peace offering, then we went back to camp. Overall, the 12 mile ride took 4 hrs 15 minutes (yes, that includes breaks, but still…) and although it did feature more challenges than I anticipated, it was still great to enjoy the cool temperatures and beautiful scenery with friends. Nothing like suffering together to solidify friendships! Back at camp, we devoured burgers and potato salad (again, but who cares?), with raspberry crumble bars and cookies. Food seems to taste better outside….and after exerting considerable physical and mental energy, haha. After some hangout time around the kerosene lamp fire (there is a fire ban, which means NO campfires), we all got ready for bed.

*All 5 of us in the truck cab. Ian is driving and I’m sitting on my SAT’s lap.*

We all enjoyed another leisurely morning on Sunday, with lots of oatmeal, coffee, fruit, and conversation. Our friend (and Ian’s GF gf, i.e., gluten-free girlfriend) Vanessa arrived. Because none of us were looking for another strenuous ride (apologies to my SAT, haha), we decided to do a couple more moderate downhill trails (specifically, trail #533 and a couple of connector trails). We did have to do a shuttle, but this time, it was much less involved. This time, all 6 of us were in the truck: 4 people in the cab and 2 people, plus 2 bikes, in the back of the truck. The rest of the bikes were on the bike rack. My SAT and I elected to “take one for the team” by riding in the back of the truck. It wasn’t too uncomfortable, mainly because the drive was short and the 2 borrowed pillows from Carl and Lifan helped to cushion our aging knees. 🙂 The mountain biking this day was really fun, with enough flow and technical sections to provide (appropriate) challenge and lots of smiles. 10/10, I totally recommend.

After arriving back at camp, a few of us tested out our solar shower. Verdict: 2 thumbs up! It felt amazing to clean up a bit. We made tofu tacos for our last camp dinner, then hung out in Carl and Lifan’s Sprinter van with their dogs to end our last evening together. All too soon, morning came, and we all parted ways. Thanks for a great weekend everyone!

*Our solar shower. Fill the black bag with water, let bag lie in the sun for several hours, hang from tree, and voil*å!

I didn’t have any whiskey, but I DID eat some pickles!

May 14, 2022July 20, 2022 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 3 Comments

One of my biking goals for 2022 is to successfully finish the Whiskey Off-Road race. There are 3 options for the race: 15 miles, 30 miles, and 50 miles. I registered for the 30 mile option and as of Saturday April 30, 2022, I can claim the title of “Whiskey finisher.” Yay!

It was a challenging ride and I seriously considered backing out, mainly because I was “getting in my head” and doubting that I could finish the race without cramping or crashing. However, when I brought up the idea of backing out to a few friends (a.k.a., my “emotional support crew”), they were appalled. NO WAY was I going to back out. They booked that weekend off and they were going to see me through it! They told me I did the training and that I’m so strong! And, they were going to bring wine and snacks for the weekend!

Ok, fine.

In retrospect, overall, the race course wasn’t THAT bad. The first 9 miles included most of the climbing for the whole course (about 2,000 ft of the 3,336 ft) and was mostly on dirt roads. The rest of the course was a mix of flowy singletrack, some technical downhill, and some annoying, but short, climbs. It’s hard to capture the experience in words, but I’ll try….

According to Velo News, the Whiskey Off-Road race is one of the US’ most iconic mountain bike races, sending professional riders on a 50-mile course with 6,100 feet of climbing in the Prescott National Forest. Since 2011, this race has paid pro men and women equally, and the 2022 event had a $30,000 purse. The pro race started at 7am and the amateur race was staggered in 4 “waves” to spread out the riders on the course (i.e., there were 4 “waves,” or groups that started 15 minutes apart). There were about 2,000 riders — pro and amateur — total!

When you register for the race online, you are supposed to indicate your anticipated finish time. That information assigns you to a “wave.” I guessed that I would finish the 32 mile course in 5 to 5.5 hours (the 30 mile course is actually 32 miles). That guess put me in wave 4, which was the last wave to start racing. Wave 4 was the largest wave with about 350 riders. My wave did not start until 9:50am, so I had plenty of time to visit with friends, check out the start line, and soak in the atmosphere.

If I could sum up the Whiskey atmosphere in one word, that word would be “spirited” (pun intended)! Everyone was super “stoked” (mountain bike slang for “excited”) to be there and hang out in Prescott for the weekend. It was fun to see all the vendors’ wares and share in the nervous energy. Basically, the whole race weekend was a huge bike party!

As I was in my “wave” waiting for it to start, I remember feeling the same thing I felt before my recitals: can this thing just START already? I always found waiting to be harder than actually performing and this bike race was no exception. Finally, the countdown started and the gunshot sounded and we were off….slowly. Most everyone in my wave was pacing themselves, especially because of that initial 9 mile climb I mentioned earlier. Many of Prescott’s citizens were watching the race on both sides of the course; hearing their cheers, encouragement, and cowbells (yes, a lot of people were ringing bells) was really nice! I felt pretty good on the initial climb and kept a consistent, moderate pace. My first goal was to finish the initial climb; I knew that that would be a psychological mood booster! My second goal was to reach the 16 mile check-in station before 1:20pm because that meant I would NOT be disqualified. (I don’t remember when I arrived at the 16 mile check-in station, but it was well before 1:20pm.) When I arrived, I asked if there was water there, but to my chagrin, there wasn’t any water. I wasn’t out of water, but I was running low and wanted to fill up. The check-in people said there was water in 2 miles. Um, ok. Turned out that that information was WRONG. There wasn’t any water until the mile 22 aid station! I was tired and a wee bit shaky by that point and was relieved to finally reach mile 22. I filled up my hydration pack and ate some pickles, which reenergized me immensely. Pickles are amazing. I had never eaten pickles on a long ride before, but now, I definitely will! They are magical (must be the salt in them).

My main goal was to keep moving, whether that meant riding or walking my bike. Fortunately, I only had to walk my bike a few times (i.e., when I got stuck behind other riders on a technical section or a nasty climb). I was able to ride all the technical sections (when I wasn’t stuck behind riders) and felt really good about that, especially because I was riding the course “blind” (i.e., I didn’t pre-ride the course). I actually received three compliments on my riding during the race! The first was when one guy told me that he was using me as a “pacer” because my pace was steady, I was taking really good lines, and shaking out my hands at the same time he was to loosen them up! (Interesting criteria to have for choosing a pacer, but ok…) The second was when a different guy told me that I “crushed that downhill section” and took “awesome lines!” 🙂 My friends Cheryl and Scott also raced in my wave and Scott said that at one point, he saw that I was towing (i.e., leading) 7 or 8 guys down a technical downhill section and that they all looked confused about how to ride said downhill section until I “showed them how to do it.” 😀 It’s always nice to get real-time feedback! Honestly, I was surprised at how many guys I passed and how many didn’t seem to have the skill to ride the downhill sections.

The last 8 miles were a mix of fatigue (how much longer?), relief (I finally got some water!), and elation (I’m done!). A few bright spots during the last 5 miles included Prescott locals cheering all the racers on, seeing my “emotional support crew” wave and yell boisterously (woohoo!), more locals offering whiskey shots shortly before the final left turn onto the pavement, then hitting that gloriously smooth downhill sprint for the last 3.5 miles to the finish line. My official time is 4 hours and 21 minutes, which I think is a respectable time for my first Whiskey. In addition to being super happy about finishing in one piece, I was also very pleased that I did not cramp (thank you, Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes! No, this message is not sponsored).

After taking some post-race pictures, my crew went back to our Airbnb and relaxed with 90s TV, wine, and snacks. I’m so happy I could share this experience with friends and challenge myself with something I NEVER thought I’d do.

Enjoying some wine at our Airbnb. Cheers!

What did I do to prepare? What did I do during the race?

I only “trained” for a month. I did a long ride on the weekends, with an emphasis on climbing. The long rides I did leading up to the Whiskey race included the ATM (“around the mountain,” i.e., South Mountain), multiple laps of the Alpe d’Huez climb in the Hawes trail system, and cobbling together a South Mountain route that included the Helipad, Mormon, and Beverly Canyon climbs.
I prepared a goodie baggie for my top tube bag that contained some Shot Bloks and Endurolytes. I put some Skratch Labs powder in my water for calories and electrolytes. It was my first time using Skratch Lab and I really liked it. I’ll definitely use that again for long rides.
I pretty much ate whatever I wanted the night before, i.e., “carb loading.” I also made sure to drink lots of water the day before.
I did not listen to music during the race. I don’t think the official rules allowed that, but even if they did, I don’t think I would have used my Airpods to listen to music/podcasts. I didn’t want any distractions!
During the race, I focused on steady breathing for the climbs. For the more technical sections, I tried to keep looking ahead and be in the proper descending position (i.e., low and back). I also tried to keep my breaks at the two aid stations to a minimum to avoid stiffening up and wasting time.
Overall, I wanted to “ride my ride” and not be concerned with how anyone else was doing. I think I met that goal.

One more mountain biking goal crossed off my 2022 list. 🙂

Birthday bike bash

March 19, 2022 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

One of the things I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday this year is ride my bike in Sedona. I invited a few friends to join me and we happily planned 2 loops to ride, totalling 15 miles. We rode the “Rabbit Ears” loop first, which is a 7 mile loop with a good climb in the first half and a fun descent in the second half. I think the name “Rabbit Ears” comes from a tall rock formation that *could* be interpreted as a pair of rabbit’s ears. There wasn’t anything super technical about this loop, which is a nice way to start a day of riding. Weather was perfect and spirits were high as we drank in the beauty of our surroundings. After we finished the loop, we enjoyed some homemade brownies and other snacks.

The second loop, which included the Slim Shady, Templeton, and Easy Breezy trails, was more technical and I was happy to observe that I rode all of the features! It’s always encouraging to have some solid evidence of progress. A couple of the drops I rode were more steep than I anticipated, but my riding technique was solid enough that I didn’t panic and crash. 🙂 The day was a really memorable one and I enjoyed spending some great biking time with some wonderful friends. One friend, Gladys, even brought some wine and we all toasted to a great day and even better year. Sedona is such a fun place to visit and it’s convenient that it’s only a 2 hour drive away from me. I’ll be coming back again!

Me, Vanessa, and Jess. All of our birthdays are in March, so “my” birthday ride was kind of shared with them. 🙂

ATM! QoM!

February 26, 2022February 27, 2022 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

Hello and happy 2022, dear readers! Yes, I know we’re well into February. Despite my best intentions to maintain this blog in a timely fashion, I’ve been busy living my life, which is probably a great thing to do, especially in light of a certain global pandemic that is still in our faces 2 years later…I have a couple notable events to catch you up on, so let’s get started!

One of my mountain biking goals this year is to successfully finish the Whiskey 30 race at the end of April. This race is called the “Whiskey Off-Road” and has several course options: the 15-proof, 30-proof, and the 50-proof. What does “proof” mean? “Proof” is defined as twice the alcohol content by volume. For example, a whiskey with 50% alcohol is 100-proof whiskey. Anything 120-proof would contain 60% alcohol, and 80-proof means 40% of the liquid is alcohol.

This race will be my first solo race and the most difficult in terms of distance and elevation. The 30-proof option is about 32 miles long with about 3,300 feet (1000 m) of elevation. Additionally, the race is in Prescott, which is at a higher altitude than Phoenix, so breathing may be affected. (Actually, I fully expect my breathing to be affected. That, along with all the climbing and all the rocks, will most likely adversely affect my performance!)

As soon as I said to my SAT (self-appointed trainer, a.k.a., my husband) that I was doing the Whiskey 30, his eyes lit up and he happily proclaimed that he would “help” me train. And thus it began. The first major training ride we did was in mid-January and was….hard. Of course. We invited our friend, Ian, to join us because misery apparently loves company. That, or my SAT wanted to ensure that I wouldn’t complain too much by having someone else along for the ride. (Ha! I didn’t complain hardly at all!) We rode the “Around the Mountain” (ATM) route, which simply means that we rode our mountain bikes all the way around South Mountain. The route is 35 miles long with 3,300 feet of elevation, which is almost the exact statistics for the Whiskey 30 route. Did I mention it was hard? The first half wasn’t so bad because I already was pretty familiar with the trails. But….I basically died on the second half. There was SO MUCH climbing! However, I didn’t complain hardly at all (out loud). (Note: Yes, I already said that, but it’s worth noting because “not complaining” was actually one of my goals for this ride. So there.) My left quad complained a lot. It cramped up several times, the last of which brought me to my knees. I was SO HAPPY when the ride was done and questioned my decision to race the Whiskey.

View from the north side of South Mountain. We were riding the Ma-Ha-Tuak trail.

Ian and I look happy. This is before my leg started cramping.

As you may know, I’m part of a women’s mountain biking group here in Phoenix. The group’s name is Hawesaholics Babes Ride On, or HBRO for short (pronounced “H-bro”) because most of the members live in the East Valley near the Hawes trail system. I’ve been a member for just over a year and have enjoyed getting to know a lot of women who love mountain biking. At the end of last summer, the group founders asked me if I would consider leading a weekly beginner ride at South Mountain (SoMo) for the ladies who live near SoMo. They saw that I was riding consistently and was organizing a few group rides here and there. I thought that would be fun, so agreed to take on that role. I’ve now been leading beginner group rides since September and have met a lot of other ladies (some of whom live really close by me!), improved my ride-leading skills, and have had a lot of fun.

A couple of weeks ago, the HBRO group had its “Galentines prom” event, which is one of its three major events for the year. We all got to dress up in fancy, prom-style dresses, enjoy going out to a nice Italian restaurant, and hang out with each other while we were clean and pretty and NOT wearing helmets! The big surprise for me that night was being crowned HBRO’s “Queen of the Mountain” (QoM). Essentially, the QoM is nominated by other HBRO members and the QoM title is awarded to someone who contributes to the group/mountain bike community and is a good mountain bike ambassador. Apparently, my weekly rides and a few other events I’ve organized are appreciated! It was a humbling but awesome experience to be acknowledged and appreciated publicly. Not gonna lie, the ladies made me cry! Also, that crown is HEAVY. It was a fun night that I’ll look back on very fondly!

What’s coming up in March? Well, I have a birthday ride in Sedona and a jump clinic to learn how to “get some air” safely, along with my weekly beginner ride and Whiskey training rides. Stay tuned for more updates!

End of year round-up, catch-up, summary post–part 3 of several, a.k.a., the last (and longest) post in this series!

December 29, 2021 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 2 Comments

December was busy with outdoor activity! I started the month with a holiday ride at Browns Ranch, a popular local trail system in Scottsdale. I had a number of ladies in the HBRO mountain biking group I’m part of request a holiday-themed ride, so I organized one, complete with treats and festive attire. It was a really fun morning and everyone came dressed to impress in their holiday best.

Great turnout for the ride! This is right before we rolled out.

The next weekend was my second mountain bike race of the year: Dawn to Dusk. This event is a 12 hour endurance race held at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills. The objective is to complete as many 16 mile laps as possible in 12 hours. There are many race categories, such as solo men, co-ed duo, and four person teams (men, women, and co-ed). Those categories are further divided into age groups. All that means is that there were A LOT of racers that day on the trail! I was part of the same four person ladies’ team as my race in August because we all thought it would be fun to do another race together. This time, we raced in honour of a young girl fighting cancer; her name is Julia and she’s a friend of one of the ladies on my team.

*(My team wearing our t-shirts in honour of Julia.)*

I can honestly say that the day went by SO FAST! From meeting up with the HBRO crew way too early in the morning and freezing our butts off (it was just above 32F / 0 degrees celsius at 5am) to actually racing to hanging with the crew while waiting to race to eating to playing with our team dog Maya….12+ hours went by in a flash. In addition to the actual racing, the event featured several food vendors (Peddler on the Path mobile cafe, @pizzart_602, and Stanzi’s Food Truck), Active Bodyworx who offered free 10 minute massages that were amazing, and some bike repair and merchandise shops. Although my team didn’t “podium,” i.e., place 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, we all achieved personal bests—woohoo! A highlight for me was passing 7 guys on the climb during my second lap and telling them “good job.” 🙂 I do enjoy passing guys when I ride!

The last major outdoor event for the month was my annual DIY 7 Summit Challenge. The event is based on the official Phoenix 7 Summit Challenge and the goal is to complete all 7 hikes in a day. The hikes are located in the Phoenix metro area. It’s basically the hiking equivalent of a pub crawl…. without the pubs or beer or food, haha. We even had stickers this year! The “DIY” part refers to a few modifications I make to the event, such as the order of the hikes and switching out a few hikes to avoid driving all the way up north. Highlights of the day include a beautiful sunrise, great conversation, an adorable husky puppy sighting, and a full moon. In a strange twist of “Fate,” we had to climb a bonus 8th summit at Fate Brewery in Tempe to get to our table for dinner. That was probably the hardest climb of the entire day! According to my GPS, total mileage for the day was 21.47 miles / 34.5 km (mileage does not include the bonus 8th summit), 5,054 ft / 1,540 m of gain, and less than 12 hours for the entire event, which includes the drive time between hikes. It was a great day and everyone did SO well!

The group photo right before we started hike #1.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and many great adventures in 2022!

End of year round-up, catch-up, summary post–part 2 of several.

December 28, 2021 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

….and here is part 2! At the end of 2020, I joined a Facebook group called Hawesaholics Babes Ride On, or HBRO for short. HBRO is a VERY active ladies’ mountain bike group primarily based at the Hawes Trail System in east Mesa, but members are from all over the Phoenix area. HBRO is invested in supporting women’s mountain biking events and encouraging all women to ride bikes. One such event was the first annual Saguaro Soireé, which occurred in mid-November. Aravaipa Rides put on this event and it was an entire weekend dedicated to mountain biking at Usery Mountain: skills clinics for all levels, bike mechanic workshops, lunch and games, and a race. It was a really fun weekend and I know that everyone learned (or relearned) bike skills and challenged themselves to push a bit harder during the race. I think the thing I like most about women-only mountain bike events is the supportive atmosphere. I don’t mean that co-ed events aren’t supportive, but I’m finding that a lot of ladies I ride with start biking later in life and don’t have the same depth of background in riding as most guys who ride. We’re more similar in our (lack of) experience and approach to riding, so honestly, it’s more fun riding with other ladies. 🙂 The Soireé was a great time and it was fun to hang out with some of my biking friends. (For the record, I was not last in the race!)

*(Photo 1: beautiful sky to start the day. Photo 2: posing in front of the finish line. Photo 3: me and my HBRO friends.)*

End of year round-up, catch-up, summary post–part 1 of several.

December 28, 2021 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 1 Comment

Happy holidays, dear readers! Here we are at the end of 2021…already! I hope that this holiday season is a bit more “normal” for you than last year’s. I recall last year when we all were hoping for a “normal” 2021….well, parts of life went back to “normal,” but a lot of life was still — is still — affected by COVID and its family member variants, such as Delta and Omnicron. However, we need to grab hold of the things that bring us joy and sanity and for me, staying active does that. To that end, here is my first of several “catch-up” posts for your reading pleasure (yes, I know my last two posts were “catch-up” posts….apparently, I haven’t had a lot of time to document my outdoor adventures!).

Way back in November (haha, I know that isn’t THAT long ago, but it sure feels like it!), I went to my first mountain bike festival. I attended ROAMfest in Sedona mainly because it is an all-ladies’ mountain bike festival. What do you do at a mountain bike festival? So many things. You hang out with other people who like riding, you go on group rides, you eat great food, you watch films about mountain biking, you get to test ride fancy (read: expensive) bikes, you get to see all the coolest bike stuff…etc., etc., all in beautiful Sedona. The “vibe” was really positive and inclusive and, no joke, the portapotties were the cleanest I’ve ever seen in my life. There was even a hand washing station next to the portapotties, complete with a working faucet that you operated by foot! (I told my friends that the yummy food and clean facilities were no surprise because WOMEN organized the event!) I split the hotel room and driving with a friend and we made the most of our weekend, seeing and doing as much as we could. I would definitely go again. Let me know if you have any questions!

So many adventures! Catch-up blog post, part 1

October 26, 2021 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 1 Comment

Seems like I’m making the same excuses for not updating my blog in a timely manner….too busy doing stuff! I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed some great mountain biking adventures and even an extreme hike since my Bear Jaw race in August. Without further ado, here’s part 1 of my “catch-up blog post,” in chronological order!

First, in September, I got to participate in a SMBA ladies’ bike park skills clinic at the Fort Tuthill Bike Park just outside of Flagstaff. A bike park is a specially designed place where you can practice mountain biking skills, such as jumping (riding over and past a ramp to “get some air”), dropping (either rolling down or dropping over an obstacle, like large boulders or tree stumps), and pumping (using your arms to create momentum, i.e., pumping, while riding on a closed track). My clinic focused on the mountain bike fundamentals, like cornering and shifting body weight forward and back, then used the fundamental skills to test our abilities on the various bike park features. I’m still a beginner when it comes to doing jumps and drops, but I feel like I now have the head knowledge to attempt baby jumps and drops on my home trails. It was a fun day up in Flagstaff and inspired me to continue working on my skills.

For the October long weekend, my SAT (self-appointed trainer, for you newer blog readers!) and I went to Vegas to visit friends and do some mountain biking. I was particularly interested in seeing how similar/different the Vegas trails are compared to the Phoenix trails. I’d say that the Vegas trails I rode are more rocky and rugged than the Phoenix trails (not that there are no rocks in Phoenix, just that there seemed to be MORE rocks in Vegas). That difference made for a slightly more challenging riding experience for me, but in a good way. I definitely rode some sections that were pushing me out of my comfort zone because of factors such as technical rocky sections, exposure, and the unfamiliarity of the trails. It was really fun to catch up with friends and I know my riding improved because of navigating new trails and practicing “looking ahead” and “reading the line.” During the drive back to Phoenix, my SAT and I stopped at the Monolith Garden trail system just outside of Kingman and checked out the trails there. We really enjoyed the beauty of the rock formations and the solitude of the area (we didn’t see anyone during our entire ride). The rock formations reminded us of the Chiricahua National Monument in SE Arizona–simply amazing.

Hello Red Rock Canyon! How I’ve missed you.

On October 17, my friend Crystal and I successfully summited Humphreys Peak. We do this hike each year, usually in the summer. However, this summer, we could not do the hike because of all the forest fire closures in and around Flagstaff. We were a little bummed to miss out on our annual “do or die” tradition, so when the forest fire closures lifted, we decided to pick a fall date and go for it. [Note: by “do or die,” I mean that we pick a date and hike Humphreys without training for it. We drive up, hike, and drive back in one day.] Our “do or die” approach is not something I recommend because the hike is a pretty strenuous one. Humphreys Peak is the highest point in Arizona, sitting at 12,633 ft (3,851 m), so altitude sickness is a real concern. According to my Garmin (cycling computer that tracks distance, elevation, and other workout statistics), the hike is a total of 10.2 miles round trip. Elevation gain is around 3,500 ft (1,067 m).

Three things stand out to me from this year’s Humphreys hike: 1) it was really cold and icy on the trail going up, 2) it was SUPER WINDY (and cold) on the summit, and 3) my legs were TIRED at the end. One positive thing about doing this hike in October vs July is that there were absolutely none of the little bugs (gnats?) that are always swarming the summit…probably because of the SUPER HIGH WIND. The wind was so strong that it blew me off-trail several times and almost knocked my phone out of my hand while I was taking photos.

It was a great day despite the wind and cold and I got my hard-earned fries at the end!

Early in the hike and there’s already snow!

Here ends part 1 of my “catch-up blog post.” Stay tuned for part 2!

“She’ll be comin’ ’round the mountain with her bike…”

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

Thanks to work (daytime, full-time) and work (nighttime, part-time), I don’t have a lot of free time to play outside. But when I do, I play hard. 🙂 Over the past month, I have managed to hike my mountain bike up and down a trail with unicyclists, hike up a local peak without my bike (i.e., the “conventional way to hike!”), and ride my bike with my “self-appointed trainer,” i.e. my SAT.

My SAT is an enthusiastic proponent of mountain unicycling, or muni. The Arizona Unicycling Club hosted a mini muni-fest a few weekends ago that saw about a dozen unicyclists gather together to ride the trails in the Phoenix area. My SAT and I joined them one morning at the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area; he rode his one-wheeled steed and I rode, but mainly pushed, my two-wheeled steed up and down the rocky trail. The trail the unicyclists rode was way too difficult for me to ride, so I ended up getting more of an upper body workout than anything else. I joked that I was the “support vehicle” for any unicyclist who may incur injuries during the ride. Watching the unicyclists ride down the steep trail was pretty impressive and they got a lot of comments from the hikers we encountered along the way. The next day, I decided to hike Piestawa Peak with my friend Diane. After all, my leg muscles were primed for hiking thanks to the previous day’s hike-a-bike! Piestawa Peak, or “Squaw Peak” by which it is known locally, is the second-highest point in the Phoenix Mountains after Camelback Mountain and the third-highest point in the city of Phoenix.

(Top left: the unicyclists before their ride; top right: Steve, the unofficial spokesman for Starbucks; bottom left: Olof getting some air; bottom right: Diane and I at the top of Piestawa Peak.)

To get a sense of what mountain unicycling is, check out this video. Yes, that’s my SAT and his friend Chris. Both are crazy.

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For the past 3 weeks, my SAT and I decided to set bike training goals for ourselves. His goal was to ride at least 10 hours each week for 3 consecutive weeks. My goal was to ride 8 hours each week for 3 consecutive weeks. My SAT met his goal. I was pretty close. The first week, I hit 8 hours and 7 minutes. The second week, I rode for 9 hours and 23 minutes. In week three, I managed to eke out 7 hours and 4 minutes. In my defense, I had rehearsals and 2 concerts in that third week! Overall, I rode 24 hours and 34 minutes, which results in an average of just over 8 hours per week. I can live with that. May I also add that the so-called highlight of week 1 was a 33 mile mountain bike ride? That was hard. It’s a lot more challenging to ride a mountain bike for 33 miles than a road bike. Those things called rocks and sand really make forward progress difficult.

Why did we decide to set those goals? Mainly to kickstart our fitness. We were both feeling lethargic and old and yucky and gosh darn it, we needed to change that NOW. I noticed that my coughing and wheezing and panting — and I am not exaggerating! I really sounded like I was a pack-a-day cigarette smoker riding a bike — is much better now. Instead of feeling like I was going to cough up a lung, I can almost utter a sentence or two without gasping for breath. My bike handling skills are obviously getting better and tonight, I successfully navigated all 3 tricky spots in our normal route for the first time. The most important thing? The more I exercise, the more I can enjoy eating!

(Left: big boulders on the Pemberton loop in McDowell Mountain Regional Park; center: mountain biking bling [that means “showy jewelry!”] on my gloves; right: pretty sunset)

My new friend, Polly

February 8, 2016February 9, 2016 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

Last weekend, I made a new friend. Her name is Polly. Polly has promised to help me get back into shape and to challenge me in pursuing new outdoor adventures. Some of you may wonder who Polly is and how I met her….well, Polly is really my new mountain bike! Polly is a Pivot Mach 4, black and pink, and pretty cool looking. Here she is:

I ordered Polly from our friends, Carl and Lifan, in Las Vegas. They own Irwin Cycles and are the friendliest bike experts ever! Last Saturday afternoon, my SAT and I drove out to Vegas, picked up Polly, and I test-rode her that night. Despite the ridiculous wind (30 mph), cold (a few degrees above zero celsius), and darkness (it was past sundown when we rode), I was quite happy with my new 2-wheeled buddy. Everything worked perfectly and the pink was an added bonus. The next morning, we joined Carl and Lifan for a lovely inaugural ride in Red Rock Canyon.

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(I am smiling while riding a bike! Will wonders never cease?)

On the way back to Phoenix, my SAT and I stopped in Kingman, AZ to check out Monolith Garden, a slightly hidden “blink and you’ll miss it” area off of the freeway just before entering Kingman. Monolith Garden has a number of trails that are perfect for hiking and mountain biking and feature a lot of volcanic rock. The scenery is really pretty and is worth a visit if you’re in the area. We only rode for 2 miles because it started to rain, but made plans to come back! FullSizeRender-11

(Polly and I checking out Monolith Garden.)

The challenge at the moment is finding time to hang out with Polly. Due to my day job AND my music job, finding spare time to ride is going to be tough. I’m already finding that mountain biking is a totally different ‘animal’ than road biking:

no cars to worry about!
mountain bikes are heavier than road bikes, which makes for a harder ride (to me)
there are rocks on the trails! and my mountain bike is ok with that!
mountain biking is harder than road biking (oh, I said that already)

One of my first long-term goals is to ride part of the Arizona Trail in November. I would like to try bikepacking, i.e. biking + backpacking, but I need to build up my fitness, stamina, and mountain bike skills. Wish me (and Polly) luck!

Better late than never

January 18, 2016January 19, 2016 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

Thanks to the day job and evening music gigs, I haven’t had as much time for updating this blog. But I do now! Thank you, long weekend. 🙂

In early December, my SAT (self-appointed trainer), our friend Julia, and I successfully climbed Siphon Draw in the Superstition mountain range, about an hour’s drive east of Phoenix. The hike is located in Lost Dutchman State Park and is a popular one with hikers who want a good cardio workout and some rock scrambling, i.e. using hands and feet to climb up rocks. At the most strenuous part of the hike, you gain about 1800 feet in one mile. That is definitely a challenge! The trail is fairly easy to follow and the views from the top are stunning. There is a small detour near the top to what is locally called the “Flatiron,” which refers to the cliff face you can see when you start the hike.

One event that cramped my style during this hike was, er, a pretty bad leg cramp. I guess I didn’t have enough electrolytes or something…again. All I know is that after climbing that one mile with 1800 feet of elevation and reaching the saddle, my right leg suddenly seized up and cramped up to the point I actually uttered a small scream of pain. Sigh. I’m glad Julia had some extra magical electrolyte juice with her as I didn’t have any such thing with me. Lesson learned. After hobbling up the rest of the way to the summit, my leg seemed to calm down and *I* seemed to calm down!

(Photo 1: the flat rock formation in the top left is the Flatiron; Photo 2: rock towers along the hike; Photo 3: at the top!; Photo 4: otherworldly scenery.)

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New Year’s weekend was a really fun one because we had friends from Vegas come and visit us. Carl and Lifan are avid mountain bikers and co-own a shop in Las Vegas called Irwin Cycles. [N.B. They are awesome people and make sick bikes better. I call Carl the “Bike Whisperer.” They also love dogs and their shop is very dog-friendly!] Anyway, while we lived in Vegas, both of them tried really hard to convert me to mountain biking, but due to lack of time, lack of funds, and lack of a desire to hurl myself onto rocks (haha), that desire did not become reality.

However, I rented a mountain bike (Giant Bikes’ Liv Lust) in anticipation of our weekend together and rode with them on some local trails and had a really fun time. In fact, I had such a good time that my SAT (i.e., self-appointed trainer) and I are presently looking for a mountain bike for little ol’ me. Let me say two things right here: 1) my SAT is beyond stoked (that means “really happy” for those parental types who may be reading this blog) that I am actually interested in mountain biking and 2) I can’t believe that I’m actually interested in mountain biking. After all, I am the “reluctant roadie” and didn’t give mountain biking a passing thought while suffering on my many road bike rides in preparation for my double century. After all, mountain biking meant I had to buy another bike, carve out time to ride said bike, and potentially get sucked into enduring conversations with my SAT about mountain bike parts, mountain bike races, mountain bike trails….I wanted to help my SAT expand his interests, not focus on one activity.

Turns out I’m the one whose horizons are expanding….!

(Photo 1: pretty Sonoran desert; Photo 2: I’m riding a mountain bike!; Photo 3: Carl, my SAT, and Lifan riding down to meet me. )

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Originally a journal to document my training towards my first double-century, this blog is now a journal of my outdoor adventures.

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