Wow! A moisture free system came through and brought 3 straight days of winds in the 15-25mph range. So, while the temperature was perfect, the wind kept us off our bikes. What to do, what to do..... ...hike! I drove to the end of Speedway to the Douglas Springs trailhead, which is within Saguaro East NP. Lot of saguaros here. In the distance, I saw the above feature, a ravine with a lot of rock slabs. That could be a fun climb but would the trail pass near it? Why yes! I left the trail, walked a bit on a wash that led to this. And it was a fun, boulder hopping climb. I came to a wall about 4' high, scrambled up it and.... ....turned to have a good view of the Catalinas. I climbed about 75% of the way up the ravine and examined what remained. It looked doable but decided to come back on a day when water is tumbling down to add to the scenery and bring Amy too. She's a fan of bouldering.
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I forgot to post this pic from our visit to Old Tucson. A participant of the "scare team" offered to include himself in the group pic. Amy and I rode out of Oro Valley on a 35 mile route that included the community of Saddlebrook and this unusual display. The higher elevation of Saddlebrook provides some awesome views of.... ....the Catalinas. For the week, I rode 100 miles but that needs to be the bare minimum moving forward since the weather is perfect now. That evening..... ....our front was flooded. I have no experience with an irrigation system. In Ohio, a hose was all that I ever needed in the rare instance a plant needed water, lol. Looks complicated so we called an irrigation contractor who surprisingly came out a couple of days later. The fix was quick and simple.
A small group of us visited "Old Tucson" which was hosting a sprawling Halloween event with numerous skits and walk throughs. I haven't been screamed at this often since I was caught doing bad things as a child. Old Tucson usually is visited by people wanting to walk through the studio sets of old westerns. Many movies and TV shows were partially filmed here and in the surrounding desert. I was sent to pick up carry-out and had this beautiful view. Next morning, we got back on our bikes and had to.... ...once again route ourselves through 49er development to see if any new displays had been set up. I talked to a home owner and inquired about the amount of people who.... ...walk through and he said last year, he gave out 15 packages of candy, each with 125 pieces! Most scenes are very.... ....creative, especially the above, Pickleball one. They even hang items on street signs. How bout that! a fool front moved through and we received 0.60" of rain and some hail.
I had some time on my hands before an afternoon flight so drove around the Granville area. So beautiful this time of year. I turned on Thornwood and as I always do during my visits, marvel at the awesome network of roads in the region. As I drove around, each new road I encountered would bring back memories of group riding experiences on those roads. Alas, the climate, even in the summer, is not so desirable, ha, ha. And so, I was glad to board the plane and.... ...return to beautiful southern AZ, Amy & Jack. We got out for a short ride that included the 49er development where there is.... ....the..... ....largest concentration..... ....of Halloween displays I've ever seen. I really missed this woman. Life with her is so much fun. Where do people store all these items in the other 11 months? We exit the development and pass one fine display.
Grandson Anthony, at 7, plays in a 10 & under soccer league. The kid is really fast and loves soccer. A cold, windy, raw day and next morning.... ...more of the same but it matters little for outdoor work. And then, I see this! What you likely wonder. An oak of about 8' but not one that I planted. It's been growing within a thicket I cleared this day, from an acorn dropped years ago. Weird but this discovery thrilled me. More soccer tournament games and more cloudy skies. Being 7 years old in a 10& under league means you'll find some physical mismatches, lol. One evening I was at my daughters house and admired this supply of cherry. Would have loved to take a maul and begin splitting but no time.
More cutting and stacking, which I enjoy. I discovered that if I run around growling like a monster, the grandchildren never tire of the activity. I tire of it of course but they love being chased. My first 3 days in Ohio, the weather was great with sun and daily highs in the mid 70's. I've noticed that most of the ash trees died above ground from the emerald ash borers wreaking their damage but below ground, the roots remain and so from the stumps, new growth occurs. The tools of my daily trade. On one edge of the woods, long ago I planted white pine trees so they create a nice barrier now. And then, the 4th day arrived and with it, rain, lots of rain. I drove to a soccer game and more to come on that and other Ohio days.
In the Dallas airport, minding my own business and this guy walks up to ask if he can have his picture taken with the world famous blogger so I..... ...agreed. I then gave him numerous policy changes he ought to make. He scribbled on his notepad and thanked me. And then, a visit to my woods. How magnificent to see them in all their leafed glory, lol. Planted as two-year seedlings, they are monsters now. The work I put in to watering them when needed (it's Ohio so not often required), sprinkling fertilizer around each of them, keeping weeds at bay so the trees could thrive, trimming lower branches, etc... was so worth it. Still many dead ash trees to be cut so I fired up the Stihl chainsaw and got to work. Part of the routine is also burning branches and clearing brush. The main reason though for my Ohio visit was to see children and grandchildren so soon I headed to a soccer game. Doing so, I passed a gas station having gas at $2.99. I'm paying over $4 in AZ. What the heck!
Out to pick up a pizza and the timing of the drive permitted great views of the sunset. Sabino Canyon Road, a nice, 4 mile climb with great views. Kind of a mini, "Going to the Sun Road" climb. Not sure why I have not done the climb since 2014, especially since it was repaved last year. Always interesting rock walls as I coast down.
Hmmmm, since it is encroaching on the sidewalk, better trim it back before the HOA comes after us. If you've never cut one of these..... ....they are surprisingly soft and cuts easily. Summer has fled and with it, the 100 degree days. Despite the clouds, no rain in the foreseeable future but..... ....the air cooled enough after sunset that I was able to get a fire going in our outdoor fireplace. In one year, we have gone from firewood poor to firewood rich with all my chainsaw activity. We walked about a mile to a development that has several lakes and fine views of the mountains. Jack loves chasing toys in the water and never seems to tire of it.
We drove Jack 22 miles up Mount Lemmon and began a short, 2 mile hike. We had ridden a fairly hilly, 40 mile ride the day before so didn't want to stress our legs much. Relatively flat routes are difficult to find up here but Amy got us a flat to rolling one. We crossed under Catalina Highway and along the way.... ....saw where they have made numerous piles of logs and brush as good forest management efforts. Well, summer is finally over and I saw a long range forecast that suggests we'll have another wet and slightly cooler winter. I'd so much prefer summers be cooler and wetter than normal but that never seems to be the case.
We were in the house, after the sun had set. Jack let us know he wanted to go into our enclosed back yard. A few minutes later, we heard Jack barking incessantly, which is unusual. As soon as I opened the door, I heard a very pissed off rattlesnake. Got Jack into the house and went out with a flashlight and iPhone. This is the 2nd one in a month. Our first discovered in our back yard. Not good. I ordered a life size skeleton! Jack growled at first but soon accepted the new member to our family. OK, not quite life size. We put it outside as a Halloween decoration. Maybe it will ward off snakes. Got in three rides this week but none more than 36 miles. That too is not good, lol. Saturday morning, saw a group offering washes so pulled in. It was in support of kid's camping opportunities or something like that. The end of September is upon us and our afternoon highs are dropping into the 80's. That's good!
I'm increasing the climbing within the routes we choose, which took me by this odd display on my way to the Foothills. Oh and the first of many Halloween displays made an appearance in the "49er" development which will draw many hundreds of children, next month. I drove to Oro Valley to jump in with a Cactus Club group ride which included a stop for a flat tire, conveniently under a bridge. One of my favorite views! My bike has a Shimano crankset that is part of the voluntary recall. I called my favorite shop, Sabino Cycles and was told they provide a free inspection. I have to leave my bike for a day but during that, they take an hour to remove the crankset and do an inspection. Shimano pays them for the labor so it's free for customers. It's worth it to have a shop remove the crankset from the bottom bracket and do a reinstall. Just part of good maintenance routine.
The Van Gogh Exhibit came to Oro Valley so we made the 35 minute drive and strolled through the exhibit. Learned much about Van Gogh and once consuming all the displays, we entered this room, took a seat and.... ....enjoyed a 20 minute visual presentation. We attended with friends Kathryn & Jim so once finished.... ....we dined at Harvest Restaurant from where we enjoyed the view which changes.... ....dramatically in minutes. Amy and I got out for a 36 mile ride through the Catalina Foothills. We're contemplating participating in a cycling event early next month so will need to add more climbing miles to our rides.
A short distance from our home is a small horse farm and I noted a pile of pallets had been placed. Hmmm, a text to confirm the pallets were available, a visit to ACE Hardware and we are now the proud owners of a Stihl chainsaw. Pallets are usually made of oak and pieces of them burn really hot so I've cut 6 of them and forming a pile in our backyard. The Cactus Cycling club scheduled a 49 mile route, originating from Patagonia so I signed up and made the hour drive to..... ....the small town comprised mostly of restaurants and bars. Patagonia is a hotbed of gravel cycling and a local business.... ...posted the cycling rules. Our group rode a 12 mile climb from Patagonia to Sonoita and then more climbing as we headed to Elgin.... ....where we took a break in a shady spot. So...my thighs have been unusually fatigued during rides since we returned from Montana. After researching and consulting with my favorite nutritionist (Amy) my consumption of carbs has been too low. So, I have been eating lots of veggies and fruits and especially consuming them on the day of this ride and..... ....I was good as we paused to refuel. Finished with 49 miles and approximately 2000' of climbing. Then, back home to watch the Buckeyes!
Once a month or so, I pick up a breakfast sandwich and bring it home for Jack. Like all meals, the food is placed in a container, we call Jack, give the sit command (he is a very well behaved and trained dog) and after sitting, me say "break" and he hits the food. We headed to a friend's house, high up in the Catalinas where we enjoy the sunset. Looking in the opposite direction, the sun casts diminishing light on Table Mountain.... ....Bighorn Mountain and ..... ....Pusch Peak, all part of the Pusch Ridge. The sun continues to set as me move inside for dinner and drinks!
At the end of Speedway Road is the entrance to Tanque Verde Ranch. While on a ride, I noticed someone made way too wide a turn and crashed into the entrance sign. It's pretty solid so the vehicle surely would have sustained significant damage. Our fairly healthy monsoon has turned the mountains noticeably greener. My legs felt awful on this ride. Maybe it was the 4 days of inactivity or a Montana hangover. And just like that, probably a lightning strike produced a fire in the front range of the Catalinas. It eventually grew to 1000 acres and still burning but I noticed airplanes dropping retardant on the edges of the fire so hopefully it's out soon. I hopped in with the Cactus Cycling club for a 33 mile ride and my legs felt a little better but still kind of fatigued. Cathedral Rock sticks out, above the smoke on the left.
We departed a day early from MT because rain was forecast all day so may as well begin the drive back. Fortunately, while it did rain extensively around Whitefish, we broke out of the rain about an hour south of the city. We reached Missoula and passed the "M" mountain..... ...reached a very desolate northern Idaho.... ....stayed a night somewhere which requires us to lug our bikes up to the room where sun reflected off Amy's mirror. Almost looks like the moon. Jack loves to jump into the pillows at every hotel stop. Back on the road for the 2nd day of driving. The total time spent driving the route home is about 21 hours but we broke it up into 3 days of driving. Lots of great views along the way before we stopped just north of Las Vegas. A bunch of rain overnight and this is the system that also hit "Burning Man", causing all their weather related problems. We got a good look at Lake Meade. Our fine day was expected to be a wet one but we got mostly lucky, escaping the brunt of the activity. So with that, our month in MT comes to an end. We'll be back for sure.
I wandered around Whitefish on a short ride. I tried to schedule a round at Whitefish GC but they were full. Some odd lawn decorations around here. Jack and I walk by an adjoining golf course most days and I've picked up a few balls. Whitefish downtown is a lot of fun with very good restaurants. We got out for a 35 mile ride on our last day which included.... ....passing by a group of llamas and on our last evening we of course..... ...had a night out!
We entered Glacier again and headed to Logan Pass, the start of our hike. On the far mountain face, we saw sun reflecting from cars. The road is considered an engineering marvel and that someone looked at that mountain and thought, "Oh yeah, building a road up that is totally doable" is impressive. Interesting how they blended stones into existing rock. Finding a parking spot was a challenge as we circled again and again. Then Amy had the bright idea of intercepting a woman returning to her car and getting her cooperation to allow us to take her space! We geared up and were on our way. With the Jackster waiting patiently at our home, we didn't want to be gone an excessive amount of time so we chose a hike to Haystack Pass, 7 miles round trip. There are other destinations, farther afield and worth visiting another time. After about 1/4 mile, the trail becomes this. Nothing we haven't experienced before regarding exposure so we were comfortable along this section. Besides, there is a cable that can be grasped if needed. How bout that! Bighorns above us. A long dead, whitewashed tree with an incredible view beyond. We are traversing a slope known as the "Garden Wall" and no imagination is required to see how it got that name. This is not a trail that one hikes to put in a good time on Strava or some other app. We just had to stop, necessarily frequently, to enjoy the views. Going to the Sun Road is now far below us. The hike is not difficult but before ascending to Haystack Pass, you do gain 275' in a short distance. The name "Haystack" must be because of thousands of clumps of grass that resemble a haystack. Geesh, reaching the pass and being privileged to see what is beyond. The pictures look awesome but honest, in person, incredible. Amy and I shared lunch on a flat rock. Lots of hikers passed us, on their way to various overlooks. Some of the many peaks we identified using "Peak Finder" an awesome app for hikers. We returned to the trail head, mesmerized by all that we had seen. Amy and I have each traveled extensively, domestically and overseas, but we both agree, Glacier is top 2 on our list of natural wonders we have seen. Get here, at some point, if able.
I rode from our home and around a portion of Whitefish Lake. Kinda hilly and a good ride. Mostly forested but emerging from that there is a great farm scene. The obligatory creek crossing scene of course. The climbs rise above the lake and the views are beautiful. We dined out this night and a very nice Italian restaurant at very reasonable prices. The above is my dish after eating all that I could. Nice portion size! Amy and I got in a recovery ride that included passing this estate and..... ...a zebra! As we headed back on our 18 mile ride, we saw this. Have no idea why an unfinished buffalo was sitting in someone's front yard. We headed to "Hungry Horse" a small community between Glacier and Columbia Falls, just to check it out. Pretty small and no Main Street or shops. Kinda disappointing but.... ....one of the largest dams in MT is located nearby so we checked that out. The lake behind the dam is enormous. Not that wide but many miles long. And the neighborhood deer continue to make their appearance as we walk Jack.
We took Jack to Whitefish River for some exercise. While Jack may not enjoy car rides, he loves to pursue anything we throw into water. The river was full of people on paddle boards and they enjoyed watching Jack too. Some people recommended a nearby lodge so we checked it out. Huge stuffed bear. We were told the dining room patio was closed because of smoke so we went downstairs... ...and sat outside with many others to enjoy the sunset. The smokey air must not drop to this area. The Jackster continues to enjoy our temporary home as we do. The deer remain plentiful around the neighborhood and as we walked on the right side, they walked on the left side, largely ok with our presence. This day was a bad day for views. Big Mountain is barely visible due to the smoke. I got out for a 50 mile ride that included a stop to watch some golfers.
Grreeeat, two more fires have been started. Rain from Hilary will move through here tonight and tomorrow We heard about a bike shop in Kalispell named "Wheaten's" and so since we have a wheaten terrier, we decided to check it out. Nice shop with a lot of inventory and personable employees. I chose a recovery ride that would take us on a new road, Star Meadow. It was a poor choice for a recovery route as there was too much climbing for my not yet recovered legs. The road was in great shape and.... ....after a few miles we climbed out of a valley and.... ....exited a forest with nice views of.... ....farms (I know this is a run-on sentence but I think it's ok when broken up by images, lol.) Beautiful. We eat in most evenings but every few days, visit one of the many good restaurants. As always, we enjoy talking to locals while sitting at the bar. The sentiment expressed on the back of this SUV is shared by many. Curious that this is on a vehicle having CA license plates.
I'm out the door at 5:45am and headed to Glacier with smoke from area fires clearly visible during my 50 minute drive. I'm kinda excited about the opportunity to ride this iconic road but also nervous. It's not convenient to do the ride at this time of the year. The best time is just after they clear the road of snow, some time in June when they open it for cyclists only, for a couple of weeks. After that, the Going to the Sun Road is closed to cyclists from 11am to 4pm, I have to have a vehicle pass to enter the park and then a park pass as an additional piece. The..... ....vehicle pass was given to me by a friend of Amy's but when they scanned it, it was in the friend's name. The ranger told me technically I should not be allowed in but he waved me through. Then, I had forgotten my national park pass but had Amy's. A 2nd ranger looked at the pass and asked me to sign the back while holding my driver's license so I had to sign my name rather than Amy's. With that, I got in and began a 9 mile drive over dirt road. Not sure if they will pave this section but it really needs it. I was looking for the Avalanche parking area, which is beyond the dirt section but it was full so back tracked to McDonald's Falls which had a small but empty pull in. I saw no signs indicating a parking time limit so hopped out and got all my things together. Meantime. a large van from Backroads was unloading 24 E bikes!!! I got going asap at 7:30am. The first roughly 9 miles was tree lined and rolling. I saw a cyclist on the left side of the road, taking pics so thought I should stop and take one too. He didn't hear me coming but jumped when I put my foot on the pavement. He turned and said he thought it might be a bear. With a population of about 1000 bears within the park, it's not uncommon to encounter one. After about 7 miles, the climb began. For the next 10.5 miles it would be all climbing, no flat or descent breaks, averaging 5.5%. Once I emerged from the forest.... ....the views are simply incredible. Especially this one with the purple flowers in the foreground. Surprisingly, the traffic was light and plenty of straight sections for them to pass so I never had to stop and allow traffic to pass as you are required to do. The first 15 miles of the ride went by surprisingly quickly but dang, from 15 to 16.5, that time dragged as the road steepened to an average of 6.5%. I finally stopped not to take a pic but just to take a break. But then I rounded a turn and saw the "1/4 mile to Logan Pass" sign and soon thereafter.... ....celebrated. Several cyclists were taking turns posing and taking pics. A guy asked me if this climb was harder than Mount Lemmon and no, only because Lemmon is 10 miles longer but no 10.5 mile section of Lemmon is more difficult than this 10.5 mile climb. Other cyclists arrived but surprisingly, none of the E bikers had yet arrived. In addition to them, Trek Travel had a bunch and REI contributed too. There were around 50 other cyclists sharing the road on this day which was also a surprise. I guess Tuesdays are the day to go. I had arrived at the pass before 10am but since I had to be off the road by 11am, I began the descent soon after arriving. The Red Bus Tours are popular, each bus holding up to 16 people. They stop several times and the driver.... ...describes points of interest to the crowd. Hardly any vehicles shared the descent with me so I could stay in the center of the lane, enjoying the satisfaction of my accomplishment and the views. One of those good to be alive moments. I stopped at the tunnel and took the above image through one of the arches. Arriving back at the SUV, I changed clothes and checked out McDonald's Falls. Finished with 35 miles and 3100' of climbing. I may do this again before we return to AZ.
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