Hello everyone,

This is now my third time crossing this great country. I never tire of the scenery and each ride is different in many ways. However, each new ride also brings back memories some great and some give pause to say our thanks.

It doesn’t happen everywhere but every once in awhile, I am back in 2012 or 2014 and seeing my friends from those rides. I see their faces at the sag stops and remember conversations on the climbs.

Four years ago, I watched a Porsche go over an embankment and roll multiple times. That was one of the scariest memories. I didn’t think the driver could possibly emerge unscathed but thankfully he did. I saw the spot on the climb today but didn’t stop.

We started from Prescott at 9:30 since the ride was short and the rooms are typically available very late in Cottonwood. I decided to stay in the back today and ride with Kevin and a few other riders who tend to savor more than race. Kevin felt sick we he got up in the morning and it got worse as we rode. He is typically very chatty but stopped talking as we climbed and the sun rode and heated the pavement to almost desert hot. There is very little flat on a ride like this and at mile 22 at the start of the real Mingus Mountain climb, Kevin decided to take a bump to the top.

The climb to the summit was uneventful but with spectacular views. At the sag at the top most of us lingered longer the usual. I don’t think anyone tried to hammer the climb as our legs are still tired and looking forward to the rest day in Flagstaff. From the SAG to Cottonwood is mostly a VERY steep decline through Jerome. Most of the riders decided to eat at the haunted Hamburger joint there but I didn’t like the hairy descent and decided to do the rest of the 4 mile descent without stopping – party pooper.

I really dislike steep descents and most of the riders are a lot faster than I am. There is also a lot of traffic which doesn’t bother me going up but coming down tends to make me freak out. At the bottom, there still was another 4 or 5 miles to Cottonwood and the wind had gotten really strong and the temperatures were oaring.

Before Route Wrap and diner I spent some time talking to Allison from the 2014 tour. At dinner I sat near Arri and Alex two brothers riding with their father, Mike to Santa Fe. Mike is a really good cyclist but the two young men had not put in a lot of training due to work commitments. I’ll be sorry to see them go. Arri has a great sense of humor and Alex is quite a bit more reserved. It was fun talking to them as I got to hear about their passion for fishing, snow boarding, surfing and wood working.

I tried to take pictures in the mountains but my iPhone overheated again and wouldn’t cooperate. It was a bad decision not to bring a dedicated camera and my photos will mainly be ones that folks offer to share with me or ones I take indoors.

Thanks fro reading

~Chuck