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!

Exercising my right to choose…

August 30, 2015 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

Wow, it’s been a month since I last posted on this (poor, neglected) blog! Thanks so much, desert sun and scorching temperatures, for giving me so many excuses to avoid getting outside and get out of shape (thus preventing me from having anything interesting about which to blog). I suppose there have been other distractions taking my attention away from exercise and general fitness; after all, we DID move to a new city, start new jobs (2 different accompanying jobs in my case at this very moment), start house renovations, meet new people….however, today I got an invitation to participate in Sufferfest 2, currently scheduled for October 24, 2015 in Las Vegas, NV. I managed to survive through Sufferfest 1 earlier this year and can claim bragging rights (and memories of sore legs). How challenging/stupid/insane would it be to train for Sufferfest 2? As a reminder to myself, Sufferfest 1 consisted of 2 laps of the Red Rock loop followed by the big climb up Mt. Potosi, followed by one more lap of the Red Rock loop. For voluntary fun. Sufferfest 2, as one may have guessed, is a bit more intense: 2 laps of the Red Rock loop, 1 climb up Mt. Potosi, then TWO laps of the Red Rock loop. Gross. Should I survive SF2 and am drugged or coerced into doing Sufferfest 3, let me state for the record that SF3 is made up of 2 Red Rock loops….TWO climbs up Potosi, then TWO more Red Rock loops. I don’t think there are enough French fries in the world to tempt me to do SF3, but I know that I have done stupid things before (e.g., my double century….).

There are a few factors that may deter me from doing any Sufferfest: 1) the heat. It is not going to get cool — i.e., lower than 35c/95F — until end of September. 2) Lack of hills on which to train. Phoenix is not exactly known for its abundance of hill climbs. I would have to make frequent trips out of town to get my climbing miles in. I would also have to consider doing numerous repeat laps of South Mountain, which is the only hill of significance close to my house. How utterly boring! 3) My music schedule: at the moment, I have 2 nighttime accompanying jobs. I expect to start a daytime accompanying job in the next week or so and add a few more things into my schedule, including private teaching. Fitting in bike training will be a challenge, especially for an event with the word “suffer” in the name.

The other physical challenge on my mind for later in the year is a multi-summit hiking day in and around the Phoenix area. I wanted to register for the Phoenix Summit Challenge, but the likelihood of having a paying “gig” (that’s a paying music job for those of you who are not musicians) on that Saturday is pretty high. I also had a problem with paying a fee to do something that was local. Thus, I am seriously thinking of organizing my own multi-summit day and do that with some friends. This event would also require some training, although it would be easier to do that, given that I live right beside a mountain and like hiking (it’s my outdoor activity of choice). Any of my devoted readers interested in doing this with me? Whatever I choose to do — or not do — I know that I have to find some sort of exercise if I don’t want to acquire “pianist’s butt.” 🙂

Sufferfest

February 2, 2015March 5, 2015 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 3 Comments

The title of this blog post does not refer to each and every single bike ride I endure. It refers to the local “fun” event held yesterday by a very generous businessman/avid cyclist. Over the past 10 years, he has sponsored 3 long and painful rides each year, appropriately named Sufferfest I, II, or III. Each year, the Sufferfest I ride (what I braved yesterday) consists of 2 Red Rock Canyon scenic loops, 1 climb up Potosi, then back to the Red Rock loop for a third torturous circuit. Anyone who has ever cycled the Red Rock loop knows that the first 5 miles = pure climbing; it is a 13.1 mile one-way road that begins with a 1000 foot climb….then retreats a little bit, then ascends again, topping out just before mile 5, after which the road descends and cyclists joyfully ride downhill….then at mile 7, you hit a “wall,” which basically feels like you’ve run into a brick wall. After that, though, it’s pretty much downhill to the end. Imagine doing that loop once. Now imagine doing that twice in a row. Then you ride up to the Potosi summit, which is a 9.5 mile ascent that gains just over 2200 feet in elevation. Yuck. Then you zip back down to do ANOTHER RR loop. Then you collapse.

(Cool photo that a friend took during his hike in Red Rock Canyon! This is during the third and final RR loop. I am at the back and my SAT is in front.)

Honestly, I was dreading this event. Some people ENJOY putting themselves through VOLUNTARY PAIN for HOURS on end. SAT, this means YOU and your like-minded sickos that you call “friends.” I started out slowly, as I usually do, and my SAT was with me the entire time, sometimes chatting with another unwitting cycling victim, sometimes pushing me uphill (literally….he wanted me to experience a “friendly boost” whilst on the saddle). The first loop was fine, the second was a bit more difficult, Potosi was hard (but I managed to dig up some extra energy and sprint the last 50 yards to the top only to get that dumb climb finished!), and the last loop was awful. I didn’t eat enough during the day and “bonked” (totally depleted of glycogen/energy, felt lightheaded, had tunnel vision and slurred words….basically, I felt like I was drunk). The good thing about bonking this time compared to the last time (which was a few months ago, I believe) was that I recovered much faster. I guess I can attribute my quicker recovery time to all this training I’ve been doing.

(Do I look like I’m having fun?)

There were specifically three cool things about Sufferfest yesterday: 1) I wasn’t the slowest one!, 2) the free food and support, and 3) the pig-out fest my SAT and I enjoyed after the ride. (Burgers and bottomless fries at Red Robin. They disappeared fast!) Ok, maybe I have a *teeny tiny* sense of pride in accomplishing something I never thought I would do.

(Cyclists at the last aid station at the top of the RR loop climb.)

(Screenshot of my Suffering.)

As my SAT kept reminding me, the group of cyclists who tackled Sufferfest I yesterday is a select group and being on the slower end of the spectrum is still pretty strong. There were about 50 cyclists who signed up for the whole ride, but at the end of the day, only about 10 finished. Most people already knew they would only do 1 or 2 loops, then go home and do something fun. A fair number of people were deterred by the threat of rain and didn’t bother showing up (it didn’t rain). Because I actually finished the whole thing, I will get a (free!) t-shirt commemorating the event. My SAT thinks I’ll be doing Sufferfest II and III with him.

iSore

January 12, 2015March 5, 2015 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 4 Comments

(This is a long post. You are forewarned!)

This weekend featured 2 new “firsts” for me, plus a return to my “last-resort” method of training: indoor bike. So many words, so little time, so let’s begin!

Yesterday, my SAT and I embarked on a new type of adventure: the multi-disciplinary outdoor fest. We decided to hike up Bridge Mountain, which is one of the most popular and beautiful hikes in southern Nevada and is situated in Red Rock Canyon. Most people who climb Bridge Mountain drive their high-clearance vehicle (HCV) up the 5 mile gravel road to the trailhead. That gravel road is appropriately named Rocky Gap Road, for it is indeed VERY rocky. I am not sure which is faster: driving up the road or hiking up the road. There are many sharp twists and turns along the narrow road that necessitate good driving skills, a cool head, and patience (for high speeds are well nigh impossible). I was eager for my SAT to hike Bridge Mountain because I knew from personal experience how fun of a climb it is. Along the way to the summit, one will see the rocks change color from grey (limestone) to red and cream (sandstone). There is also a hidden forest near the summit as well as a beautiful stone bridge or arch (thus, the name “Bridge Mountain”).

Whilst discussing the idea of hiking Bridge Mountain, my SAT smirked and suggested that we do Bridge the “correct” way: (mountain) bike up Rocky Gap Road, hide our bikes at the trailhead, then hike up.

“It’ll be SO much faster going down Rocky Gap on our bikes and besides, we have to do this the proper way,” my SAT declared.

“Proper according to whom?” I inquired.

“To anyone hard-core,” he asserted.

“How long do you think this will take?” I asked.

“Let’s say 2 hours….wait, no, probably more like 1.5 hours for you,” he calculated.

Oh joy. A 5 mile mountain bike climb, which is something I rarely do, for almost 2 hours. To add incentive, my SAT invited a friend (Mike) to join us who knows the route up to Bridge AND who is even less experienced than me on the mountain bike. I reluctantly agreed to this endeavour and yesterday morning, we got on our bikes and started pedaling up the rock and boulder strewn road.

Honestly, that was one of the hardest things I’ve done on the bike. My lack of expertise on the mountain bike was most evident when I had to negotiate my way uphill through rocks and gravel. I was going so slowly that I lost my balance (and patience) several times. All the while I was huffing, puffing, and fearing for my cardiovascular health, my SAT was smiling, laughing, and doling out words of encouragement.

“Pedal HARDER!”….”Why are you just standing there?”….”GET BACK ON YOUR BIKE.”

(Ok, he DID say some nice things too, like how well I was doing and how far I’ve come. Of course, my state of mind during the entire climb was such that I decided that SAT now stood for “Sadistic Apathetic Trainer.” I think the word “sadistic” is apparent enough; the “apathetic” was my adjective to describe his attitude to my pain during the climb).

Mike wasn’t saying much either on the bike ride up the climb and had to admit he did not make HIS wife do things like my SAT was making me do. Take note, my SAT.

We finally got up to the trailhead, heaved in as much oxygen as we could, then stashed our bikes off the trailhead:

The hike up to the top of Bridge Mountain was beautiful. Perfect temperature and gorgeous views.

(Our goal!)

(My SAT and I on top of the bridge.)

The ride down Rocky Gap Road went much faster than the climb (obviously!), but I still had to brake most of the way down, as I kept on gaining speed when I wanted to go slower over the rocks and boulders in my way. However, we all made it down safely and before the sun set.

(SO HAPPY to be DONE.)

In contrast to yesterday’s beautiful weather, today was quite rainy and cold. I still had a considerable number of miles to ride for the week and it wasn’t looking good for a long ride today. Despite my lack of adequate rainy weather gear, my SAT and I set out for a bike ride anyway. We were only a few miles into the ride when we both decided to turn around and go home for the following reasons: 1) every time we turned a corner, our tires would direct streams of water into our shoes. Cold, wet feet do not a comfortable ride make. 2) My saddle (seat) is one of those fancy cut-out ones to alleviate pressure. While I cycled, water from the wheels would splash up the cut-out and onto my butt area, making my cycling pants feel like a spandex sponge. I could feel myself squeezing water out of my chamois (the padded part of my cycling pants) whilst sitting and rotating my posterior during each pedal stroke. 3) It was just plain cold and miserable.

We arrived home and immediately shed our sodden clothing. I resigned myself to a long session on the indoor bike in the gym. Better than nothing, I suppose. I hope tomorrow is a sunnier, drier day!

(Just arrived home and not impressed with the precipitation.)

Thoughts

December 12, 2014March 5, 2015 ~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

I’m approaching the end of my third week of training and I’m currently wondering if I can actually do this. Some days have been easy to get on that bike and pedal, while other days have proven to be more difficult. I still don’t LOVE riding my bike, although I like the IDEA of doing something as big as a double century. (I do enjoy the massive amounts of food I can eat without guilt!) One factor that is leeching out any joy in riding my bike is the neck and shoulder pain I am constantly experiencing. Typically, I feel pain about an hour into any ride. I’ve been stretching on and off the bike and starting to research solutions; so far, the most obvious solution is to figure out if my bike fits me correctly. My SAT and I will probably get me to a professional bike fitter in order to see if I am correctly aligned and pedaling efficiently. If I feel pain an hour into a ride, I can’t imagine what I’d feel like after 15, 16, or 17 hours (my projected time for completing a double century).

That is a painful thought. So….let me think about something more fun. I was going to post another “Throwback Thursday” article yesterday, but got distracted by work and other stuff. Better late than never, right? A handful of years ago, my SAT and I were in London and when I researched online for things to do, I found a bike tour company that seemed fun. I booked our bikes and we enjoyed a really cool tour of the main tourist attractions while getting a bit of exercise. It was fun to see the tour buses get caught up in traffic while we rode around obstacles and accessed places the buses couldn’t go because of their size. 🙂 The bikes we rode were these big, cushy cruisers and since our route was pretty flat, the biking was easy. It’s funny for me to think back on my past and recall more bike moments than I remember having!

(Photo 1: me on my bike. Photo 2: trying to run through the wall to get to Platform 9 3/4 in order to catch the train to Hogwarts and see Harry Potter!)

Wind Advisory

November 17, 2014August 18, 2024 ~ reluctantroadie ~ 3 Comments

I am alive. I know I am alive because I can feel the soreness in my legs, arms, neck, and lady bits. My SAT and I successfully completed our mini bike tour this weekend, powered by Hammer gels, many french fries, and Krispy Kreme donut holes. Despite the physical, emotional, and mental pain of this weekend, I have to admit that eating as much food as I could, junk or otherwise, was fun.

Official 2-day stats: 180 miles (290 km), 9193 ft of climbing (2800 m), many Joshua trees viewed, 4.5 hours to ride 37 miles (59.5 km) in 30mph (48km) headwind.

Now, the details. Dear readers, feel free to skip ahead or leave this page now.

Saturday November 15, 2014. Beautiful day without much wind. We left home at 7:30am, thinking that would be an early enough start. Of course, by mile 8.3, I got a flat tire, thanks to a little bitty cactus needle. SAT fixed the flat, but the new inner tube had a large hole in it as well. What to do now? We decided to head over to the nearest bike shop a mile away and buy some more tubes (it was 10 minutes to opening). Finally! After that hour delay, we were on our way to the M casino, our first stop. I decided early on that I would treat this day’s riding as a series of 5 little rides; that would be a lot more manageable, psychologically, than thinking of the 101 miles as one ride. Arrived at the Arco gas station beside the M casino at 10:28am and enjoyed a gel, fig bar, and some chocolate milk. I felt a bit tired at this point but wasn’t deterred (yet) by the miles coming up.

Next stop: the Shell station in Jean, NV for a stretch break. My neck and shoulders were screaming “stop!” We’ve hit 46.2 miles now and it was 12:02pm. In my voice notes on my phone, I said that I spoke too soon at the M casino when I said I was feeling good. Only a few miles after leaving the M, I felt like crud and stayed that way until arriving in Jean. But, I must press on. SAT was doing a great job in shielding me from wind, traffic, and my own perverse thoughts (most of the time); he was chipper and cheery and I thought I heard him singing a few times. Honestly, at this point, I felt like Grumpy Cat does:

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Our lunch stop was Primm, NV and we arrived at 12:59pm, hitting 59.1 miles. Most of this segment was on the I-15, but it’s not as bad as it sounds because the shoulder is wide enough for 2 cyclists to ride side-by-side. Of course, having semi-trucks pass you is a bit disconcerting, but our little rearview mirrors (attached to our sunglasses) helped hugely in warning us of potential dangers.

During the ride to Primm, SAT shared a typical SAT-ism: “I like seeing all the cars and trucks. They’re like friends on the highway.” Uh….if they were really our friends, they’d pick us up and give us a ride. I must have been feeling particularly grumpy and hungry at that point!

In Primm, food options are limited and expensive since we are far from Vegas (i.e., civilization). Buyer beware. We ended up splitting a Subway and cookies (almost $9!) and refilled our bottles for the next leg. I remember feeling happy that we have less than halfway to go….tally ho!

Nipton, CA, our second-last stop, consists of a motel, general store, and cafe. Originally founded in 1905, its claim to fame is its location right on the edge of the Mohave National Preserve (which is beautiful, by the way). After an annoying climb that ended on the overpass/turn off of the I-15 on to Nipton Road, we arrived in Nipton at 3:04pm. The descent into Nipton after the overpass was fun; we saw beautiful desert and mountains all while speeding down red paved roads. After grabbing some chocolate at the store, we started the last leg of day one into Searchlight.

(Left: after the climb up to the overpass. Right: Nipton General Store.)

The last 20-ish miles into Searchlight were a challenge, because it was cold,(getting) dark, and it was the end of the day. There was another climb, which in hindsight, wasn’t too bad, but felt like it lasted forever at the time. (Sunset during the climb to Searchlight.)

Finally arrived in Searchlight around 5:30pm. Checked into the El Rey Motel — old, clean, friendly front desk lady — then walked over to McDonald’s for dinner (treated ourselves to the premium burgers). We pretty much inhaled our burgers. Another SAT quotable quote: “I really think you should have dessert tonight.” I didn’t argue.

Left: sad to have to start riding again. Middle: our cheap, “nostalgic” room. Right: vintage bathroom!

Sunday November 16, 2014. The next morning came too soon. We heard the wind howling and were a little concerned about the implications of said wind. The high was 3C (37F). Cold. We wore everything we brought: wool base layer, jersey, sun sleeves, jacket, thick gloves, balaclava, headband, full thermal cycling pants, our “civilian” pants over the cycling pants. After another gourmet meal at McDonald’s (there are only 3 places to eat in Searchlight!), we hit the road. WOW. Normally, the 37 miles from Searchlight to the Railway Pass casino (our next stop) would only take about 2-2.5 hours, since a lot of it is downhill. It took us 4.5 hours due to the stupid strong headwind. That strong wind stirred up a dust storm that we had to wait out (only a minute). Ever wonder what it’s like to work harder going downhill than uphill? It is as dumb as it sounds. Kind of demoralizing. SAT did his best to provide a good wind block for me and yes folks, that there is true love. 😉 We reached the Railway Pass casino — I may have wept tears of joy internally — then decided to press on another few miles for lunch, since there was nothing that would accommodate bikes inside the casino. Del Taco was our lunch destination just off of Boulder Highway and it was glorious:

The rest of the way home was relatively uneventful, aside from me almost bonking the last 10 miles. BUT I DIDN’T CARE BECAUSE WE WERE ALMOST HOME. Upon walking inside my place and collapsing on my couch, I think my first words were: “It’s so nice in here….why did I ever leave?” SAT, on the other hand, was congratulating me and saying I should feel really accomplished. He also proclaimed that I have “real lasting power (endurance)….as long as I keep feeding you and watering you, you keep going!” I think I gave him the evil eye. He guffawed then shut up. That’s right, SAT, just keep your sadistic cycling thoughts to yourself.

The End.

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