We were off like a herd of turtles from the Black Canyon City Trailhead parking lot at about 8:30, and it wasn't summertime hot, but it was plenty warm. And before long it got pretty uncomfortable. In the past, when I've ridden this trail, we started at Table Mesa Road Trailhead, and it was a nice change. The flow was so much better. Starts off with a nice decent, and then we get the hardest climb outta the way.
I don't know what it is, but this thing can be pretty harsh on tires. We had several flats today. Luckily, none for me. No real other mechanicals to speak of.
As the day wore on, the heat killed us and our pace was incredible slow. Lotsa people were hurting. I tried to keep a good mood despite my patience being tested, other than that I felt pretty good.
Here's a post ride discussion over on MTBR.com.
Here's a vid of the day:
A high res Quicktime version of the vid can be found here: Black Canyon Trail 10/18/08
6 comments:
another nice vid sam, you really caught the bct feel with this one.
Thanks CB! We missed ya out there. Despite the heat and long breaks it was great day.
Hey u2mt, did anyone spot the 1000 year old Indian ruins? You guys were 150 meters from a Hohokam hilltop fortress. BRM
Hey Bigrigmig,
I'm gonna have to do so more investigation on the Hohokam Hilltop Fortress, cuz I'm rather curious where the ruins are located.
On one of the Black Canyon Trail Trailbuilding days last year we diverted the trail around an archeological site up on top of ridge above the Agua Fria river. I don't have the gps coordinates handy, but I did post this blog entry http://u2metoo.blogspot.com/search?q=trail+building with a dorky video of the day on where we were at. We actually found pieces of pottery up there.
Thanks for the heads up. I feel the need now to head back up there to explore.
u2metoo, I checked out your link you sent although the computer I was on did not have sound. I would be curious to get a look at the site you were at. As for the one I mentioned, on Google Earth you can go to 34 degrees, 00 minutes, 56.20 seconds North; 112 degrees, 10 minutes, 58.37 seconds West and find the hilltop fortress I mentioned. Someone has posted a picture of it as well. It is located inside the Little Pan loop, actually quite visible from the trail if you know where to look. I rode right past it many times before I asked one of the Hummer tour drivers where it was and realized just how close I had come. It is less than a .5 mile detour from the double track section of the trail that comes up out of the river bed. It turns out that the Agua Fria neighborhood is quite the treasure chest of this kind of thing.
Anyway, good riding to you.
BRM
BRM,
Right on! I can picture the area, and with the actual photo I found on google earth, I now know what to look for.
Thanks!
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