Hello everyone,

Yesterday we rode from Cottonwood Arizona to Flagstaff Arizona. In reality it was like 3 rides in one. The first part was the climbs and descents approaching Sedona and the town itself. The traffics was heavy but we had a good shoulder for the most part and the red rocks of Sedona are absolutely beautiful. Most of the group decided to stop in Sedona for coffee but I decided to push on.

The reason for riding on is that the weekend traffic through Box Creek Canyon gets really heavy and there is no shoulder. It is a windy road and cars may accumulate behind riders if you don’t pull over occasionally. This problem is exacerbated when you have overly cautious drivers and multiple cyclists. I would get off the road occasionally just to let cars pass. The ride up the canyon though is about 12 miles of mostly climbs. The scenery is gorgeous though as it changes from desert to alpine. The last two miles are a really tough climb, but it was recently repaved so I could ride a few miles an hour faster because of the better surface. Also it detracts from the ride when you hit potholes obscured by shade – ouch.

There was a SAG on the top of the climb and you can look back over the switchbacks that you just navigated – quite spectacular. I didn’t linger too long in the SAG and took off for Flagstaff which was about 13 miles of rolling hills. This road though was in worse shape than I remember so it was slower going than I would have liked. also no shoulder and quite a bit of traffic. Once i got into Flagstaff proper, it was bumper to bumper between streetlights but I was able to navigate to the hotel quicker than the car.

Everyone really enjoys the Drury Inn here. There are free happy hours and a pretty good spread they put on at 5:30 every evening. The group gathered for a pre-dinner that I mistook for dinner. As a result I had no desire to go out with either of the groups who went to get Sushi or Pub fares. The weather did et considerably cooler as well. I just kind of chilled. I keep forgetting what day it is and wondered why I couldn’t see updated stock prices until I figured out it was Saturday.

This morning a number of us: Jim, Lou, Howard and I went to the Galaxy Dinner for an authentic Route 66 breakfast. It was a cool place and I did take a few photos that i will attempt to post. Other than that, I intend to take the “rest” aspect of Rest Day very seriously and may do some light Yoga but no riding. Flagstaff is a beautiful city as well with a view from some mountains in the parking lot.

I know some you like to hear about personal experiences and funny things that happen along the ride. In the desert one evening we all went to dinner at a very authentic Mexican restaurant. Our waitress was a no nonsense, matriarchal lady who never smiled and liked quick responses.   She was a little scary in that regard. Howard, out Englishman who is a retired police officer was struggling with the menu and didn’t quite grasp the flour or corn distinction of tortillas so he eventually just said that he would have what Lou ordered. He did have that deer-in-the-headlights look when confronted by “flour or corn”.  Sabrene on the other hand wanted to order Seltzer and lime for her drink. Now, we think our waitress heard “Salsa and lime” so she gave Sabrene a look that was a classic, “You go to be kidding me” as she glared own her glasses. Sabrene grasped that something was amiss and changed her order but I thought it would have been amusing if the waitress would have given her a glass of sals with a lime slice in it.

Now, you may be wondering at the title that i have chosen. That actually points to he weather that we may be encountering the next few days. If is is cold I am nut sure if I will be singing. Tracy had said that when she first rode up Box Creek Canyon she had an epiphany that motivated her to quit her corporate job and start CrossRoads. She said that she was climbing up Box Creek Canyon and singing to herself. I asked what she was singing and she wouldn’t tell me or forgot. However, if we get the weather that is predicted, I may be singing “They’re Coming To Take Me Away – HA HA!”

On the injury report, Mary seems to be recovering nicely but Kevin seems a little ill still. He has been riding but nursing a cold. Today he has laid low.

Thanks for Reading

~Chuck

PS Will try to do a separate post with some photos later

PSS I apologize for the length of this but I just recalled what happened in past tours here in Flagstaff. In 2012, we had an almost total eclipse of the sun that we were able to witness and in 2014, it was an enjoyable after spent with a few of the boys sampling adult beverages at a local brewery.

PSSS Yesterday before the ride began, we had a mandatory bag weighing to ascertain if we were beneath, the 30 poundage limit. Those 5 pounds below got gift certificates to Dairy Queen. I was at 34 pounds so I am in the bad boy category but not as bad as Richard who came in at 42 pounds.