AZT Utah to Flagstaff - Day 2

In the morning it took us some time to get things dry enough to cram them into stuff sacks.


















I found happiness in chemicals. Instant coffee never tasted so good.














Before too long we were off to enjoy some beautiful trail to the North Rim.
























































































































The section from FR205 to Crane Lake was closed due to a fire in 2006 so we were relegated to riding the road.














You can see how excited John is to ride the road.














As far as road rides go, this one was certainly scenic.














































It got dark and the whole rain ordeal began again.














After huddling in the woods we found our shuttle driver extraordinaire, Melissa who had also procured a back country permit for 5 by being at the back country office uber early in the morning. Score.


























Our peaceful evening was interrupted by our neighbors who thought it good to use a 25 gallon gas can to splash some life into their fire. The hubby came running to our camp yelling for us to call the Forest Service and that the forest was going to burn down. We (too) however had no cell service. John rushed down while I grabbed my Spot in case it was really bad. I came around the corner to see John and the hubby using a tree to push the can out of the fire. Rather than help and risk singing what little beard I'm able to grow, I opted to take pictures.




























John managed to get the fire under control and our neighbors sheepishly thanked him. Thus ended our second night on the AZT.

AZT Utah to Flagstaff - Day 1

Our odyssey began Friday afternoon with a car that started overheating 20 minutes out of Phoenix, a get together at Pay-n-Take, and a night sans rem at the gnome's shire.














Scott gave away schwag. Nice sack dude.














I won a belt and was clearly a little excited.














This means it was time to go to bed so we could get up at 4:45.














There was an attempt to rain on our parade in the morning.
Our parade route was to take us 170 miles and 15,000 ft. of climbing from the Arizona/Utah border on the Arizona Trail to Flagstaff. For me this was to be the completion on my riding the entire 800 mile AZT route in the last 4 years or so. Suffice to say I was excited.














A stop at Navajo Bridge.




























After a 4 hour drive to the AZ/UT border we're ready(ish) to ride.










































What we don't know is that the trail is like glue, it's all climbing and we have 10 extra miles of climbing we weren't aware of for the day. This is the way of the AZT.




























Yes, the trail goes right through there.
































The section from Utah to Orderville Trail Head was just brutal and beautiful.
It would however be much more fun in the other direction.




























The mud wasn't the kind that that is like clay and builds upon itself and clogs your wheels and drive train (more on that a few days later) but it was the kind that was like glue and never lets you coast, even on a downhill. Imagine riding with your brakes rubbing all the time. It was also oddly soft like riding on a mattress.














































When you add in the elevation and elevation gain it really equals a beat down for flat-landers like us. We wouldn't have it any other way.




























There were some crazy rain and hail storms we had to take cover from.














This was usually followed by a treat of awesome scenery and/or some superb single track. And a cursory search for my lungs.




























AZT gate.














We made camp for the night a few miles from Jacob Lake.
This was to be the scene of a brutal 5 hour thunder storm that lit up the forest, soaked me to the core and made for a pretty miserable first night. I had to take solace in the fact that I was wet but at least I was warm and I managed a couple hours of sleep.
After the storm passed we had clear skies, incredible stars and damaged psyches. Well I did anyway. John fared much better than I with his large tyvek sheet and bivy.

Camelback

John and I headed out for a ThNBike-n-Hike. Camelback was our mission. Start from Echo Canyon TH and hike to Cholla TH and then back again. A little less than 6 miles and 4K ft of climbing. We started hiking at 5 in the dead heat. Ice water in the hydration bladders still required a slow pace until we made it to the shade of the Eastern descent. We poached some water from a spigot at the Cholla TH and made our way back up and over the madness that is Camelback. Busy, technical, trampled and beautiful all at the same time. I went through 200 ozs of water in that 3 hours. It's hot.

Quick stop.




























































Parking at a premium we weren't the only ones who rode.














A closer look at this old Schwinn.


















Stalking the elusive Urban Cougar.




























































This is the top of Cholla Trail. Seriously.


















Chuckwalla. I had to put my hand on the rock to pass and he didn't even budge.









































































We leave for our AZT ride next Friday and will be heading out from the Utah border to Flagstaff. This includes a two day hike in the Grand Canyon.
Here is a share page where you can follow along if you so desire and there may be a post over here to follow as well. If we succeed this will complete the last segment of the trail for me. Technically when we hit the South Rim I'll be done but it's more fun to ride all the way to Flagstaff. Gnome and Randy plan to join John and I in the GC for the hike out and the ride to Flag. I'm looking forward to it more than you can imagine.