The western edge of the Catalinas with Pusch Peak in the foreground with Bighorn and Buster mountains in the background. A very difficult climb this one. Shoving off the trail head one follows a well worn path until reaching a signed junction that advises you are now entering an unmaintained area. This is where the fun begins as the faint trail heads up at a ridiculously steep angle. After one mile I am well over 1000' of climbing and that includes the opening part where it is not that steep. I arrive at a 12' vertical granite wall and scamper up and over. Fun stuff that scrambling. One way to know if a trail is well traveled is if the cactus edges have been worn smooth. Nope, looks like the full compliment of needles is showing as few people climb this trail. Probably averages one a day. Higher I go with fabulous views to the northwest. Higher and higher the knee buckling route goes. I'm always fascinated by these ridges which remind me of the back of a Stegosaurus. Finally, after almost 2 hours of climbing I reach.... ....the peak. It was a 2700' gain in 2 miles. Crazy. Some clouds linger in the area from the recent rains that thankfully have dropped the moisture, always welcome and then moved on. The adjoining bighorn Mountain. All off trail to that peak and the vegetation is thick. I hiked about a 1/4 mile down and concluded reaching it could be done but for another day. As I hiked the joint crushing route back down, I passed two of these motion cameras that are activated at night when animals (or humans) cross in front. About half way down the trail splits with an option to go out to the point shown above. It is a worthy day hike option too. The Tucson Mountains are in the distance. Well, that was Thursday. On Friday I jumped in with a group at La Buzz and participated in a 40 mile bike ride. I was so much looking forward to the Bicycle Ranch group ride tomorrow, which was cancelled last week due to rain but furniture is scheduled to be delivered between 9-1:00pm. Even though I am certain it will be exactly at 1:00 that they will arrive, can't take that chance.
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The day began like all days, the permanently unemployed or rarely employed out for a group ride, left to right, The Donald, Flyin Tuna & Old Chubbs with Steve Oxley on camera (I exempt Steve from my description as he works hard, paying taxes so these three can live high on the hog). At mile 67, Cindy inexplicably got ahead of the others. Likely confused by this, she turned slightly to figure out why she was in front when her front wheel entered a small hole in the pavement. The wheel turned and BAM!!!!! the road trembled under the impact. Probably seismologists picked up the disturbance many miles away. Anyway..... ...my little buddy is ok other than a torn jersey and road rash. There was some concern that her clavicle was broken or shoulder separated but it appears for now, just some tissue damage although husband Rod has her under medical watch. Mean time, road crews are at the scene, repairing the impact damage to the asphalt. Heavy rain overnight, again, as the clouds linger in the Catalinas the following morning. Afternoon storms forecast for today so can't do anything epic but there are always short and fun alternatives that can be completed prior to the anticipated arrival of more rain. Having already completed Sombrero I go a little farther afield and head to Picacho Peak. Picacho is between Phoenix and Tucson, near the town of Red Rock. I forgot to take a picture of the peak but a great "fitness" type of hike. Rather than take the more direct trail, the Hunter Trail, to the top, I circle to the southwest side of the peak, park the car and head off through the Sonoran desert on the Sunset Trail. Beautiful and clear in the direction from which the storms will arrive. Although only knee to waist high, a stand of these Cholla cactus may as well be a high fence because there is no going through that. Note the egg shaped pieces littering the ground. Passing too close and they will jump from the plant and embed spines deep in the skin. I hiked with someone last year who had one attach to their arm and instinctively grabbed to pull it off...big mistake. After following a rolling trail counterclockwise around the peak, the trail then ascends, steeply, for the final mile. Sections have cabling to help with the ascent or to help prevent a fall. This was the most extensive section, up an 80-90 degree wall about 100' tall. I brought a pair of cycling gloves and put them on for a better grip. After 3 miles and a hair under 2000' of elevation gain, I arrived.... ....at the summit. The first to arrive this day in 1:19. I hung around for a bit, talking to some others who soon followed me and then retraced my route to the car. As I drove out, I spotted another.... ...desert tortoise. I went three years before seeing a Gila Monster and then last year in the span of a week spotted two. I've never seen a tortoise until this year when I saw one last week and then another this week. And of course while I have previously seen one black tail rattlesnake, seeing two beside a trail two weeks ago was odd. Guess things happen in twos rather than threes. While I have said this before, this time it really does look like this is the last round of rain, after today, for awhile. Although two months to go in the year, rainfall totals are above normal and probably going to finish well above normal by year's end. So Saturday rolled around but all night it rained and was still raining when I received an email that the Bicycle Ranch shop ride was cancelled. Too bad. I was so looking forward to seeing if I could duplicate the humiliation of last Saturday's effort. Don't feel too bad for me because the rain is usually late afternoon stuff and almost never an all day affair. There I was, watching the 1st quarter of the MI/MSU game when I thought, "Do I really want to sit all day watching football?"...well yes I do but guilt forced me out of the chair and I returned to complete the Sombrero Peak hike. Reaching the portion of the trail where I turned around yesterday, I heard rumble in the distance and saw rain to the east but to the southwest..... ....from where the storms track, it was clear. Reaching the base of the rock wall and summit, I go clockwise to reach the only point from where you can scramble up to the peak. I saw some cairns going a little farther north and follow them and reach.... .....hmmmm, nothing looked right as the cairns had led me to a second, lower peak. Looking southwest, I saw the real peak and so scrambled through the jumble of rock..... ....and was now looking at where I had been. A little sketchy in spots but other than some exposure, a fun scramble. I found the ammo box and a notebook inside and signed my name. My finger is holding down the page to prevent the wind from blowing it closed and not pointing at anything in particular. To the east, rain was still coming down as the storm seemed to linger but still to the southwest...... .....it remained clear all the way to the parking lot but while descending..... ....I heard a scraping sound and spotted this desert tortoise. What struck me as odd is it is about the only thing of that size that isn't meant to sting, bite or impale me. Well, these practically daily threats of thunderstorms are cutting into plans for more epic hikes but they are coming. So too is more reliable weather. I attended an organized tour on Sunday, having a name I can not pronounce nor spell but there were a couple hundred who came out including this guy, wearing an OSU jersey. The tour would be analogous to a COP (Columbus Outdoor Pursuits) MOC, TOO, etc...mostly flat, kind of boring but it is south of Tucson so an area that I rarely ride. The recent rains have created some washout areas including the above. After walking the perimeter.... ....we then walked through a shallow pool to wash some of the mud from our shoes and bikes. Reaching Arivaca, a village with a cow on top of a restaurant on one side while on the other there is a..... ....restaurant having a steer's head through which you walk to enter. Weird. I finished with 53 miles and 2000' of climbing, most of the climbing coming in the first 15 miles. Overall, not too exciting. More afternoon thunderstorms forecast for the next couple of days and then many days of sun and temps in the 80's. Congratulations. If you have arrived to see the images and maybe read the report, you are one of approximately 600 unique visitors who have or will land here this week. This being a Monday when I post this, many of you are trapped in an office cubicle, filters prevent you from visiting the sites you'd really like to visit so instead, you come here for a couple of minutes. I see it as my duty to provide you with barely interesting content and so I begin, at the parking lot of Sanctuary Cove, gazing up at Sombrero Peak. Note the remains of a dead saguaro on the right. Rising from the desert floor, the views open up to the northeast but to the southwest..... .....several examples of "virga" when rain can be seen falling from the clouds but evaporating prior to hitting the ground. It is from the southwest that storms are coming and I begin to get a little nervous about reaching the top with approaching storms. Once at the top, it would be an hour of mostly off trail hiking through loose rocks if it began to rain or storm. I keep going before..... ...reaching the base of the final climb, the sky has darkened and now the wind is howling too. I look to the summit, which is acquired by walking clockwise around the base of this wall and then scrambling with some exposure to the top. Hmmm, maybe I should get while the getting is good and decide to turn around. 3.6 miles with a lot of climbing is still a good day even if I did not reach the peak. How about that? An open air mall opened a couple of weeks ago so I went on a scouting mission and found it very nice, lots of cool water sprayer type thingys and my wife and daughters, who arrive soon, will love it. Walking around I realized I won't have the endurance or stamina to hang with them so will have to find something else to do on the day(s) they spend there. Yikes, a 6:30am start for a group hike on the west side of Tucson but the early start was warranted with an unusually hot temp of 84 in the forecast. The sun peaks over the mountains as our group, led by Paul Yurgan...... ....head away from the rising sun towards Wassan Peak. Paul, a good egg, schedules at least one hike each week. Group hike availability has taken a hit as one of the organizers is drying out. His problem got so bad he was taking shots of bourbon during hikes. Now that's a problem. How about that? A tarantula and a really good sized one. It was funny watching people give it such a wide berth you'd think it could strike like a rattler. We began rising above surrounding peaks and hills. An Ohioan who now lives in Tucson, Heidi Bunch, set a strong pace that I had difficulty matching as I was again carrying my weighted backpack. She, Lisa and Licha put a hurt on me as I clung to them as everyone else fell away. The trail was not steep, just kept rising from..... ...the desert floor. There is Sombrero Peak and Panther Peak in the distance. We reached a trail intersection and decided to wait but the pack was weighing on my shoulders and I wanted to keep going to the top, reaching it at the 4.5 mile mark. Soon, the three ladies arrived and eventually, so too did everyone else. After snacks and drinks, we headed.... ....back down, finishing with.... ....nine miles and sore shoulders. That low pressure system that brought rain to the area last week, then dipped into Mexico, then came north west into California bringing much needed rain is drifting back toward us so afternoon rain is forecast for Friday and the weekend. It's been unusually hot but sun and mid 80's are coming soon. Thanks to Marty S for sending this image of Farmer Mike, preparing to go sailboarding. Soon, Mike will head to FL, a sure sign that winter is approaching.
Can you guess what is wrong with this image.....it's that you can see this image. I've been on kind of eastern time zone sleeping so have been waking regularly at around 5-5:30 but not today. It should be dark at this point in the 87 mile drive but the sun is well up as I pass through Florence (huge prison complex) and the surrounding countryside. With a high of around 92, I wanted to be on the trail by 7:00am but instead, 8:30. I was headed up the Peralta Trail to the Fremont Saddle and then from there, off trail to Robbers Roost. At mile 80 the road turns to dirt but it is relatively smooth for most of the remaining 7 miles. Multiple turnouts and other trail heads that lead into the Superstition Wilderness or the "Supes" as the locals call the area. I reach the parking area where there are about 15 vehicles accessing a network of trails. Most people head up the one I have chosen because at the top is the magnificent view of..... ......Weaver's Needle. People camp at the top of that but ropes are needed to access it. I've been to the base one time but that requires a difficult bushwhacking route. Note to self for future reference, I arrived at Fremont Saddle at 52:30. While sitting in the shade with a few others, I overheard someone say they had tried to reach that lone pine tree just to the right but were stopped by a ledge they could not climb down. Intrigued, I asked about the way and decided to forego the Roost for the Long Pine instead. Actually, there was a faint trail for much of the way, during which I could see Superstition Peak in the distance. A hiker told me people are advised not to camp within a rough circle of vertical rock slabs at the peak because during the night the area pulsates due to some magnetic field or something. It is a way cool place but when there I did not notice anything odd. Views to the east were so spectacular. There are dozens more trails and neat places to visit but the roads require a high clearance vehicle to access so I patiently wait for the area hiking groups to schedule, during which I can hitch a ride. The pine, appearing so small at the saddle is actually very tall. The first branch is 6' from the ground. There was a metal box at the base of the tree with a notebook and pencil so I signed in. Signatures go way back and many are matched with a written reaction to their visit. I just write my usual, "Go Buckeyes". In the distance, unseen, is Canyon Lake and that may be Battleship Mt, the yellow rock area in the middle. I jumped from boulder to boulder, each giving a slightly different view and snapped lot of pics and video. Looking back, I noticed there was a lone Saguaro too. Kind of unusual at this elevation. I begin the hike back and then down the Peralta. It is hot but not too bad as I finish the 7 mile hike..... ...with the always welcome view of the parking area. Dang. The Saturday group ride from in front of the Bicycle Ranch bike shop has become huge since last I checked in April. There were 50+ with others who hopped in during the opening mile. They even have multiple groups now but I rolled out with the A group on a 49 mile route. It is the same route each week, west to Frontage Rd which parallels I-10 then hang a right on Twin Peaks and begin the long slog to the resort at Dove Mt for a regroup, coast down to the Giant gas station for refueling and return to the shop in a circuitous route which includes the rolling Rancho Vistoso loop. A good route. Of course, unlike Ohio when a couple of pedal strokes gets you out of town on lonely country roads, this route passes through many intersections with stop lights but eventually we reached Frontage where there were 5-6 emergency vehicles stopped with a train. Learned later a guy committed suicide, very sad. Our train kept rolling and we were doing an easy 27mph when we reached the Twin Peaks turn. I was at the back of a group of 31 and rounding the turn, could see it was over already as multiple gaps had opened at the base of the 9 mile climb. I looked at my fellow droppees and was not happy. I would say the average weight was 200+ combined with an average age of 80. I managed to drop the heavy, octogenarians but made no progress on anyone else other than Michael, with whom I rode on Thursday. The climb starts at 1% and very gradually increases to 8%. It's a heck of a workout at a good pace. Michael dropped me. Reaching the turn to the Ritz Carlton resort at Dove Mt, I could see the leaders had already regrouped and headed back down. As they passed, I began to count, 1, 2...12,13.....21....25 freakin cyclists. I'd never missed the regroup and then to add to the humiliation, I also missed the refueling regroup at the gas station!!!! they like spend 15 minutes there. I waited for the B group and slotted in with them for the return. A nice bunch, most of whom could be my grandfather. Well, on to hiking and I have a great one to show, tomorrow. Like in New Albany, a Starbucks is a popular starting point. I'm glad the rides start at Starbucks since I don't drink coffee, I am not tempted to go inside. If the ride started at Dunkin Doughnuts, that would be a very bad thing for me. Only 8 people came out for the 7:30am start of a 44 mile ride that included an up and over Gates Pass prior to a return over a lower shoulder known as Rattlesnake Pass. A mile into the ride, a guy somehow got a coat hanger wrapped around his rear hub. Took awhile to unravel it but eventually we got going again and that was the last unplanned stop. We got to the turn onto Gates Pass Road where I was on the rivet trying to keep up with an old guy. Dude had to be over 65 and later while we were talking about the Tucson Bike Classic he mentioned he won the 65+ category and has won several other races. Oh. He stopped to regroup but I kept going, preferring to stop at the top, so I missed finding out how large would have been the gap he put into me on the long climb. While stopped and waiting for the others, I started talking to a young guy who had passed me like a race car. He said the Saturday Shootout ride out of downtown Tucson has been kind of mellow but things will pick up as more pros arrive for the winter. Above, the view to the east. As others in our group arrived, someone asked if there had been any sightings of the Yeti. Seems there is a guy who rides the area with no shirt and looks like.... .....this. We descended the back side of the pass, made a left onto the McCain Loop and coming toward us is a guy on a bike that had long wispy hair flowing from his back, head, face and honestly, looked a lot like the image above. I was too stunned to think to take a picture and that would have been awkward anyway. During a rolling climb out of a valley I managed to draft the old dude until at the last climb he rose and sprinted away from me and one other guy. Turns out he also won the masters category in the AZ time trial championship with a partner on a tandem. Good guy who gave up the information grudgingly while we were waiting. I like humble people. We stopped at Saguaro West Park to refill water bottles and while there, I could see the observatory on top of Kitts Peak in the distance and yes, that is the yellow/black/white Trek winter beater bike. Luke Russell sent me a message that I should measure my bh bike so I could have the Trek adjusted to match since the fit is different. Unfortunately, Luke's message arrived the day after I arrived. The rain is gone and today it was sunny and 86. The low pressure system continues to linger, bringing more needed rain to the area. The mountains received over an 1" and most places are well above the normal rainfall. A ride scheduled for today was cancelled but there was a hike available out of Sabino Canyon so I grabbed my Gatorade weighted backpack and headed the 15 miles to the trail head. Quite a few no shows so only the hike leader, Michael, was there and we shoved off. The guy talks way too much and ordinarily I would just put in a gap but carrying the pack, no such luck. I could have fallen back but then I risk him thinking I am weak. About half way up, he stops and I keep going, reaching the top of Blackett's in 1:10, about 15 minutes slower than without a pack. My shoulders feel ok so that is encouraging but after 3 miles and 1800' elevation gain, I still have to go back down so we'll see. The views at the top are always dramatic but more so with the clouds. Michael drones on about different books and movies he enjoys, how Reagan is responsible for income inequality, guns are evil, why he didn't make it as an Uber driver, why he didn't make it as a real estate agent and doesn't take my silence as a clue to shut up. If I wanted to listen to NPR I would have brought a freakin radio. Now this is counter intuitive. Trail etiquette requires that those going up hill have the right away. I would think those coming up trail would welcome the break and allow those coming down hill to continue but nope, the uphillers get to keep going, momentum unimpeded. The woman in front was, what I thought, wearing an odd hat, open at the top. If I wore that I'd have a red beanie head. No snakes today even though I was hiking at about the same morning time but I did.... ....catch this roadrunner traveling across the trail. The rain arrived soon after we finished but it appears that is the end of it for awhile. On Thursday, I saw the Yeti during a ride. More to come, later. I don't think I have ever seen Farmer Mike sitting on anything that was other than a bike seat so that alone makes this a unique image but check out Licking County's largest landowner, a land baron even by Texas standards, riding a tractor. Also note the cool hat. Big thanks to "anonymous" who provided me with this image. Despite my twin encounters with rattlers on Sunday, I still came back outdoors on Monday. There has been an upper level low just kind of meandering around the southwest and with it have been scattered thunderstorms so on Monday I saw a window and dragged the backpack out of the closet, loaded it with 6-packs of Gatorade and made the quick drive to a nearby trail head for a shakedown cruise. A little ways up the trail, the views to the west open up with Sombrero Peak in the distance. Hey, check out that unusual lizard. A local came walking by and said it was an unusually large variety of whatever it is, the name of which I forget. The pack weighed about 30 pounds, not the 40-45 it will be when I load all the gear but close enough as I hiked an up and down trail for 3 miles around the base of Pusch Peak. It was a strong monsoon season that just ended with above average precip. There is green everywhere. Kind of odd when you think that coming out of a summer it is much greener than when summer began. Well, it actually rained lightly on me and so I headed indoors. Been busy, picked up a 2nd condo and so am washing the walls, removing fixtures and preparing to paint. When "She Who Must Be Obeyed" arrives, I'll be dragged into furniture stores and boring places like that so got to cram in more activity until then. Good read from Lori Nedescu's site: http://www.thecadencekitchen.com/blog/2015/10/5/wmrr
Note: AT the time, I was racing with LGS. I have since moved on to race for Velo Science. This day was a long time coming for a few reasons. First and most impressive was that LGS put on such a kick ass event. Leave it to the ladies to pull off deciding to invent their own race, plan it, and execute it with ease. Serious props. I can only hope this race gets more recognition each year. Like any race, I had been checking the registration list obsessively the week leading up to the event. Bad idea. Seeing names from MN, IL, PA….very intimidating**. Not only that, but seeing the number of registered women keeping getting larger and larger was daunting. Typically in OH we have around 20 women in a race I think. That is enough competition. I like 20. But this was a different beast and almost 50 women were pre registered for CAT1/2/3. Nerve-racking and awesome at the same time. **Looking back at this comment is fun. I remember being sooooo nervous to race with such a large field at the time. But now I can’t wait to get out there and compete in larger national races. So race day. The weather was not promising. As we packed up the car to leave, it was pouring. But the closer we got to the race, the sky got clearer and clearer. Still drizzling, but it was early and I was hopeful the roads would dry up in the 4 hours we had until the race start. I pulled into the Zanesfield location pretty early in order to set up and attempt to calm down. At 9am I took a warm up loop around the 14 mi course. I took the hill at a moderate pace but just spun through the rest of the course. The wind profile was the same as it always is for this race course; headwind on the gradual, long, uphill stretch. Not fun, but not unexpected. After this, I decided not to warm up anymore. I just wanted to lie under my tent to rest and eat. Unfortunately I forgot my bowl of fruit and rice pudding at home, so I was just nibbling on gluten free pretzels and hoping my body would have enough fuel to get through the 56 miles. About an hour before the race my LGS teammates started to mingle. Everyone seemed a bit on edge and tense. They went to warm up but I stayed behind and sipped a sugar free red bull**. **This is my time. For running or cycling races, I need mental space. That doesn’t always work when you have a team to coordinate with, but I tend to get anxious and need to calm myself and visualize. Somewhere around 45 women gathered at the staging area, all looking intense, strong, and ready to race. LGS had 7 teammates racing which gave us a strong team presence. Getting a prime rollout placement was key as the first hill comes only ½ mile into the race. I tucked myself into the front ¼ of the pack. Every cyclist in Ohio knows the Zanesfield hill. It isn’t soul crushing, but it is enough to divide a race field and hurt your lungs and legs. I was in the front with maybe 3 others going up the first time. We were riding hard. I was sure this would be enough to shed some riders and create a smaller group. Looking over my shoulder as I neared the top proved me wrong. The crowd of women was intact and looking un-phased. Shit. This was going to be tough. The first lap remained pretty intact and easy until a break happened about 2 miles before the finish line. I was able to get away into the uphill wind section with 2 other racers. We pushed it and got up to a 1 minute lead on the group, but it wasn’t enough. Lasting maybe 4 miles the group was right behind as we turned the corner onto the hill for round 2. As we climbed, I eased my pace to get caught back into the group and rest for a bit. The other 2 riders were ate by the peloton as well. We rode as a large group for most of lap 2 until there was another break. This time teammate Tori was able to get away with 4 other women. As they fled the group, I looked over at teammate Kristen Arnold as we were both on the front pulling. I took her lead and we sat up, blocking for Tori. Eventually the other women got sick of this and decided to chase the breakaway. Miles later we passed Tori who was on the side of the road with a flat or broken spoke or some other misfortunate mechanical. The pace was getting tough as we rounded the right turn into the hill for the third time. I was working it, but feeling tired after putting so much effort into the earlier parts of the race. I couldn’t quite make it onto a wheel as a small group pulled away over the hill. I tried to catch up but knew if I didn’t do it before the turn into the fast roller section that it would be useless. I let the rest of the group catch up to me knowing that the lead group was getting further and further away and I would just exhaust myself going at it solo. It was infuriating. I stayed on the lead of my pack and pushed the pace, hoping to make up time on the break pack. I was vocal and tried to rally my fellow cyclists to work hard. Tarah and Jen, strong riders, were with me on trying to break away. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get a clean separation and the pack stayed. As we turned onto the hill for the 4th and final time, the moto called out that the lead group was intact and had roughly 1:20 on us. Damn. I rode that hill as hard as my body would allow. Only 1 other rider from the Chicago Elite Team matched my determination. As we climbed, we were able to get a good lead on everyone else and after quick eye contact, it was decided we would work together to get away. The moto was with us now informed us the lead was 1:10 up. Time to get busy and boy did we. Taking quick rotations we went hard into the fast roller section. There was serious team work happening and I was thrilled to have one strong woman to be chasing with. We were vocal, chanting to each other but mostly ourselves to keep the motivation high. “We can do it!’’ “We’re gaining on them!” “Keep it up!” etc etc… Our moto called out 50 seconds and our heads went down and our legs turned it up a notch. I felt like I could vomit. It was tough. Halfway through this roller section we could see the lead pack up ahead. This was hugely motivational. Moto called out 30 seconds and we shared a look of joy with each other. We were doing it! Nothing would stop us from catching them now. Working with 1 other Chicago cyclists to bridge 1:20 to the lead pack. At the turn into the headwind, we joined the other 8 women in the lead pack and breathed a huge sigh of relief. I was thrilled. But my excitement quickly dissipated as I looked around. A group of 10 strong women was too much for me. Knowing that I have no sprint, really, none, I couldn’t sit back in this pack and wait til the finish sprint to perform because I would surely get 10th place out of 10. At that moment I envied teammate KA who could easily do this. She was conserving energy very well and would have no problem sitting in until the sprint and finishing well. I decide to try to make it work for me and decided to ride to the front and push the pace. At this moment, my body was hungry and was feeling the effects of not eating enough prior to the race. I shoved some gummies in my mouth to quiet the hunger for a moment, knowing there was less than 10 miles left in the race. With this little bit of added energy and my absolute desire to do well, I worked to push the pace as much as I could while riding uphill into the wind. As we neared the finish, my plan was playing out nicely, women were dropping off. At the sprint line, we had a group of 6. KA and a member of Chicago took off for the finish with another rider close behind. The other 3 of us were not so gifted at sprinting and rolled in behind. I was able to beat out 1 rider for 5th place overall. There were tears in my eyes as I crossed the finish. Finally things worked out. Someone came up and asked ‘are you first Cat 3??’ and I just stared at them. I honestly had no idea and I didn’t care. I had put in huge efforts throughout the race. I finished in a great spot and worked hard for it. Teammate KA just took second place. It all went worked out. This was victory in my book. Hard work and race smarts put into action. I got to stand on the podium for 1st place Cat3. And got a nice check for finishing 5th overall. This was the best race I’ve ever ridden in and not just because of the nice finishing place. The race had everything; hills, attacks, breaks, team work, intensity, and excitement. Well done to all the women who raced and to all the volunteers and spectators who made it possible. This race also revived my spirit which was close to cracking after a season of disappointing races. I realized that I had turned things around. My health was back on track and my training was effective. After this, I was hungry for more racing. After creating the report below, something got scrambled and so the sequence of images and content is off. Too much work to correct but you'll get the idea. My flight into Dallas was early so I had 2 hours to kill...what to do, what to do, good thing they do not give you a breathalyzer test prior to boarding the next flight (I exaggerate of course). Landed in what some refer to as "The Detroit of the Southwest", Tucson, but quickly made my way northwest to Oro Valley, up against the Catalinas. First stop of course was Fry's, a division of Kroger's. Then washed the car which had been sitting for 3 months so was kind of dirty, finished reading "The Martian" (very good read) and watched "Mad Max, Thunder Road" pretty good movie. ....unfortunately, I mistook the cactus for the snake and missed all but the bottom of the coil as you can see at the top of the image. I resumed the march.... My routine is to hit Sabino Canyon on my first day and do the hike to Blackett's Ridge, not quite in the image with Thimble Peak on the left. Lots of people keep track of their times, as do I, to see how out of shape or fit one is. A time from the parking lot under 60 minutes, just walking, is considered very good. So, on Sunday morning on an unusually partly cloudy day, I shove off. There are three climbing sections separated by false flats. I reach the top of the first climber in 37 minutes, pretty good and then hit the 2nd..... ....I went past a group of adults and kids, some of whom were scrambling off trail! I warned an adult two snakes had been seen and the children should stay on the trail. Well, got some cleaning to do so that's it for today. The clouds add to the image of the surrounding mountains. On the way back down, going very slowly as I picked through the part of the trail where earlier I had seen the vipers..... ....climbing I hear a quick rattle, look down and dang, a black tail rattler is on the right within easy striking distance. I am a happy camper that it chose not to waste venom. They blend in so well with the surroundings and I was focusing too much on my goal and not nearly enough on the surroundings. Getting tagged by that would ruin the entire trip. By the time I get my camera out the snake is retreating into the rocks. I continue and within 30 yards, I encounter 4 people talking about a snake. I assume they are talking about the one I saw but no..... ....there was another! Of course, I had to get close to get a good pick, I had rolled a few rocks at it, trying to get it to move farther off trail and then it turned, coiled and I took a great image..... ...and reached the ridge in 55 minutes, a very good time but having stopped the clock at both snake encounters, I was allowed brief rests so can't really make it an official time.
Yes, it is raining and tomorrow looks bad too so the COP Fall HOOT ride, hosted by none other than The Grand Poobah, Todd Lee, will probably be a washout for all but the very hard core. If you are one of those, the ride start is 8:00am from Bloom Carroll High School, 5240 Plum Rd, Carroll, Oh 43112. It's a good route of 30 and 70 miles. But how about that forecast? Get through Saturday and Sunday, as well as the ensuing days, looks great. COP has a Sunday ride out of Cyclist Connection in Canal Winchester with a 9:00am start time. Have not seen a route yet but usually a couple of options of approximately 30 and 70 miles, every Sunday. Well, got to finish packing, which is easy, shorts, T-shirts, hiking stuff and cycling stuff. I had a great time this season prowling the parking lots..... ....taking images of cyclists and endearing myself to many if not most. It is an easy job as there are a lot of funny people who populate our rides but on a serious note, there are also a bunch of great people who make it fun to attend rides, hang for awhile prior to being blown out the back of the pack. Meantime, as you watch the depressing weather radar or watch the rain fall outside, you may want to check out Betsy Thompson's blog, http://excelatall3.com/blog/. Betsy trains tri-types who wish to get into that activity or improve on their performance, including Paul Stock.
Dang, I wish I was there, oh wait, I will be this Saturday. Try not to hate me. Instead, enjoy the many posts (I put up reports more often when I am out there) with at least one Grand Canyon adventure, area rides and hikes, visits to the Superstition Wilderness, the Catalinas, Rincons, Santa Marias, etc..., the rattlers, the javelinas, the mountain lions, Sabino Canyon and all while keeping track of my Ohio buddies huddled around their fires or in the dark basements on their trainers. I'm old, closer to 80 then to 30, so I kind of deserve this. Hope you enjoy the reports, well probably not but hope you enjoy the images. And so now the Tuesday Canal evening ride comes to a close. Populated mostly by the Fairfield Fellas, yes, a bit slower than their northern counterparts but good people nonetheless riding hillier routes, they will gather at Kingys after the ride. Unlike the northerners who sip Pinot Grigio with vegetarian appetizers, the southerners rip back shot after shot of hard liquor while throwing down buffalo style wings. They burp loudly, tell raucous jokes about the New Albanistas and will stumble out of Kingys to return to their double wides, quite content. Below are the routes but.... http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10595570 http://ridewithgps.com/routes/10595542 ....radar does not look so good. With a sunset of 7:15, the party, with or without the ride will probably begin at 7:30-ish. I'd like to be there to document the boisterous behavior post ride and if it does not rain, who knows, maybe I will. Rick Miller repaired my bike and it is back in the car, ready to roll. Following my departure from Saturday's ride, the gang hit on a couple of short gravel sections that included an I-beam bypass besides a bridge replacement. Doesn't appear that anyone was brave enough to ride the beam rather than walk the beam. With ultra favorable easterlies, blowing at about 15mph, the New Albany sprint record was again under assault with it being tied at 52 seconds. Meantime, Paul Stock completed his first triathlon. Congrats. Down south, the MFC (Mark's Fall Challenge) had a good turnout of 21, including Dirty Dan, Flyin Tuna, Eric the Photographer, Steve O, Engineer Mitch, Rex, Mark V, Michael, Jimmy, Kenda Paul with Kenda Janet joining on Sunday, David Smith, Tri Andrew, the Rossi's, Brent Jenkins, Evie, Mark C, Bruce, Chuck, etc... Sounds like they had a good time with an able SAG support. Last but not least, a good friend of the blog, Group Killer, finished 6th in the Triathlon World Championship, 75 seconds from the podium. The event, two weeks ago, was attended by some very fit men and ladies from around the world. I was relieved that he finally found the appropriate setting for using that time trial machine. Shannon typed a very entertaining report that you can read here: https://hfpracingnews.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/hfp-man-reports-from-the-itu-triathlon-world-championships/ Behold. The ordinary ball boy or ball girl. Dressed like the major league stars but she is not about to leap against the wall and snag a long drive, not going to back up the 3rd baseman, etc... All he or she does is toss a ball now and then to an adorable kid while wearing the same uniform as the team but not really part of the team. That is analogous to what I was today. We gathered, Kyle, Jon Morgan, Luke Russell, Marty, French Climbing Machine, Travis, Danny A, Buzz, Dave Chesrown, etc... Amongst this team of all stars, I was but the ball boy, wearing similar clothing but mostly along to chase the routine foul ball. Some talk prior to the ride about Jon's record sprint to claim the coveted KOM Strava crown on the run-in to New Albany, Thursday. His effort of 52 seconds put several into 2nd place but there were some extenuating circumstances. The winds, strong, were unusually out of the east so the race referee has been asked to make a ruling. Strava will always, of course, show Jon in 1st but Strava would also show someone in 1st who grabbed a ride behind a Mach truck and surpassed the previous record of 53 seconds. Anyway, we rolled out.... .....into a 10-15 mile headwind again out of the east. The pace was promoted as between 20-22 and so it was, into that nasty head wind. I was on the rivet from the moment I got out of my car. I was ok, thanks to Jon and Marty not killing it too hard when it was their turn to take a pull but put in red when Kyle would drop into his drops and hammer while taking a pull. Finally, towards the end of Concorde, I sat up and gave up but the stop sign allowed me to regroup. I assured those within hearing distance if I dropped again (like that is as uncommon as the sun setting and rising) to keep going. It was not fair for me to drag on those who wanted to ride harder. Eventually, we go onto Battee and.... ...I had been hearing a "pinging" sound and behind me was Luke and he thought I had a popped spoke.....and so it was, for the 2nd time this season. I wrapped the spoke around another and turned back to the west, with a 20.7 average at that point, prior to finishing with 36 miles and a 20 mph avg. Ya know, this is a great group of guys and I regretted having to drop out. The good new is, I called Rick Miller and he was only a couple miles away in his van so I arranged to meet him and turn over the bike. Maybe I can squeeze in one more ride before the flight to the west. |
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