Summer is finally starting to wane here in Phoenix, which is very exciting for us desert dwellers! We can almost smell the cooler weather coming our way. 🙂 On that note, in this blog post, I’ll briefly recount a couple of short trips in the past month to escape the heat, visit family, and ride bikes!
First, I took a short trip to Victoria, Canada to visit my family. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and, as the name suggests, it has a ton of British-inspired touches evident everywhere due to its history. Some highlights of my trip include breakfast at The Empress hotel, walking around the harbour area, and checking out an amazing market.
Fun bakery a couple hours outside of Victoria.The inside of the Empress is just as lovely as the outside.The iconic Empress.Lovely evening walk.Another cultural icon: Rogers Chocolates!Some of the fancy chocolates.Luka, an adorable 4 month old puppy!A cute little area in the downtown core.The legislative building is in the background.Flowers are everywhere you look.Pretty cool Orca!
I did some more walking at Ogden Point another day with the family, followed by a trip to the prettiest grocery store I’ve ever seen.
Wild berries!More wild berries!I was super happy to see a kitty during my trip!I found it pretty cold during our walk at Ogden Point. This amused me very much.Very different landscape than the Phoenix desert!Such a pretty market!The market is in an old house and each room houses a different food / item, complete with its own unique decor and chandelier! This is the chocolate room.Soaps and lotions room.The wine “cellar.”The market has a grand piano! Yes, I played it. There was some music on the music rack and I fumbled through a Chopin nocturne.I still can’t get over how pretty this place is.I wanted ALL the chocolate.
In another attempt to escape the brutal Phoenix heat, we drove to Big Bear, California over Labour Day weekend to do some downhill mountain biking at the Big Bear Resort. Such a beautiful place and a reasonable drive from Phoenix. We enjoyed the cooler temperatures, fun riding, and our cute Airbnb with all of the wood features and decorative bears and animals! (Sadly, the Big Bear area has been closed for the past couple of weeks due to the current Line Fire.)
The Airbnb kitchen. Our fancy bathtub with its brass fixtures!Some walls and all of the doors are solid wood.Kicking off the weekend with a margarita!I thought this sign was funny!More bathroom humour.On the chair lift!On the lift again!Striking a pose.View of Big Bear Lake.Shuttling the bikes up to the trailhead on day 2 for some trail riding.We rode the Skyline trail and it was absolutely beautiful. Most of the following pictures are from that ride.Obligatory group picture!Bye, Big Bear!
It’s almost the end of July, but the high temperatures show no sign of abating. Phoenix has broken a couple of weather records this year, to which I say “Phoenix, STOP being an overachiever!” Summer riding in Phoenix is always challenging because the “coolest” part of the day occurs VERY early in the morning. I’ve managed to get myself outside by 5:30am when I want to ride my bike, but I’ve also given myself some grace to NOT ride my bike. The last few early morning rides were a little hard to wrap my head around, because the temperature was already 95-97 degrees F at 5:30am! (That’s about 35 degrees Celsius for my Canadian friends.)
What does an overheated Phoenician do to weather the heat? Escape to cooler climates! A few things I’ve done in the past couple months include:
a fun bike park skills clinic at Fort Tuthill in early June with Trail Lovers Sedona. This was a fun class that focused on a couple of skills used at bike parks: jumps and drops. I drove up to Flagstaff with a couple of friends and we spent a half day working on jumps (i.e., getting some “air” on the bike) and drops (i.e., when you ride over an elevated surface and “drop” down to the ground). I did execute a couple solid drops, which made me happy. 🙂
I took this screenshot from the video of my drop. You can see that my wheels left the ground! Videos always flatten out angles, so the screenshot doesn’t look as steep as the drop actually was. Well….maybe the drop wasn’t steep. It sure felt like it was!
A few friends and I spent a weekend in Flagstaff in mid-June exploring new trails and enjoying the cooler weather.
We ran into Joanna and Phil Yates (3rd from right and very right) at the start of our ride! They were the coaches at the clinic I took in June!View from the Arizona Trail.Heidi took this selfie. She is very good at that. Lani (white shirt) was our guide because she lives in Flagstaff. Kara (far right) rounds out our quartet.I do like cooler summer temperatures!Such pretty views!Cool picture of us in the aspen trees.
In early July, my SAT (self-appointed trainer) and I visited our family in Canada. While there, we attended a family wedding, which was on a boat! Fun fact: I get seasick. 😦 However, even though the boat ride was a bit disappointing because of nausea, we did other fun things, like visit a water obstacle course and meet some animals from Australia.
Despite my seasickness, it was still pretty cool to attend a wedding on a boat. Me and my SAT all dressed up for the first time in….years.Water obstacle course.Me and Priscilla the porcupine. At the time of this picture, she was 3 years old and very tame. I got to feed her some melon!A beautiful peacock.A wallaby, which is a small marsupial. Kangaroos are much bigger.A kangaroo totally ignoring me. It was so fun to interact with the animals! I pet this kangaroo and its fur is really soft.
I went to Flagstaff AGAIN shortly after coming home from Canada with some other friends to ride bikes. Although it wasn’t as cool up in Flagstaff as we would have liked the day we went, we still enjoyed the change in scenery. We left Phoenix at 5am and started our ride shortly after 8am, when the temperature was 80 degrees F (about 25 C). The temperature was about 95 F (about 33 C) when we finished riding around 11:30am.
Yay, we’re not in Phoenix! Lani (far right) was my guide again.Still happy not to be in Phoenix.
To prove that living in Phoenix is like living in an oven, I baked cookies in my truck (again). I made a chocolate cookie dough with Heath bar pieces, dropped a dozen onto a cookie sheet, and placed that cookie sheet inside my oven. Started at 10:30am and took them out 6 hours later. The max temperature inside the truck was 190 F (88 C). The cookies were DEFINITELY baked….rather crispy, actually. Although it’s super cool to bake cookies in one’s truck, I’d prefer it if Phoenix did not get hot enough to do that!! I’ve now baked cookies in my vehicle three times and each time, the max outside temperature was at least 117 F (47 C). Also, the temperature inside the vehicle hit a high of 190 F. Consistency is key, my friends.
Starting the process.Cookies are setting up nicely.The average of the 2 thermometers was 190 F.Finished product!
The rest of July was spent in Colorado! The first half of our CO trip was with our good friends Carl and Lifan, who moved there recently. They showed us the delights of small town life and introduced us to the Phil’s World trail system. We will definitely come back!
Phil’s World trail system.Sunflowers everywhere.Trying to get an artsy photo.Practicing my selfies!Great views on the Ribcage trail at Phil’s World.Me and Lifan enjoying a moment.Yummy cider!Hanging out over drinks.A refurbished printing press.We stamped our own tote bags at the local printing press shop!Horse-drawn carriage…definitely evidence of small-town life!
The second half of our CO trip was to ride at Trestle Bike Park in Winter Park. The drive there from Carl and Lifan’s is absolutely gorgeous. We passed through a few mountain passes and were inspired by all the “14ers” we saw along the way. I’m thinking that we’ll be making our way to hike up some of those 14ers next year! One nerdy highlight was seeing the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, which features prominently in the American opera “The Ballad of Baby Doe.”
Coal Bank Pass summit.Fun mural in Gunnison.Monarch Pass summit.There’s a gondola at Monarch Pass summit. We didn’t have time to ride it. Maybe next time!Tabor Opera House in Leadville!
Finally, we met up with our friends at Trestle. We rode there for two days and wow, who knew that downhill riding could be so tiring? By the end of the first day, my hands were cramping so badly that I couldn’t hold onto my handlebars. I was fine the next day, but I was definitely tired! It was fun being at a bike park with my SAT; it was the second time at a bike park for both of us. What was great about being part of a group at the bike park was that we could ride with other people who were more at our level, as well as riding with each other. For me, my Trestle experience was like a personal workshop in downhill cornering, jumping, and getting used to speed. Of course, the weather was awesome! I keep saying this, but we will be back to Colorado as soon as we can!
Me and my SAT riding the gondola up to the downhill trails.Nice view, right?Getting ready to ride!The lodge at the top of the gondola.I rode a lot with my friend’s husband, Joe, since we were at a similar riding level.Another great view.My group stayed in a condo an hour away from Trestle, so we had to drive in both days. This is the enormous bike rack used to shuttle all the bikes!View of the Trestle “village” area.I had to take a photo with the Coke bear!Another cheesy photo opportunity.Trying to take yet another artsy photo.Me with Heidi, Joe, and my SAT.Me and Cheryl.The entire Phoenix crew.Playing tourist in Frisco. Frisco is super cute.Pretty gelato and sorbet.Words to live by!
*Any guesses as to what song the blog title comes from?
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in the Homegrown women’s downhill clinic at Angelfire Bike Park in New Mexico. I’ve wanted to ride at a bike park for the past year and now I FINALLY know what it’s about! During the summer, a lot of ski resorts offer downhill mountain biking, which I learned is very fun to do. You ride the chair lift up to the top of the mountain, then pick the trails you want to ride down. Even though I knew that there is no uphill riding, it was kind of foreign to me to NOT pedal much at all!
Riding the chair lift with my friends Heidi (left) and Jess (right).
I drove to the clinic with 3 other ladies from my mountain bike group in Phoenix. The clinic was spread over 2 days and focused on several topics, such as bike park etiquette, jumping technique, and cornering technique. We got to practice what we were learning all day on the trails.
We left Phoenix on Friday morning at 5am. Drive time is about 9 hours, but with a couple of stops for gas and a leisurely lunch break, we ended up arriving at Angelfire around 5pm, just in time for the clinic’s happy hour. All 70 clinic participants were sorted into about 10 small groups and during the happy hour, we met our respective coaches, some other ladies, and enjoyed snacks and drinks. After happy hour, my crew went back to our rooms at the Angelfire Resort to get our stuff organized for the next day and to GO TO BED!
Our bikes locked and loaded and ready to go!Cool mural at our lunch spot.We made it! At the happy hour (Gina on her phone and Jess making a ‘peace’ sign).
Saturday: we all met at the Homegrown tent near the chair lift, then split into our small coaching groups. After official introductions, we got on the chair lift (the “Chile Express,” probably named after New Mexico’s famous green chilies?) to the top of the mountain! The small groups were generally split up according to level, which was based on the questionnaire we all had to fill out prior to arriving at Angelfire. I believe that most of the groups started day 1 with a review of fundamental bike skills, such as body position and braking. It was good we started with the skills, because that gave me a chance to get to know my rental bike (Trek Slash 8, 29″ wheels, 160/170 travel). The temperature was perfect and SUCH a treat after dealing with the Phoenix heat.
Meeting the coaches.All the ladies from my mountain bike group! We had a great group from Phoenix!My first chair lift ride!View from the lift.
After the skills session, we got to do our first run (i.e., descent down the mountain). My group had 6 participants and 2 coaches and during each run, my coaches would stop at a certain point to demonstrate a specific skill, such as jumping. (For those familiar with Angelfire, the trails we rode that day included Ziggy, Combi, Diesel, Turbo Diesel, Sierra, and Jazz Hands. All are fun and feature lots of berms and jumps.)
After lunch, which was provided (box lunch: croissant sandwich, chips, cookie, water), we learned that the lift closed due to lightning (and rain). This is normal because of monsoon season. The lift opens when there are no lightning strikes for at least 30 minutes. If there is lightning within a single 30 minute timeframe, the clock is reset. Turned out that the lift would be closed the rest of the day. Therefore, instead of riding, my group snagged a covered spot and practiced trackstands (i.e., balancing on the bike without moving), played cornering games (ride in a square), practiced front wheel lifts, and learned about suspension. Very productive, educational, and creative!
Some of the ladies from my Phoenix mountain biking group met up at El Jefe’s (the Mexican restaurant right by the resort) for yummy margaritas and snacks and to discuss day 1. Then, I decided to eat some of my own food for dinner back in my room, after which I met up with the girls at the resort’s hot tub to unwind and relax. I was tired!
Sunday: All the small groups went up the chair lift to do as much riding as possible. My group focused on jumping for the morning session. I can’t believe I can jump now! It’s so fun to get a little air on the trail. This day marks the first time I was able to jump on the trail…so exciting! We also played around in the “drop zone,” which includes 4 wooden platforms of varying heights that you can “drop” off of. I’m not quite ready for the bigger drops! After all that jumping and dropping was a very tasty lunch of burgers and potato salad (and a cookie!). Tasted so good.
The 4 drops in the “drop zone.”Lunch! I got an Impossible burger. Yay for vegetarian options!My small group.
Our afternoon session was NOT cut short by inclement weather. However, we DID end early for the clinic’s raffle. All of our names were assigned a number and then randomly selected for fantastic prizes, like Dharco pants, Wild Rye apparel, an Outbound Lighting bike light, mtbvibes jewellery (made by one of the clinic coaches, Joanna Yates), and hats. I won a fun pair of earrings I’ve had my eye on for a while! We all got free t-shirts too. And….that’s the end of the clinic. But wait….there’s more! All of us Phoenix ladies had dinner at the Peruvian restaurant near the resort to celebrate a great weekend (good food! I’d come back). Then, most of us went to the hot tub to relax. That hot tub worked because I was super tired. Ah…bed….
Waiting for the raffle to begin.Me with my earrings that I won, courtesy of Joanna!Look at the little leopard!So. Many. Bikes.At dinner with the Phoenix crew.Enjoying some patio time.El Jefe’s patio (Mexican restaurant beside the resort).
Monday: bonus day! Three of my friends and I decided to stay an extra day to practice all the things we learned. I rode my own bike (Pivot Mach 4) which felt unstable and small after riding a downhill bike! Because of that, I opted not to ride any black trails. I noticed that I did not feel as stable on my bike as I did on the rental Trek Slash 8. Also, the Trek’s wheels are 29″ and my wheels are 27.5″. I felt like the Trek rolled over chunk much easier than my Pivot due to the wheel size. (Note to my Self-Appointed Trainer (SAT): I may be looking for a new bike soon….)
My group took a lot of fun pictures during our first run. We were having a great time riding the trails and enjoying the beautiful scenery. For the second run, my group split into two. Gina and Heidi wanted to check out some black trails and Jess and I decided to ride all of Easy Street, which is a really fun green trail with lots of opportunities to practice cornering. During one break, we met Russ from North Carolina, who took our picture. We were not expecting to see him again, but we saw him at the bottom. Because the others in my group wanted to check out more black trails, I thought it would be good to ride with him, since he seemed to be more interested in riding intermediate/blue trails. So, that’s what we did! It was fun and I played tour guide, showing him some trails my small group did on the weekend.
The lift was closed from about 12:30pm to 3pm because of lightning, so we decided to have lunch at El Jefe to try and wait out the lightning. When the lift opened up, I opted to take the opportunity to shower and pack. I mean….since the others weren’t around, I could take a long shower, haha. We enjoyed a final hot tub session, then went to bed.
Group picture.Being silly on the trail.This little chapel is at the top of the mountain!Showing off my muscles, haha.Cool rock cairn.Me and Jess.Me and Russ.Me with professional enduro racer and one of the clinic coaches, Stefanie McDaniel.Our helmets in formation at lunch.
Tuesday: This day is a blur, as we got up at 4am (NM time) because we planned on leaving at 4:30am. Good thing we packed up most of our stuff in Heidi’s car the night before. I got back to my place shortly after 2pm (AZ time). Yay to seeing my kitties! Yay for not crashing on my bike!
So many takeaways!: It’s hard to remember EVERYTHING I learned, but some of my main takeaways include the following:
2-1-0: This refers to how you enter a “berm,” i.e., corner. You don’t want to brake while cornering. I learned that you should use both brakes just before entering the berm, then just use one brake while cornering, then let go of the brakes to maintain speed and even gain a little speed while exiting the berm.
Inquisitive turtle: As you are cornering, turn your head in the direction you WANT to go. You always want to be looking ahead.
Chicken wings: Keep your elbows bent while riding down steep sections….and while cornering. This gives you room to navigate drops and turns more efficiently.
Pop butt out: This helps to flatten the lower back and straighten the legs a bit to rest them. I found that I was staying in a squat position a lot while riding downhill, which fatigued my legs. Sticking my butt out reduced the pressure on my quads.
reluctantroadie 