Sedona: surprise, more riding

Walking to Chimney Rock Pass

 After the first two days riding we met with our RV neighbours who were visiting Sedona on a MTB trip. Andrew and Chris from Pennsylvania, and Jim from Durango Colorado. Naturally Rob picked their brains on where they had been riding. They had the good fortune to ride with a local who Chris knew from his motocross days. He marked out the legendary ‘white line’ trail (google this). Rob now has a list of rides to tick off the must do list. Definitely one of the joys of travelling is meeting people from other walks of life.

Mescal Trail, hmmm good

Top of Girdner, finally

Yesterday Rob rode with Jim, Andrew and Hilda (from BC, her and husband also doing an RV trip and mountain biking. Poor husband is recovering from a broken hand) starting in NW Sedona after getting an RV shuttle to the trail head from Chris who wanted to rest. Rob's big lesson for the day was that the car park is called a parking lot (I was being ripped into here). You have to use the right language here so you don’t confuse the locals. Fuel is gas, gas is propane, the garbage is the trash and so it goes on. The day started on Chuck Wagon, fantastic flowing singletrack, before climbing onto the Mescal trail. This was the first real introduction to slickrock (rock that is like glue) and learning to trust the endless grip, particularly while near edges or doing stupidly steep short climbs. Words can’t describe the riding on this trail and the pictures can’t do justice to the stunning scenery that constantly changes. Rob was on the lookout for a Vortex (the Earths energy) as Sedona is very new age and into this. There are no end of places to have Psychic readings done and photo’s taken of your aura (please!!). There is a Vortex tour that will apparently change your life, discovering the Earths’s energy will bring balance, harmony and joy to your life. Maybe we need to drop into the New Age Superstore around the corner and find out more. After the Mescal there was more amazing riding on Aerie, Cockscomb and then Girdner. Girdner promised to be a quick run to the highway and back to the RV park, however it was never ending with very technical riding, a flat out descent and a killer climb (definitely no vortex felt here). Greed got the better of us and we continued south of the highway on trail until the hydration packs were empty. Luckily there is a quick road descent back to town!

Cockscomb Trail, classic scenery

Today we had a great family ride. Rob having done some very hard work finding sort of suitable trail (80% was great, let’s not talk about the 20%). We did a very nice loop of Aerie and Cockscomb trails.

Symi world