The Canyon One Last Time (before summer)

On the road at 3:00 am and on the Kiabab Trail at 7:20. Another absolutely flawless day surrounded by the most mindwarping view on earth.

There were a lot more people on top and hiking than last time. An entire 6th grade class from a school in Flagstaff made the trip past Indian Gardens to the overlook and back. They had to work out by running a mile-and-a-half every day for several weeks before the trip. It seemed to have paid off. Some were dragging a bit but all made the hike, parents and teachers too. Wow!

It is always a treat to visit with those intrepid seniors (I'm getting there) who complain about the aches and pains with a smile. I got to encouraged some of the 6th graders on the hike and watch them speed by me. They were very polite and knowledgeable about the effects of elevation and lack of red blood cells, offering blood if I should need it. Very funny!

What an incomparable place.

The Tonto Natural Bridge

What does one do with a day off? Go for a ride, of course! I felt like it should be somewhere I had never been, actually wanted to go and within a half-day round trip. That really narrowed things down. The natural bridge about 3 miles off of Highway 87 and ten miles north of Payson filled the bill.

The temperature has finally caught up to "normal" and we are pushing 90 in Phoenix. One hundred thirty miles one way and in the cool pines sounded perfect.

I left at 8:30, had an excellent ride, a short half-mile hike and a bit warmer ride back home by 2:00. It will be one of those solutions for what to do when a riding buddy (or son) shows up on my doorstep with that "Where can we go that is out of the desert, cool, has beautiful scenery, and won't take all day?" look.

Hearts to Heros Rally

Cyclerides sponsored a ride to show support to our troops stationed around the world. The turnout was amazing. We met at Christ Church of the Valley for a satellite link up with some local soldiers stationed in Baghdad and was simulcast on the Armed Services Network. It was a lot of fun listening to some of the soldiers talking about riding. One asked some of us if we would take a ride by Lake Pleasant so that he could see the pictures. Another told how whenever he called his dad he had him fire up his bike so that he could hear it over the phone. Most of these men and women had volunteered to go back and were on their second tour. Truly impressive!

We started from CCV after the broadcast, did a lap on the track at Phoenix International Raceway, cruised past Luke AFB and ended up at the new quad area next the football stadium in Glendale. All along the way people gave us thumbs up and some got out of their cars and waved while taking pictures. Some were waving American flags and no one seemed put out. The police had blocked portions of the 101 and even I-10 so that we could have it to ourselves as well as all of the connecting streets. Amazing!

Barry, who runs cyclerides.com, said that we don't want to call it "the annual" ride because we all hope that those who are in harms way are only there as long a they need to be. His father served in Vietnam and this whole idea was because of the terrible treatment our troops got on their return. He doesn't ever want to see that happen again.

I spoke with a member of the Patriot Guards while at the rally. That organization was formed because some of those same misguided 60's throwbacks are still out there. They show up at the funerals of soldiers to heckle. The Patriot Guard stands between them and the family and runs their engines if necessary to drown out the heckling. There are so called Americans out there who hate America and would never lift a finger to defend it. I can't think of an appropriate expletive.

Check out the Watch TV 5 video link at cyclerides http://www.cyclerides.com/

Enough to make you puke

This political correctness is beyond belief. Imus made an insulting comment about some college basketball players. So apologize to them. What the hell is all of this hand-wringing?

Has it gotten to the point that nitwits like Al Sharpton and the Reverend Jackson are now providing moral guidance to us all? Besides being too funny for words, what a crock of shit. Anybody who buys into this stuff deserves what they get.

I have never listened to Imus and judging from what I've heard would find him on the opposite side of the political divide. But is being rude or a bore now criminal? Apparently, the wrong ox was gored and someone has to pay. So long Imus. If we must spend time fretting about stuff like this it should at least be incidents in which people were actually harmed. The fiasco at Duke comes to mind. Where does the apology line start for the damage done there? And who should be in it?