With my tri plans in the trash I wanted to have an adventure. My new bike was giving me an itch for a long day in the saddle.
I mapped out a 90 mile traverse through some beautiful high country. Most of the trip would be on forest service roads that normally are full of Quads trucks and people but being a Thursday I had it pretty much all to myself. I left the cabin and hopped on the 504 rd. to the edge of Chevelon canyon. I saw elk in the meadows and in the cedars everything was going just peachy when out of nowhere a coyote bolts out right in front of my wheel.
I don’t know who was more freaked out, him or me. I missed running him over by inches or less. After my skid stopped we both looked back at each other like WTF just happened. I only had been on the trail an hour and my adventure was already pretty cool. After the coyote, I humped along to the edge of Chevelon Canyon about 20 miles in. the canyon is steep and deep the ride down was a blast. What a cool place, anytime a desert rat like me sees running water we just stare in amazement. I snapped some pics then started my climb out from the canyons depths.
Pumping away in granny gear while looking at the beautiful scenery made the time fly by and the weird sense of becoming mountain lion food was over whelming. I made it to the top of the canyon and I was slapped in the face with 25mph+ gust of wind and I needed to pedal right into it. Now was a good time to take out the MP3 player and crank up the tunes. Up until that point I was averaging 14 mph now with the wind and slight incline I dropped down to 6mph. Slowly plodding along I looked up the road and saw a few black ball shapes walking on and off the road. I stopped and readied my camera as I quietly pedaled toward them. It was a group of Javelinas happily eating the fresh shoots of greenness along the roadside. From 150 yards I crept to around 15 yards, the wind was still in my face and my 29inch wells were silent. I took some pictures and was planning on sneaking by them when all of a sudden mama Javelina decided she did not like strange fool in spandex on a bike with a camera pointing at her family. She swelled up popped her teeth and charged. I screamed like a little school girl on the play ground, turned my bike around pedaling like a mad man. She followed. She was fast but alas my legs won the day. But she would not leave the middle of the road and now the rest of her clan stood by her with their hair all bristled up and ready for a street fight. Quick tip to all, throwing rocks does not work it just makes them come closer. So I yelled at them like an idiot until they finally got board and went back into the forest.
I waited until they were out of site and hauled ass down the road. After a while the smell of smoke was filling the air and I could see smoke rising from Chevelon canyon. Soon I was being passed by forest service wild land firefighters in their big off road trucks. At the turn off to Chevelon Lake the forest service shut down the road to all vehicle traffic. After some soft begging they let me through I guess they felt sorry for me having to back track 40 miles. So I kept moving forward towards the Mogollon rim and the closer I got the stronger the wind was ripping. I was 50 miles into my ride and the wind was really wearing me down. The road was dry, dusty; full of sand and gravel I was pretty much done. I called Becky and asked her to meet me at woods canyon lake 10 miles down the road. Once I got to the rim I was met with huge logging trucks fully loaded and flying down the dusty road it was pretty scary. I pulled off the road and took a break. When I was ready to go I looked up and there was the general crook trail. SWEET SWEET single track that led me to Woods Canyon Lake, with new found vigor I took to the trail with fresh legs flying over the logs and rocks. The trail ends where it meets up with the woods canyon meadow trail system. Now it was all downhill and paved. I bombed down the road to the lake and the store. I walked into the store grabbed a snack and an ice cold Coors light. I took my prize down to the lakes edge took my shoes off and relaxed as I waited for Becky. What a great day!
