Mountain Biking in Flagstaff

Antoinette, Byron, Jeff, Jessica, Lisa, Saeid, and Will

The second annual Tour de Leaf went off on a beautiful early October day. I left Mars Hill at 8 AM, picked up Jessica and Byron at the Schultz/Elden Y at 8:30, and we spun up the road to Schultz tank. On the way up, Antoinette and Will powered by us in their internal combustion bike, which can be seen in the first picture below. We all collected at the tank parking lot and saddled up. (And yes, we wimped out and went up the road. Sue us. We rode up Schultz for this ride last year.)

We started up the Waterline Road with Will, Byron, and Jessica in a lean, mean peloton. Lisa wisely stayed well behind this crowd.

Antoinette and Saeid spun up the road behind the main group.

We all collected at the tunnel for our first break. The wind was howling (and the weather the day after this got pretty ugly). Shortly before getting to the tunnel, Will and I literally got blown over by a gust.

The leaves were turning a bit later this year than they did last year. There wasn't much color at 8000', but by the time we got to 8500', we began to find the beautiful aspens that are the hallmark of October in the San Francisco Mountains.

We got kind of spread out above the tunnel, and collected at a sharp turn in the road at 8700'. Here Jessica is exulting at having cleaned the grueling technical challenges of the stretch of trail just behind her.

Once you get to 9000 feet, this ride becomes truly outrageous. The road winds through the aspens in sharply defined October shadows. This mile below the Inner Basin cabins is one of Flagstaff's hidden gems, a magnificent, pristine aspen forest on the slopes of an ancient volcano.

Lisa likened this stretch to "riding through light." I can't think of any way to put it better. It really is like cruising through tangible light, and I have to think the ancient writer of Psalm 19 got it exactly right, whatever you perceive the creator to be: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork." Here, Saeid, Antoinette, and Will roll up the easy grade through a firmament of gold.

The cabins at the junction of the Waterline Road and the Inner Basin Trail are always a good spot for a break.

Above the cabins, Lisa pauses to take in the view. We were far above Lockett meadow now, with the bleak mesas of the Painted Desert visible in the distance.

The last mile of the Waterline Road becomes significantly steeper -- a pretty solid pull for the last 1.2 miles. Will and Antoinette had turned back at the cabins, and Saeid was spinning along behind us, so Byron, Jessica, Lisa, and I set forth from a break point for this last stretch. Here Lisa starts up an odious little grade. The pipeline can be seen just under her wheels where the road has washed away a bit. Here at 9,800', it was decidedly cold, with a stiff wind.

Byron rolls into the top, at 10,400'.

As did I. Thanks Jessica for getting this shot! The plateau behind me and Byron in these shots is what we crossed just a month before on our Grand Canyon ride...25 miles away and 4,500 feet down. Up here by the treeline, it was cold and heinously windy -- probably 30-40 mph gusts. We did not dally long at the top, and bombed back to town.

If you like fall colors, you can also check out the photojournal for Tour de Leaf I. It was only Steele and me on that one, but some nice pics were to be had anyway!

If any surfer/bikers happen across these photos, drop the Lowell Riders an email if you want to join the fall colors ride next year! It's worth it.

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