Mountain Biking in Flagstaff

Brett, Charlie, Gregg, Heather, Jeff, Julie, Saeid, Scott, Steve, Warren

Thanks Steve, Gregg, Brett, and Scott for joining us this year! It was very nice meeting you and I hope you'll be back next fall. Things started pretty darn chilly this year, but warmed up rapidly, and in the end it was the nicest weather for a TDL so far. With such beautiful weather, we ended up with tons of pictures, so pardon the huge download.

Here's the group still in a reasonable state of assembly near the start of the ride.

Obstacles were the order of the day on the Waterline road this year. I was going to bunny hop this after taking the picture, but it was early in the ride and I didn't want to intimidate everybody too much.

We stopped at the usual tunnel rally point. This is looking south back through it.

The Lowell Riders do much better at stopping and gawking at the scenery than they do at carving huge technical trails, so here's a picture of what we do best! Not a bad ride for gawking, either.

Is it me or is it Steve? We both took nearly identical pictures of the same beautiful stand of aspens. See below for some more pictures from Brett and Steve (and thanks to them for sending them).

Steve and Gregg find another toll gate on the road.

Thanks Brett for sending this nice picture of the road winding through the aspen tunnel below the cabins while the bike waits patiently. (It's a cool bike, too, with shocks everywhere, including a spring-loaded, 007-type eject system on the seat post. I half expected to ride back down and just find the bike in the road!)

Gregg and Steve rounding a corner under yellow aspens and an impossibly blue sky.

Lux aeterna.

At the last rally point below the cabins, I found an old Ponderosa that had given up; the top half was lying a short distance away. Though we were nearly at 9000', the aspens in the background had barely started to turn. Microclimates abound on the mountain!

Here's a lovely shot Steve sent to me of Gregg, Scott, and Saeid heading up the road.

Pedaling through the endless stand of aspens below the cabins.

With the weather cooperating thoroughly, we rode all the way to the end of the Waterline road. Six turned back at the cabins -- thanks for coming along, and join again next year! Saeid, Steve, Gregg, and I forged ahead up the last 4.8 miles to the top. Here we arrive at the Lockett overlook.

It looked like it was still before peak colors down at the meadow.

Gregg and Steve arrive at the top, with hundred mile views behind them.

Saeid at the top! Note the wicked Cannondale Scalpel with the funky one-sided fork.

Steve got this really nice shot of Gregg admiring the avalanche damage on the east flank of Humphreys Peak, at the very end of the bikeable trail, elevation 10,400'.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

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