Reading on the Rim

I was supposed to take a breakfast ride with Bob and guys from his church to Saguaro Lake on Saturday morning but he called me Friday night and said that he couldn't make it. There was this low lying metal bar across his path that he couldn't see because of the hat he was wearing as he was looking down watching where he was pushing the wheelbarrow. You can figure out the rest, a brutal headache from the whack across the bridge of the nose. But his injury was no reason for me to be penalized.

Riding to Saguaro Lake may have been fun with guys I knew but it is also a ride in the desert ... in Arizona ... in the summer. Given a choice, which is exactly what I had, it seemed to me that the Rim was much more to my liking. So I grabbed a bag of snacks, some soda, water, and, believe it or not, a Harry Potter book and roared off on the KLR. (yes, I finished the repairs)

I sped up to Payson by 6:30, had my traditional cup of Hazelnut coffee from the Circle K, refueled, and headed for Pine. After missing the turn-off for the Rim Road twice I finally found the cool pine vistas that I had longed for. The gravel road was like riding on marbles but that's why I took the KLR and not the Nomad. Finally the view was perfect and it was time to stop.

I pulled out my book (the latest one), some sunflower seeds and a ginger ale and read two chapters. Harry Potter books are just fun to read especially when you know that when you are tired of reading it's time to fire up the bike and do some more sight seeing. The temperature was low to mid seventies, the air smelled of pine, and I had the place almost to myself.

The Rim Road is about 40 miles of breathtaking views before you get to the other highway. By the time I reached the end the traffic had picked up and I knew it was time to head for the pit before it got unbearable in the desert. It was a quick drive to Payson. (pictures from cyclerides.com)

I decided to grab a burger at McDonald's before hitting the road so I made the mistake of removing my ear plugs as I walked in. Oh my goodness! BIG MISTAKE. The echo of kids screaming on the indoor playground was reminiscent of my years of working on F-4 fighters with 400 cycle turbine generators running. It was so loud that I couldn't wait to get back on the KLR. Speeding along on curvy mountain roads listening to the buzz of the little 650 thumper and absorbing the pounding of wind was down-right calming after that!

I got back home at 2:00. It was hot but an afternoon nap made up for all of that.