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!
Official race logo.Spoiler alert: I successfully finished the race!
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!
Professional photo of the start line.Professional photo of the pro riders before they started their race.Professional photo of all the racers!
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.
Group photo before our “wave” started.Me and Nataly waiting for our wave to start.
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.
Leading some guys up a climb.I really do look like I’m having fun. I must have known there was a camera nearby.Where is the finish line?How much further?I DID IT!This is a genuine smile.My “emotional support crew” met me at the finish line!
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. 🙂
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!
Kara (on very left) took this selfie.The “rabbit ears” rock formation.Fun pose! (Kara is taking the photo.)Pictures make steep sections look…easy.Me, Vanessa, and Jess. All of our birthdays are in March, so “my” birthday ride was kind of shared with them. 🙂Giving “rabbit ears” to the Rabbit Ears trail sign.Silly wine picture!The “rabbit ears” rock formation is in the very center of this picture. It’s tiny.My fingers framing the “rabbit ears” formation.All the snacks we brought. We were not hungry.The quality of this picture isn’t great because it is a still shot from the video of all of us clinking our glasses. Cheers!
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.My SAT always looks happy on a bike, especially when he takes me on loooong rides.Quick break.What?? There’s MORE climbing??
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!
Some difficulties with the crowning.Almost crowned…Newly crowned!With the HBRO founders: Robin on the left and Tiana on the right. Tiana is wearing her ACTUAL prom dress from high school! Tiana is also a LOT closer to high school graduation than most of the HBRO ladies!I had to take the crown off because it kept slipping off my head! I’m with two good mountain biking friends (Vanessa on the left and Gladys on the right). Group picture!
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!
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.Because there were so many riders, I split the group into two smaller groups. This is my group looking their best!Both groups finished at the same time!I requested everyone to bring some treats to share. We had a tailgate-style party after the ride in the parking lot!
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!
It was REALLY COLD at 5am!I’m starting my first lap.Professional photo during the first lap.“Home base” while we waited to race.My teammate’s husband and dog, Maya.Beautiful mountains in the distance. You can see how full the venue is with all of the RV’s, trucks, etc.Another view of all the individual spaces.
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.View during the first hike.Seeing the moon during the first hike.I don’t recall this photo being taken!Cool picture at the summit.Group photo at summit #1.Beautiful sunrise in process.Christmas tree seen during hike #2.Top of hike #4.More than halfway done!View during hike #5.Steadily making our way up to summit #5.Summit #5 photo.Cute husky puppy named Rory!Catching the last rays of light during the last hike.Seeing the moon again!Summit photo for hike #7!Our bonus 8th summit: dinner.Group photo for summit #8, haha!I INHALED my fries.Some of us found it hard to walk down the stairs!The stickers–hard earned.
I wish you all a Happy New Year and many great adventures in 2022!
….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.)
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!
Waiting to enter the festival venue.One of many bike shuttles.Beautiful Sedona. I “demoed” (i.e., borrowed a bike to test out on a ride) a Pivot Mach 6.Heidi and I being dorky.The vegan meal option on Friday night. Kimchi!Movie night on Friday night.Mountain biking can be dangerous.There was a panel with several speakers who talked about diversity and inclusion in mountain biking.The Friday group ride.The Saturday group ride.Near the end of the Saturday ride.
Last weekend, my SAT and I rode part of the Black Canyon Trail (BCT). The BCT is about 80 miles long and roughly parallels the I-17 in Arizona. It’s surprising that so many people who drive the I-17 to and from Phoenix have no idea that there’s an amazing trail just beside and below them. Most mountain bikers who ride the BCT select a specific section or two, rather than ride the entire trail. We chose to ride the Copper Mountain loop, which is a 15 mile loop that is SE of Prescott. The loop starts at the Big Bug trailhead (note: I think the reason the trailhead is called “Big Bug” is because of all the HUGE grasshoppers (or whatever they are) in the area). I was pretty impressed by the beauty of the area: lots of green due to all the rain we’ve received this monsoon season, red dirt, lots of prickly pear cacti and purple rocks. The loop itself is probably an intermediate-level trail; it isn’t extremely technical overall, but there are definitely sections that feature rock gardens (i.e., bunches of rocks clustered together) and some exposure.
Starting the ride.
Nature is beautiful.
Riding through a rocky gap.
Got to take a picture of my SAT!
Expansive views.
Lots of prickly pear cacti.
I need to improve my selfie game.
More prickly pear cacti.
And even more…
Made it back to the trailhead!
Those bugs are HUGE!
I earned my fries. 🙂
One thing I started doing this fall is lead a weekly ladies’ beginner ride at South Mountain. I’m part of a Phoenix-area ladies’ mountain biking group and was riding so much that the group leaders noticed and asked if I would like to be a ride leader. Of course I said yes! I’ve had a lot of fun meeting new ladies and showing them some things I’ve learned since I started working on my riding skills last year. In addition to my weekly rides, I plan on organizing longer weekend rides every so often. Today, I led a Hallowe’en-themed ride at Browns Ranch and my little group had a great time enjoying the scenery and taking lots of fun photos.
My very colourful group!
Just “bee”ing myself!
Holding up Balance Rock.
Polly (my bike) in front of Balance Rock.
It was a beautiful morning!
Balance Rock behind us…
…and in front of us…
I like this photo.
Handing out candy at the end of the ride.
I have a couple fun events coming up to round out the year, including ROAMfest, a women’s mountain biking festival that focuses on all things bike-related (note: ROAMfest is next week!!) and the Dawn to Dusk race in December, during which I’ll be part of the same four-person team as my Bear Jaw race in August. I’ll make sure and post writeups of those events, so stay tuned!
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.
Working my way around the pump track.
Practicing low body position.
Working on drops.
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.
Love this view.
Love the red rocks.
More beautiful SW desert views.
Vegas’ Southwest Ridge. You can see the Strip in the distance.
So good to see friends!
Monolith Garden trail just outside of Kingman, AZ.
Mark testing his balance.
Vista of Monolith Garden trail.
We saw cows near the end of our ride.
I like cows. They are gentle creatures.
Got to get a selfie!
Cool hole in the rock.
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!
The meadow sign that says we were at 11,400 ft elevation.
Finally reached the saddle! Only about a mile or so till the top…
The summit!
Crystal, Ellie, and me. We’re smiling, but dang, we were cold because it was SO WINDY!
Beautiful view from the top.
Doesn’t look like Arizona.
I’m bent over like that because of the strong wind.
Another beautiful view.
Starting the hike down.
This is at the trailhead. You could still see the yellow aspens.
Tired, but victorious. And so very attractive. 😉
Here ends part 1 of my “catch-up blog post.” Stay tuned for part 2!
In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to race the Bear Jaw Groove race. Well, I did! The race was yesterday and my four-person team did splendidly. The race was held at the Arizona Nordic Village and the race format is simple: ride as many laps as you can in 6 hours. Each lap is 11 miles long. Obviously, the solo and duo team riders had it a bit harder than the four-person teams because they don’t have as long of a break in between laps. It was pretty easy to tell which riders were the solo riders because they were all super skinny, wore spandex, and had intense gazes. Kind of like the solo male winner:
He rode 77 miles, i.e. 7 laps, in 6 hours. That’s almost 7,000 ft of climbing. If I worked that hard during a ride, I’d eat ALL the fries.
I got into Flagstaff around 3:15pm on Friday. I thought I was beating the traffic, but quickly learned that move-in day for Northern Arizona University (NAU) was that day. Traffic in town was SO BUSY. I got to my airbnb and decided against going downtown for dinner because I didn’t want to face traffic again. Instead, I walked to the closest Safeway and picked up some items for dinner and lunch the next day.
My airbnb was a cute little bedroom in a single-family house with its own private entrance. The family owns a few chickens and the coop is right next to the airbnb entrance. I really enjoyed meeting the chickens and hearing their quiet “clucks” during my stay. (When I told the chickens I don’t eat meat, they seemed to appreciate that fact, haha!)
My cute little airbnb
The airbnb chickens!
Race day! For those of you who’ve never been to a mountain bike race before, it’s basically a big party. Yes, there’s an actual race, but there are also things like food trucks, vendors, live music, and activities for families such as a kids’ bike race. I was with a group of ladies from Hawesaholics Babes Ride On (HBRO), a ladies’ mountain biking group in Phoenix. We all arrived at the race site by 8am, set up our home base, and got our bikes and ourselves ready to go.
Race swag
HBRO racers right before the race started
My four-person team
Some of the vendors’ tents
The finish line!
Our HBRO area….lots of bikes!
Like I said earlier, the race course is 11 miles long. For the four-person teams, one racer rides the course at a time. When one racer finishes, the next racer will start riding. I was the second person to go on my team, which worked well for me. I didn’t have to deal with the mass start and I had a bit more time to get mentally prepared.
My new Canada gloves. I may be an American citizen now, but I’ll never forget my Canadian roots!
Right before I set off for my lap
The race course is not a technical one, i.e., riders of all levels can ride this course. My team pre-rode the course a couple of weeks before the race, so we had a good idea of what to expect. The most annoying part about the course is the climbing; almost half the course is uphill. It’s one of those steady grinds that seem to go on forever. Not fun. But, after the climb, the rest of the course is mostly downhill, which is way better! I had a couple of goals for the race: 1) beat my pre-ride time of 1 hour 40 minutes (I felt like my pre-ride time was slow because the ride was a big group ride and there were lots of stops to get people acquainted with the route) and 2) do my first lap in 1 hour 15 minutes. I met both goals!
I’ve had a few people ask me what I thought of the course. Aside from my course description above, my top three highlights — in no particular order — during the race were:
riding through the Aspen trees (I WISH I could have taken a picture! It was so pretty there!);
hearing a guy behind me yell “I was trying to keep up with you but you’re totally bombing the downhill!” (TRY HARDER, DUDE). Oh, FYI, “bombing” refers to racing down a trail as fast as possible. I left that guy in the dust. Literally!; and
pedaling as fast as I can towards the finish line in case a photographer was there to capture the moment (I wanted to look intense…you know, like a REAL racer).
My whole team did really well and we were very happy to learn that we placed first in our category!
Right after the race ended. We decided to wear our matching tank tops for the post-race photo. 🙂
Right after the awards ceremony
Cool medal! It’s also a bottle opener!
Ok….so full disclosure….we were the only team in our category (four-person team, women). HAHAHA! But hey, it’s still cool that we did the race and even cooler that we have a souvenir (i.e., medal)!
I had a really fun time and I’m glad I did this race. I got to know some awesome ladies better and we are all doing another race together in December! Stay tuned for more training and event stories!
It’s mid-August, which means it’s STILL summer in Phoenix….which means “monsoon season,” which means hot and humid. July and August are the “monsoon” months and the Phoenix area usually gets most of the rain it gets for the year during these two months. I’m good with watering the desert; after all, the desert needs water too! Also, rain helps keep forest fires at bay, which is a very good thing. However, all this watery monsoony goodness means humidity and when you combine humidity with high heat….yuck. I’m still trying to get out and ride most mornings, but I’m not gonna lie….it’s really difficult to get up early and ride, when you know you’re going to be SOAKED at the end of the ride. And not because of rain. Because of sweat.
However, a couple of distractions have been helping to keep me on my bike. The first distraction is a little race coming up on August 21 called Bear Jaw Groove. This race is a homegrown event and takes place just outside Flagstaff. This is the 2nd year for the race and it’s fun to support a local event and be part of the event’s formative years. Bear Jaw is a 6 hour event during which solo riders, duos, and teams of four ride as many course laps as possible. The course is an 11 mile loop which starts and ends at the Arizona Nordic Village. One of the cool parts of the course is the “Aspen corridor,” which is a section that winds through an Aspen forest. I’m part of a 4 person ladies’ team and we’re all doing this race for fun and to get out of the Phoenix heat!
The other distraction is a monthly challenge issued by the Hawesaholics Babes Ride On (HBRO) Facebook group. I joined this group at the end of 2020 and have met a ton of ladies who ride. HBRO is a local group, so it’s easy to find someone to ride with. Each month, the HBRO founders post a monthly “clean this challenge,” which is basically a technical obstacle or more difficult trail to work on for that month. Those who take on the challenge are supposed to record a video of their attempts at “cleaning” (i.e., clearing, riding successfully) the challenge and the video with the most Facebook “likes” wins a prize. It’s a fun way to work towards a goal. The “clean this challenge” for August is not bike related; instead, it’s a fun little obstacle course at a local park (think of a very watered down American Ninja Warrior type of course with things like monkey bars and a “Spiderman” style net ladder). Participants are supposed to record and time their best attempt and the video with the most “likes” will win the prize (this month’s prize is an insulated mug).
As soon as I saw the August challenge, I thought it would be funny to put a spin on it. What if I got a few other ladies to do the challenge with me….but instead of attempting the obstacle course “normally,” we pretend it’s an obstacle course for a bike? I suggested the idea to a few friends and things took off from there. The result of all that brainstorming and video shooting is right here in this YouTube link: click me for a laugh.
To give you an idea of the sheer ridiculousness of the video, here’s a picture of me in my protective gear (yes, it is a bit much for a playground obstacle course, but it served its purpose)! Let me know what you think!
(Ready to roll! I am wearing a Kevlar helmet, “facegoggles,” and downhill body armour. The helmet is bullet-resistant and weighs about 10 pounds. I was SO GLAD I didn’t have to wear that thing for very long. The “facegoggles” are more like a face shield and quite effective at keeping people at a distance. They’re not as breathable as regular face masks, though. Both the helmet and facegoggles were borrowed. The body armour is my SAT’s from his downhill mountain biking days. I think I look like a cross between GI Joe and a stormtrooper.)
This blog is way overdue for an update! Why haven’t I updated lately? Because I’ve been consistently riding my mountain bike. This is not a joke. Although I’ve had my mountain bike for 5 years, I barely rode it. I was seriously considering selling my bike in October 2020 because it was a waste to have a great bike and not ride it. (Also, due to the pandemic, it seemed like EVERYONE was spending time outside on bikes, which meant that bikes were in great demand. I figured that I could tap into that demand and get a pretty great price for my bike.) However, my SAT (self-appointed trainer, a.k.a., my husband) persuaded me to give mountain biking one more go and I agreed. I even signed up for a clinic….and that was the clincher. Not only did I learn some fundamental skills, I met some great women riders, who introduced me to a lot more women riders. Now, I have a community of women riders!
I wanted to blog about each of my mountain bike rides and trips that I’ve done this year, but because there are way too many rides and trips to document, I’m just going to bullet out the highlights of my mountain biking year thus far:
Set a mileage goal for 2021: 30 miles / week (i.e., 1,520 this year). As of June 26, 2021, I’ve ridden 927 miles (1,492 km)!
Gone on lots of group rides, both self-organized and via a few groups I’ve joined.
Met lots of lady shredders!
Trips taken include 3 Sedona trips, 2 Flagstaff trips, and numerous valley/local rides.
Successfully completed the Slaydies 30 day skills challenge, which means that I intentionally practiced mountain bike skills for at least 20 minutes a day for 30 consecutive days. Over the 30 days, I spent 28 hours and 27 minutes on my bike and rode 184.1 miles. That’s a lot of practice!
Took 2 bike skills clinics (cornering and downhill with PedalTherapy).
Accomplishments: I can actually lift my front wheel! I can also do baby level lifts and something resembling a back wheel lift. Additionally, I can now ride ALL of the Beverly Canyon downhill sections, the Javelina downhill, most of East Loop in both directions, and much of the Hawes trail system. I also rode a couple sections of the Black Canyon Trail for the first time in May and that was really fun.
Residual benefit: lost a few pounds. 😉
Goals for the rest of this year include exceeding my mileage goal and focusing on new trails at South Mountain to learn, such as Mormon and National (yikes). Right now, getting out to ride is a bit more challenging due to the heat here in Phoenix, but I’m managing to continue riding by getting up at 4:30am (this is not a joke). I cannot wait for fall.
I’ll end this blog post with lots of pictures from all the riding I’ve done this year!
On top of the “Helipad” at South Mountain with Jodey and Jess.
Lovely view of the Sedona red rock on Valentine’s Day.
Rode with Lifan and Carl on Valentine’s Day in Sedona.
Riding some trails at Hawes in east Mesa on my birthday.
Another Sedona ride in mid-March.
Sedona girls’ ride with Jodey, Vanessa, and Kara.
Saw burros on the trail at Browns Ranch!
Just after “cleaning,” i.e., successfully riding, the south side Beverly Canyon downhill. I focused on downhill skills for a week leading up to the PedalTherapy downhill skills bike clinic I took in April.
Getting the hang of what the proper downhill body position should feel like during the PedalTherapy downhill skills clinic in April.
Riding a portion of the Black Canyon Trail in May.
Barely saw this critter on the Black Canyon Trail!
All the ladies who completed the Slaydies 30 day challenge.
Girls’ ride in…Sedona! (It’s a great place to ride.)
Played hooky for a day and rode in Flagstaff with Sara and Tori to escape the Phoenix heat in June.
Another ride in Flagstaff, but this time, with a different group.
I’m getting up at 4:30am to ride to beat the heat. One benefit: glorious AZ sunrises.
Happy New Year, lovely readers! I hope that you all had a lovely holiday despite COVID’s unwanted presence. Here in Phoenix, “winter weather” means “awesome,” so I currently have the privilege of enjoying beautiful weather whenever I want. As I mentioned in my last post, I really enjoyed the mountain bike clinic I took in November and since then, have been inspired to ride my bike a lot (for me, which is 3-4 times a week). As a result, I am riding trails and “cleaning” (i.e. successfully riding/completing) obstacles and sections of trails that I was way too scared to consider before the clinic. For example, recent successes on my bike at South Mountain include:
just trying things out and “sessioning,” or practicing things, like the Javelina, Mormon, and National trails!
riding the first 2 (of 3) “challenges” along the Desert Classic trail [Note: there is a more inappropriate name for the 3 challenges…if you really want to know what that name is, leave me a comment!]
cleaning the Lower Corona trail up and down
cleaning the north side descent of the “old” Beverly Canyon trail.
I’m also meeting a lot of ladies who ride, which is something I’ve been lacking. It’s way easier to get outside and ride my bike when I have people to do that with me! I’ve even set a riding goal: 30 miles per week. That doesn’t sound like much, but for me, as long as I pursue this goal, I’ll be riding way more than I have in the past 5 years combined. [Note: 30 miles per week x 52 weeks = 1,560 miles this year. Not bad!] And, last but probably not least, my SAT (self-appointed trainer) is thrilled that I’m riding more. I’ve also noticed he’s giving me more “riding tips” (usually unsolicited). Sigh. Some things never change.
What? I’m SMILING while riding my bike?
*”Shredding” refers toriding a trail at a skillful level, riding a trail really fast, and/or just plain having fun while riding.
Now that I’ve had a few days to mull over all the information I received, if not learned, from the Slaydies bike clinic I just completed, I want to jot some thoughts down for posterity (and my unreliable memory). 😉
My overall conclusion is this: taking a bike clinic is a great thing to do, if you’re looking to improve your skills in a safe environment!
The clinic was spread out over 4 weeks (we met each Tuesday afternoon for about 2 hours), so there was time in between classes to practice what we learned. Each class was focused on a few specific fundamental skills. For example, the first class was devoted to the proper position when descending technical trails and braking (very important skill!!). We spent most of the second class on cornering. During the third class, we worked on our front wheel lift, which is crucial to technical climbing, i.e. getting over bigger rocks/obstacles when going uphill. For the last class, we broke down a specific “challenging” trail into sections and “sessioned” those sections, which just means that we worked on specific sections multiple times….i.e., practicing!
After each class, Stef, our coach, emailed us personalized feedback and “homework.” For instance, after the second class, Stef advised me to work on thinking where my body weight is when cornering and where I’m looking as I’m entering and exiting a corner. She even sent me “before and after” pictures of me cornering:
(Left: trying too hard to show that I’m cornering. My right leg should be extended. Right: better cornering position.)
Although I can ride a bike, I’ve never intentionally practiced anything, so my technical ability is pretty much zero. I found it a little overwhelming to think about all the stuff I had to do to corner, descend, climb, etc., which was to be expected. No one was going to magically master all the skills in one day! However, I learned a lot over the past 4 weeks and am inspired to apply my head knowledge to actual riding. In fact, during my last two rides, I tried riding a couple of trails that I still consider “challenging” and successfully rode most of them. So, that’s improvement.
Apart from all the skills I need to work on, I think my biggest challenge will be to curtail my SAT’s (self-appointed trainer, i.e. my husband) expectations and enthusiasm for my “renewed interest in biking” (his words). Based on my previous experience (for example, this ride or this ride or that ride), my SAT has a talent for pushing people to do things they may not want to do. Dear readers, any tips on how to lovingly ignore my SAT? 😉
Left: me with Stef, our clinic coach. Right: taking a photo break during the last class.
I’m doing a new thing! I’m shifting my focus to mountain biking, now that my “rim to rim” hike is done and to that end, I registered for a mountain bike clinic! I’ve never taken a mountain bike clinic before and it seemed like a good time to do one, given what little there is to do this past year (thanks for nothing, global pandemic).
The clinic I’m taking is part of the “Slaydies” series through Adrenaline Coaching. Each series includes 4 classes; my series is the November one and meets each Tuesday afternoon for 2 hours at South Mountain. Class sizes are limited to 5 ladies. The first session was on Election Day and I was very glad to have the distraction! We focused on the correct position for descending (i.e. “active stance,” or “get as low as you can on the bike”) as well as braking on descents.
One of the best things about taking a clinic is getting feedback from a totally objective third-party, i.e. someone other than my SAT (self-appointed trainer/husband). For whatever reason, hearing my SAT tell me to “get lower” when I go down descents doesn’t seem to resonate as much with me compared to when Stefanie (clinic coach) tells me the same thing (maybe because Stefanie doesn’t live with me?).
In addition to verbal feedback, Stefanie assigned us “homework” based on her observations of our current skill level. My takeaways from week 1 are to practice getting as low as I can on the bike while going downhill. Here’s a picture showing what my body position looked like during my first attempt going down a chunky descent vs. the last attempt (we had 4-5 attempts):
(My goal is to match the red line on the right as much as possible when descending.)
I have a ways to go before I would consider my active stance “low enough.” 😉
(Stefanie showing Lauren the video of her descent.)
At the end of the class, we had a quick debriefing session over sparkling water (thanks, Stefanie!) and mini banana muffins (thanks, Lauren!) during which we all shared what we learned.
Before writing this blog post, I went for a ride to practice my active descending stance. I can tell that I was much more aware of my body position and could tell when I wasn’t as low in my stance vs. when I was low (or, what I consider “low” for now because I’m still trying to make the low stance second nature). Hooray for getting out of my comfort zone and trying new things!
In my last post, I shared that I was training for my first “Rim to Rim” (R2R) hike. I gave myself 5 weeks to train and after many miles and logistical planning, I’m happy to report that the R2R hike was a success! Bear with me: this post is a long one because it includes all sorts of information pertaining to the training I did, the gear I took, and the hike itself. I wanted to document all that information for future reference, in case I ever wanted to do this again…
The original idea for doing the R2R came up during a conversation earlier this summer with my friend Jodey. We both had the R2R on our radar, but for various reasons, hadn’t done it yet. When I hiked Humphrey’s Peak with another friend, Crystal, in July, I mentioned that it would be cool to attempt R2R, but I’d need a shuttle driver. Crystal immediately volunteered to be that shuttle driver, and at that moment, R2R became a reality. Jodey, Crystal, and I scheduled our R2R attempt for the October long weekend and I mapped out a hiking training plan.
Training:
I gave myself 5 weeks to focus on hiking and started my training on August 31st. I didn’t want to start my training sooner than that because it was still hot in Phoenix (i.e. temperatures were still hovering around 90F/30C at the coolest part of the day. Yeah. Gross.). My training plan was basically to hike each morning with a rest day once a week. I’d increase my mileage each week and do a big hike on the weekends. This plan went well until my last 2 big training hikes. Jodey, my SAT (self-appointed trainer, i.e. my husband), and I planned a 16 mile loop in South Mountain with just under 4,000 ft of gain. We wanted to use this hike as a “qualifying” hike to see where we were in our training. We started hiking at 4:30am to try and beat the heat, but we were still hiking at 11am, when temperatures hit 100F/38C and my body started shutting down. I was in heat distress and was breathing heavily (while walking on flat trail at that point), walking really slowly, dizzy, and experiencing tunnel vision. We decided that Jodey and I would sit under a tree and wait for my SAT to get the vehicle and pick us up. That experience was a sober reminder that hiking in the Grand Canyon is not a joke. I decided to take the next week to train some more and think about whether I really wanted to do the R2R and if I REALLY felt physically and mentally prepared to commit to the hike. The good thing about this hike is that I didn’t get any leg cramps, which I tend to do on long, difficult hikes. I was trying out some Endurolytes (i.e. electrolyte pills) and they seemed to work.
The next weekend, my SAT and I did another big hike. We planned on doing a 10 mile hike and started hiking at 6:30am. Unfortunately, the hike ended up being 14 miles and we got caught in the heat again. However, I fared a bit better and was able to complete the hike, probably due to my experience the previous weekend. Similar to last week, I didn’t get any leg cramps. Thank you, Endurolytes!
I decided to commit to the R2R and concluded that my goals for the hike were: 1) not to get leg cramps, 2) deal with the heat factor by starting the hike as early as necessary, and 3) not complain. Yes, that last goal was a legitimate goal! (I’m again happy to report that I successfully achieved that goal. Funny story: during the hike, I said to Jodey that my loving SAT would ask if I complained during the hike. Shortly after I got home, he did indeed ask me.
Proof that I was a very good girl during the hike.
The weekend:
Friday October 9
This day was mainly spent driving. Jodey and I left Phoenix at 6:30am and drove to Prescott to meet up with Crystal (and her adorable dog, Bagheera). We then drove to Flagstaff, stopped at Whole Foods to pick up some food for lunch and dinner, then drove to the North Kaibab trailhead to see where we’d be starting our hike the next morning. We then drove to our campsite (we planned on snagging a dispersed campsite), set up camp, then enjoyed the sunset at the East Rim Viewpoint trailhead. Lights were out by 7:30pm and my alarm was set for 4am. It was really happening!
A few pictures of the drive north.
Jacob Lake cookies!
Our dispersed campsite.
Crystal and Bagheera.
Some Ensure to ensure our R2R success! Jodey and I had these for breakfast.
Beautiful golden light.
Our campsite was very close to the Arizona Trail.
Enjoying the sunset.
Sunset at the East Rim Viewpoint.
Saturday October 10
My alarm went off at 4am and we broke camp, repacked the car, and drove to the North Kaibab trailhead, arriving there just after 5am. Our plan was to start hiking at 5am, but nature called REALLY LOUDLY. Fortunately, there was a restroom at the trailhead. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a queue for the restroom. In any case, we started hiking at 5:26am. It was still pitch black and the temperature was probably just above freezing.
When Jodey and I discussed how to approach R2R mentally, we decided to think of it as doing 2 “shorter” hikes instead of one really long one. So, that’s how I’ll describe our R2R experience!
Hike 1: North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch
Starting elevation: 8,241 feet / 2,512 m
Ending elevation: 2,480 feet / 756 m
Elevation loss: 5,761 feet / 1,756 m
Distance: 14 miles / 22.5 km
Length of time: 6.5 hours. We started just before 5:30am and arrived at Phantom Ranch just after 12 noon.
It felt like it was around 40F / 4C when we started the hike. I wore my puffy down jacket, a long sleeve Smartwool shirt, long pants, socks, and hiking shoes. I had to use a headlamp because it was still pitch black. I think the hardest thing about “hike 1” is that it’s mostly downhill. That sounds strange to most people because downhill is considered easier than uphill, which it normally is! But, miles and miles of downhill can wreak havoc on knees, which I will talk about later in this post….
Sunrise occurred about an hour into the hike and wow, the early morning light revealed such pretty scenery!
There are several landmarks along the North Kaibab Trail: Supai Tunnel (1.7 miles / 2.7 km), Redwall Bridge (2.3 miles / 3.7 km), Roaring Springs (4.7 miles / 7.6 km), Manzanita rest area (5.4 miles / 8.7 km), Cottonwood Campground (6.8 miles / 10.9 km), Ribbon Falls junction (8.4 miles / 13.5 km), and Phantom Ranch (14 miles / 22.5 km). Most of these landmarks had water spigots for filling up your water bottles and restrooms (i.e. outhouses). Tip: make sure to confirm that the water spigots are working before you hike!
The North Kaibab trail is beautiful and we saw so much red rock, green trees, and fall leaves. Although there were many people on the trail, we were all spaced out enough so that we weren’t crowded. Some parts of the trail were rather exposed (i.e. there was a steep drop on one side), which would probably challenge those who are scared of heights.
At the first rest area 1.5 miles down the trail.
Supai tunnel.
Check out the view!
Jodey on the Redwall Bridge.
Beautiful colours!
More amazing scenery.
Note the exposed trail on the right.
Approaching Roaring Springs. See the waterfall in the bottom center?
Hanging in there!
Manzanita rest area. Most of the landmarks were signed.
It was busy at the Manzanita rest area when we arrived.
On the way to Cottonwood Campground.
This is one of the few times we were in direct sunlight. We had a lot of shade during our hike.
Ribbon Falls junction. Maybe next time!
One of the sections I was concerned about was “The Box.” This section of the North Kaibab trail consists of a few miles of narrow canyon right before Phantom Ranch. Note: “narrow canyon” means “heat trap.” In my R2R research, I read that temperatures in the Box can get as high as 130F (54C). (Reminder: I do NOT do heat well.) In order to stave off the heat, we dipped our shirts in the water right before we entered the Box and wore them through the Box. It was great to feel cold for a few moments! Happily, when we hit the Box during our hike, it was mostly in shade and the temperature was nowhere near 130F (it was probably closer to 85F / 29C).
The last little bridge of “hike #1.”
The “Box”
Finally! Phantom Ranch! We finished “hike #1!” I was super happy to reach Phantom Ranch because I REALLY wanted a lemonade. Yes, that overpriced lemonade was probably made from a mix, but it was going to be cold and delicious regardless. I EARNED that drink. In addition to the lemonade, I bought a 4-pack of Oreo cookies and a “sharing size” pack of peanut M&M’s to supplement our respective lunches.
We finished hike #1!
Masks….sign of the times.
My cold, delicious, overpriced lemonade!
The sign points to Bright Angel campground.
Pack animals.
Phantom Ranch
Hike 2: Bright Angel Trail to the top of the South Rim
Starting elevation: 2,480 feet / 756 m
Ending elevation: 6,860 feet / 2,091 m
Elevation gain: 4,380 feet / 1,335 m
Distance: 9.5 miles / 15.3 km
Length of time: 5.5 hours. We started our “second hike” just before 1pm and arrived at the top of the South Rim at 6:30pm.
I’m not sure what the temperature was when we started “hike #2,” but it was probably around 95F (35C). We dipped our shirts again before crossing the Silver Bridge and starting the Bright Angel trail. I’m not going to include any “wet t-shirt pictures” because I am a lady. 😉 I WILL include a few photos of the Silver Bridge that crosses the Colorado River and joins up with the Bright Angel trail. Fun fact: in early September, we learned that the National Park Service (NPS) was closing the Silver Bridge “indefinitely” due to structural concerns. That meant that we’d have to hike an extra 1.5 miles to the Black Bridge. However, a week later, we read that the NPS reopened the Silver Bridge after conducting a formal structural assessment. SUCH great news!
The little bridge at the Bright Angel campground.
View from the Silver Bridge (west side).
View from the Silver Bridge (east side).
The Silver Bridge, which crosses the Colorado River and leads to the Bright Angel trail.
Looking back onto the Colorado River and the Silver Bridge (right side) as we soldier on to the South Rim.
Here we go again….
The first major obstacle we had to cross was the “Devil’s Corkscrew.” I’m not sure if that’s the official name of the series of steep switchbacks, or a nickname that suffering hikers bestowed upon them. In any case, we kept on hiking up and up — thankfully, in shade for most of the switchbacks! — until we looked down and saw THIS:
Devil’s Corkscrew
Perhaps the name “Devil’s Corkscrew” was more appropriate than I thought….shortly after leaving that area, my left knee/IT band started complained loudly. I did not, even though my knee was starting to hurt pretty badly.
From this point on, the major landmarks along the trail were well-signed and evenly spaced out. The first goal was hitting the 4.5 mile rest area, otherwise known as “Indian Garden.” We topped off our water, soaked our bandanas, and wearily continued our (absolutely amazing, fantastic, beautiful, fun) hike. [Yes, of COURSE the words in parentheses were the actual words running through my head at that point!] 🙂
Indian Garden, the approximate halfway point of the Bright Angel trail.
Our next goal was the 3 mile rest house. We stopped just before we got there to get a picture taken in the soft, late-afternoon light.
Then, the BEST thing happened. Right in front of us on the trail, maybe 25-30 feet away, was a big-horned sheep! It was definitely a morale booster seeing that sheep.
I love seeing animals on the trail!
Next stop was the 1.5 mile rest house. Slowly, but surely, we were making our painful way up to the top.
I wonder how many people have used that emergency phone to hitch a ride back to the top?
Only 1.5 miles left. Grrrr….my left knee was REALLY yelling at me (but remember, I was NOT COMPLAINING…out loud…). At this point, I was alternating between 2 walking methods: 1) a weird cowboy two-step that made me look like I just rode a horse for the first time in years, and 2) using my right leg to climb over rocks and tree roots, while limping/dragging my left leg behind me. Truly, I was a picture of hiking grace and beauty. One thing that helped me continue on was looking back to see how far we’d come. The last beautiful view we enjoyed was this one:
The last 2 landmarks were 2 tunnels right before the end, but it was getting too dark to get any good pictures of them. However, one picture I DID get was of the two of us triumphantly posing in front of the Bright Angel Trailhead sign, victorious!
Hooray!
I’m not sure what the temperature was when we finished our hike, but I had to get my puffy jacket from my backpack because I was feeling chilly. After Crystal picked us up, we drove to Tusayan (this little town is only a mile from the South Rim!) and tried to find somewhere to get some food. Unfortunately, nothing much was open, so we ended up grabbing some fries and hamburgers from McDonald’s. What a grand celebratory dinner, right? 😉 I was happy enough because I always want fries after a huge hike!
Sunday October 11
We enjoyed a leisurely morning getting some breakfast and enjoying the canyon views from the South Rim. Before we started our drive back to Phoenix, Jodey and I bought some “swag” to commemorate the occasion.
View from the South Rim.
Another view from the South Rim.
My hard-earned swag: a vinyl R2R sticker and pin.
Overall numbers:
Distance (according to my Garmin): We hiked 24.87 miles!
Elevation change: The Grand Canyon National Park website states that there is a 5,761 feet elevation loss (North Kaibab trailhead to Bright Angel Campground) and 4,380 feet elevation gain (Bright Angel Campground to the South Rim on the Bright Angel Trail). As a reference, there are 5,280 feet in one mile. According to my Garmin, we gained 4,696 feet in elevation (my Garmin didn’t record the elevation loss).
Total time (according to my Garmin): 13 hours, 20 seconds. Of that, 9 hours and 48 minutes were moving time, which means we took just over 3 hours in breaks.
Temperature: it was just above freezing when we started at the North Rim. The high temperature was 95F / 35C at Phantom Ranch. I’m not sure what the temperature was when we finished the hike at 6:30pm, but it felt like it was 45-50F / 7-10C.
The Grand Canyon Facebook page said that there were 430 hikers/trail runners who passed through Phantom Ranch between 5:30-9:30am on Saturday!
What workedfor me during the hike:
Training, obviously. Although, I think I’d train more next time. Specifically, I’d train for a longer period of time and increase mileage more slowly.
Train with a backpack.
If you think you want to use poles, train with those poles. I have poles and have used them on other long hikes. However, I didn’t use them very much in my R2R training. I decided not to take them at the last minute. Would they have helped my knee by taking a bit of weight off of it? Perhaps. If I do R2R again, I think I’ll try using poles, if only to compare experiences.
I set hourly alarms on my phone as reminders to eat. I knew it was important to keep my energy up and I didn’t want to risk not finishing the hike because I didn’t eat enough calories. [My SAT — self-appointed trainer, a.k.a. my husband — told me a few times before I left to eat during the hike. HA! I already had that covered! So there!]
Proof that I was a very responsible girl during the hike.
Dipping my shirt and bandanas in the river to cool off. This really helped a lot. Hooray for evaporative cooling!
Endurolytes to avoid leg cramps. I took one pill when my hourly alarm went off. I’m never going on a long hike or bike ride without these again!
Use a checklist (paper or digital) to pack. Compose your list, then check off items as you pack them.
Remember to look up once in a while when hiking to enjoy the views!
Gear:
Headlamp (with fresh batteries)
phone, portable charger, AirPods
Garmin cycling computer (to record the hike)
puffy jacket, Smartwool gloves, buff (took all these off a few miles into the hike)
Smartwool long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, hiking shoes
extra pair of wool socks to change into (this felt amazing!)
3 bandanas: wet them, pack into ziplock baggies, wear around neck to cool off
hat
sunscreen, lip balm
bandaids, Neosporin, tweezers, mini Swiss army knife
toilet paper, some wet wipes
a garbage bag to pack trash
2L camelbak bladder and two 1L foldable water bladders
Food:
To figure out how much food to bring, I estimated that the hike would take 12-14 hours. Then, I decided to eat something every hour (remember those hourly alarms?). From there, I gathered a variety of “trail” food and “real” food:
a tube of Nuun electrolyte tablets (I added one to my 2L Camelbak)
some Trader Joe’s salt and pepper chips (in a ziplock baggie)
2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
a quarter of a Whole Foods vegan breakfast burrito (bought this the day before on the way to the Grand Canyon. Ate most of it for dinner and saved the rest for the hike.)
reluctantroadie 