Chapter 8 - Sedona to Flagstaff

My current whereabouts via satellite tracking can be found here:

https://share.delorme.com/RayDixon

After a couple of 'rest' days in Sedona (trail riding without all the camping gear attached), I loaded up and hit the road again.  The only feasible way to Flagstaff is via the 4wd Schnebly Hill road, which eventually leads up to I-17 for the rest of the journey.  I reckoned that the first part of the day would be fun and that the second half... not so much.  I was right. 

There was scattered rain in the forecast, and it began to sprinkle as I headed up Schnebly Hill.  I was the only bicyclist out there, but there were many jeeps taking tourists up for photos.  It was a long climb but my spirits were lifted by the fantastic views of red rock buttes and pinnacles.  At the top the road continued into a flat plateau of piñon forest.  It was much cooler up here and the rain continued to fall. 

Eventually the rain turned to sleet and came down even harder.  My fingertips were white as I dug into my backpack to put on every piece of clothing I had.  At one point I passed an old trailer in the woods and took shelter underneath it.  The rain eased a bit after awhile and I continued on to Flagstaff.  I was on the interstate for about 20 miles and then got on the urban bike path.  It was pretty late and getting dark and I was cold and hungry.  I fished around for some jerky and ate it while pedaling, drool coming off my lips.  I couldn't see very well because my sunglasses were coated in rain and sweat and sunblock.  Finally I pulled into the driveway of the AirBnB that Jill had arranged, and met the proprietor, who offered some chili.  I couldn't turn that down. 

Arizona - Chapter 7 - Sedona

Sedona, as everyone knows, is a real new age center.  It's full of shops selling crystals and vortex tours and palm readings and whatnot.  The landscape there is indeed inspiring.  I felt the town was a little sprawly, without a real center where one could walk around.  But there are abundant hiking/biking trails, so I explored these for a couple of days. 

The first day I took a trail up over a ridge toward the south of town, which led eventually to Cathedral Rock.  There was a creek crossing and I felt pretty cool holding my bike over my head as I waded through the water with many onlookers observing.  They were probably hoping I would fall in the water and cause some excitement, but I managed not to slip. 

The trail went south and climbed up onto some slickrock (not actually slick at all, but very sticky -- great traction).  Here the trail was shared with quite a few pedestrians toting cameras and children.  Trying to be as courteous as possible, I slowed to a walking pace when I encountered anyone.  I was dismayed when a group of five mountain bikers came roaring through the trail and almost hit me, shouting "coming through!!".  I am assuming they scared more hikers along the trail.  It's a bummer, because poor etiquette makes all bikers look bad. 

The second day I ride some more trail, this time in the less crowded northwest part of town.  It was really beautiful and peaceful.  I met a guy named Pat who had driven out from LA and we rode together for awhile.  He is a mechanical engineer and was just out for the weekend with his truck and his mountain bike.  Nice fellow. 

Sedona denizens talking about wheatgrass and bee pollen

Pat, my riding partner for the Chuckwagon trail

Friendly help at Over the Edge Cycles

Questionable Sedona yard art

Arizona -- Chapter 6 -- Cottonwood to Sedona to Flagstaff

The Lime Kiln Trail is an old wagon road that leads from Cottonwood to Sedona.  Some people got together a few years ago to resurrect it as a multi use trail.  I decided to take it from Cottonwood to Sedona.  It turned out to be variable, but mostly decent. 

It annoyed me that the state park charges $3 to ride through to access the trailhead, so I pedaled on the highway a couple of miles to avoid the park.  It turned into some desert scrublands with sand in the washes.  Nobody was out there and it was very silent.  As I climbed atop some small hills I got a view of the gorgeous red rocks and spires of Sedona in the distance. 

Coming out of the hills, I thought maybe I'd try out the pistol I brought along.  I could see for a long ways in every direction, so I didn't think I'd disturb anyone.  I found an old can and a fragment of skeet and put some holes in them, which was fun. 

Pedaling up the hill into Sedona was difficult and my butt got sore again.  I was hoping to camp near town but camping is prohibited anywhere near Sedona.  So I got a room at the Days Inn and unloaded my stuff. 

It was evening by now, and I decided I wanted to catch the sunset.  Dressed in sandals, I pedaled up the road from the hotel and saw a trail on the side of the road.  I felt pretty hardcore when I passed a couple of bikers on a fairly technical bike trail -- me wearing sandals and a baseball cap while they were decked out in helmets and all the gear. 

The sunset was nice, but I soon discovered that I had lost my bike light on the previous rocky bike trail.  I walked around through the rocks and desert until it was very dark, looking for my light.  No luck.  I've lost quite a few items on this trip and I was mad at myself about this one.  Oh well. 

Nice Sedona sunset

Shooting some cans in the desert

View of Sedona from Lime Kiln Trail

Arizona - Chapter 5 -- Camp Verde to Cottonwood

It's always a process to pack up my things and stuff them into my tiny bike bags just so.  There is barely any room, so it takes some serious origami and elbow grease.  I finally got this accomplished and set out to check out the nearby cliff dwellings,  named Montezuma Castle. 

Montezuma Castle didn't have anything to do with the Aztecs, but were the apartments of some people who lived there around 1200AD.  They have been extensively looted but there is an interpretive center to tell what these people did.   There was this mournful flute music being played.  I wondered to myself how anyone knew what kind of music these people played.  I figured it was a recording, but I turned a corner and saw that it was being played by a rotund man with a recorder.  He took a break for awhile and then started up with a few dramatic notes that sounded like the beginning of John Williams' Star Wars theme.  I was really excited for a moment but then he settled back into a sad, slow minor key melody.  So close...

After having had my fill of flute music and cliff dwellings, I pedaled on to Cottonwood.  The road was busy but it had a shoulder.  It was damn hot, so I kept sucking water and cranking away.  At one point I crested a hill and saw a bicyclist standing on the shoulder.  I pulled up alongside him and asked if everything was OK.  He said he was fine... his name was Tim and he had just come out of the nearby desert where he had been camping out.  We ended up cruising together for a few miles on our way into town. 

I found a bike shop and got some air in my rear shock, then headed over to the state park to find a campsite.  The lady at the kiosk said it was $25 for a tent site.  That was kind of steep, I thought.  "May I go have a look at the site first?", I asked.  It was pretty important that there was some shade.  She said no, because a bicyclist might just decide to ride around and enjoy the park without paying.  If I were in a car, she said, I would be more trustworthy.   I was incredulous but kept my cool. I offered to leave my phone with her as collateral but she relented. 

The tent sites turned out to be pretty miserable.  No shade, just forlorn windswept asphalt.  The RV sites were nicer, but they were $35/night, which is quite a bit when you're just looking for a patch of grass.  So I pedaled back out of there and back into town. 

Then I inquired at an RV park if I could pitch a tent, but the proprietor said no.  I think he thought I was a vagrant.  Finally, I paid for a room at a local mom and pop motel which turned out to be very nice.  I felt kind of dumb having carried all of my camping gear around and not using it.  However, the shower was delightful and I slept well. 

 When I have cell service and a full battery, I listen to some tunes.

 Cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle

 Rode with Tim on the way into Cottonwood

 This fellow at the bike shop in Cottonwood helped to pump up my rear shock

 Somebody looking for a handout

 Riding on the interstate isn't too much fun, but sometimes it's the only way.

Arizona - Chapter 4

Day 14 (?) Strawberry - Camp Verde

Mick at Certified Bicycles had suggested that I take Fossil Creek Road over to Camp Verde.  There are some access issues since Arizona decided to make it permit-only this year.  This was in response to huge crowds that left lots of trash and had to be rescued.  Apparently 200 people got rescued last year due to hiking out in the desert in flip flops, getting dehydrated, and calling for help.  So this summer there are a million signs for miles around saying the area is closed.

I was pretty worried as I pedaled down the road that I would get turned back.  I knew the highway didn't have a shoulder and wouldn't be pleasant.  Soon enough, I came upon a guard post that consisted of a couple of young park rangers and a truck.  A girl looked up from her book and I asked with great politeness if I could pass through.  She was wary and had to call her boss.  The boss showed up and extracted promises from me that I was prepared, that I knew the trail was rough, that I knew that I might die, and that I wouldn't stop and look at anything.  Reluctantly, they let me through. 

It turned out to be a really cool ride, and free from vehicle traffic which was nice.  The road descended really far down a canyon until it got to Fossil Creek, which supports a little forest along its banks.  It was a welcome change from the stark desert. 

I dismounted my bike and took a trail up to a waterfall that descended into a pool called the "Toilet Bowl".  It was scenic and idyllic, with some kids jumping off a rope swing and the remnants of an old dam.  I was kind of sad to notice that even in a permit area, in one of Arizona's must-see attractions, that there was still a decent amount of trash along the trail.  For comparison, at Hanging Lake Trail, a comparable in Colorado, there is nary a shred of trash even though it attracts probably 100,000 people per year.  I guess I'm beating a dead horse. 

Next I had to climb out the other side of the canyon, which was fairly arduous and hot but not excruciating.   The dirt road was well graded and smooth.  Unfortunately a cloud of biting gnats assaulted me every time I stopped, so I kept pedaling. 

After the climb, it was a smooth coast all the way down to Camp Verde, which was a tiny settlement that had a few farms supported by the nearby Verde River.  The USFS campground was hot and dusty with a smelly pit toilet in the middle.  So I pedaled on, getting a room at the Days Inn.  The proprietor looked and acted a bit like Travis Bickle.  I asked him if he was from Camp Verde, and he replied that he was from Southern California but he moved to Camp Verde "for a change of pace".  I'm pretty sure this meant that he probably was trying to escape a criminal record or a bounty on his head. 

Went to Denny's for a chef salad and slept well. 

 Friendly rangers at the Fossil Creek Road

 Headed into Fossil Creek Canyon

 A nice touch, especially if you are near death by dehydration

 The verdant Fossil Creek oasis

 Local wildlife

Stopping to filter some water.  Looks nice, but still plenty of cattle around.

Arizona - Chapter 3

My current whereabouts via satellite tracking can be found here:

https://share.delorme.com/RayDixon

Day 12 - Payson to Strawberry

This is a nice stretch of land, in the shadow of the Mogollan Rim.  Here one has gained elevation from southern Arizona, giving rise to cooler temperatures and more moisture which allows for piñon-juniper forests filled with deer and elk.  It's still dry and crispy compared with the relatively verdant Central Rockies, but it's a little less harsh than the south.

At Payson I visited Mick at Certified Bicycles, who suggested a route through Fossil Creek Canyon.  It turned out to be great info. We also talked at length about bicycling and outdoor pursuits in general.

I went out of town on the "Control Road" which turns to dirt and winds through the forest on its way to Pine.  It was almost totally deserted.  I would think there would be some more bicyclists on such a nice road, but there weren't any.  Perhaps it was because the road was pretty difficult after awhile.  It went up and down and up and down and wore me out pretty well.  I was looking for campsites as the sun was going down, but decided to press on for something better.  There was obvious evidence of camping but it was all adjacent to the road and covered in beer cans and trash.  For a state full of nature, Arizona doesn't give the impression that people care too much about keeping the place clean.  Not to sound like too much of a snob, but I couldn't help but compare it to Colorado, which is much, much cleaner.

I descended into Pine, where it started to rain.  There wasn't a campground in Pine, so I called a motel that wanted $150 for a night.  I said that was out of my price range and the lady offered to call the adjacent general store, whose proprietor had rooms out back for $75.  It turned out to be $95 but I was beat and hungry and there was a cold rain falling with nowhere else to camp, unless maybe I asked at a church or something.  It turned out to be a very nice place, although the fellow was pretty heavy-handed on gun rhetoric.  I got the "Duck Dynasty Suite", where there were creepy images of the old men from the TV show staring at me as I slept.  But it was clean and dry.  I went next door to a saloon where an all-male crowd was spending their paychecks on Budweiser.  In the corner were a couple older guys manning a table where there was a gun raffle.  Meat Loaf was on the jukebox as I came in, which was somewhat incongruous, but then that godawful "Boys Round Here" song came on and it made more sense.  I ordered a burger and left not a crumb.

 The Payson-Pine "Control Road"

 My accommodation in Strawberry, AZ

Proprietor's dog eating my shoes

"Boys 'Round Here" by Blake Shelton.  Merely listening to this song will lower your IQ:

Arizona - Chapter 2

My current whereabouts via satellite tracking can be found here:

https://share.delorme.com/RayDixon

Days 9-10, Wed-Thurs April 27-28

My read end was pretty sore so I recuperate in Superior, AZ for a day.  It's in a lovely setting but the town itself is a little run-down.  Superior is tied to the fortunes of nearby copper mines.  Notably, the Magma mine is next to town and was the main producer for most of the town's history.  However, it closed some years ago leaving behind a decrepit smelter and lots of waste rock.  Now a conglomerate wants to start a new large mine just outside of town.  The ore body is very deep.  So they plan to tunnel under the ore body to a depth of 7000 feet and mine it from underneath.   As the ore is removed, the surface will subside.  Eventually, there will be a huge crater on the surface.   Currently located in that area is a nice campground and climbing and mountain biking.  So those users are mostly against the project.   Also the Apaches (very recently) claim it as a religious area.  The project will probably happen anyway. 

I walked around town and ran into Slav and Yana, the Bulgarians.  They told me tales of camping for free and eating well.  They seem to be pros at this, much more than I. 

Had a Stromboli sandwich for dinner at a local pizza place.  The server was a muscular fellow with extensive facial tattoos.  He even had a paragraph written in cursive on his shaved skull.  As he bent down to write on the ticket, I tried to see what was written on his head, but I couldn't read it.  I wanted to ask but I was hesitant.  He was really effusive and friendly and probably would have told me.  He was about the friendliest guy in town. 

The next day, Amy Smith picked me up and took me to Phoenix.   We picked her 9-year-old daughter up from school which was pretty fun.  A lot of people there about my age... being parents.  The three of us went to Target where I bought a handheld camera that should work better than my cell phone.   We also went to a bike shop where I got a new saddle that is more comfortable.   It's still not exactly a Cadillac but it is better. 

We drove around the suburbs a bit and I marveled at the big houses and endless retail stores and huge shiny cars.

"Apache Leap", where the Apaches allegedly jumped off the cliff rather than get shot by Arizona soldiers.  Soon to be turned into an enormous crater.

Some Mexican goods at the market

Friday April 29 - Day 10 -- Globe to Roosevelt Lake

Amy dropped me off in Globe, where I went to the post office to pick up some new brake pads and a sleeping bag liner I ordered.  Then I had to ride to the other end of town to await the UPS driver, who had the jacket that I ordered, because UPS doesn't play nice with the post office.  Which resulted in me sitting around in the sun waiting for the driver to return.  But I got my jacket and was very happy about that.

The next morning, I cruised around on the sleepy main street until the library opened. There I unsuccessfully tried to update my Garmin.  Also had to go to Wal Mart for a couple of items so I left my bike under the watchful care of the garden department.   Perhaps this is the most trustworthy place in a Wal Mart?  Feels OK, anyhow. 

Headed out of Globe on a wide highway that eventually went up a long grade over a small mountain range.  A tough climb but not excruciating.   On the way downhill, the skies were dark and a cold wind blew.  Putting on my new jacket, I was comfortable.  At the bottom of the hill I passed another stopped touring bicyclist who had a long climb ahead of him.  Even though I had just completed the climb, I felt a little sorry for him. 

Stopped into a remote roadside market to get a few snacks since I didn't know quite what was coming.  The ladies there were very nice and called ahead to see if I needed to pay to camp since I was on a bike.  Turns out that at this AZ state park, bicyclists get free camping and free hot showers.  Funny how you can pay a lot for something mediocre, yet sometimes pay nothing for something great.  They of course asked me what I was up to and were incredulous. I bade them farewell and pedaled another hour down the road to the state park campground.  On the way I saw numerous folks who had parked their RVs on the lake shore and were driving around on dirt bikes and ATVs.  I was happy not to share space with them since they are pretty loud. 

At the campground I drove around a closed gate and found a spot away from the RVs with generators.  Dark clouds rolled in and it rained pretty good off and on that night.  I just hung out in my tent and listened to podcasts, snug.  A lot of people bikepack with only a bivy sack for shelter but having a tent is nice in this situation.   With my new sleeping bag liner, I was warm and slept well with rain hitting the tent. 

Saturday April 30, Day 11, Roosevelt Lake to Payson

This was a pretty long and arduous day with some busy highway sections and a huge climb into Payson.  The road out of Roosevelt Lake was quiet but after awhile it turned into one of the main highways out of Phoenix.  

One highlight was stopping at a place called Joe's Corner.  It's a biker bar in the middle of nowhere.  I needed a break so I went in and got a burger.  The burger was pretty bad, but appetite is the best seasoning.  It was salty, at least.  There were some fat bikers in there that were chortling at my getup, which I ignored.  Have fun with COPD and heart failure, fellas. 

The rest of the day was pretty brutal.  It was cold in Payson I was hungry and tired, so I got a room.  At the hotel I tried to update my Garmin, but no luck getting an admin passcode from the manager.  Kinda wondering why I carry the thing and its accessories.  Having better luck with Delorme Earthmate on my phone... it lets you pre-download extensive maps for free.

The ever-receding "beach" at Roosevelt Lake.  The reservoir is only about half full and shrinking.

Roadside ammunition stand in Globe

Some truly excellent state park restrooms at Roosevelt Lake, with hot showers.

Post-rainstorm

Gues somebody got sick of listening to this guy