One weekend I went with my mom to drive down to Phoenix, Arizona to see my aunt. I took my bike with me too.
It was a long but nice drive.
We stopped at this Mexican restaurant in Flagstaff where we always stop by. It's where it's been on tv on the food channel. Such a good meal.
I had three tacos. Yummy. That's what I like about traveling....good places to eat at.
Driving through Flagstaff has always been my favorite. Because of the trees. So pretty, it reminds me of Seattle or North Carolina.
We got to Chandler, Arizona that night then I went on a bike ride on the Desert Classic Trail the next morning. About 7 in the morning Arizona time.
It was nice but there were a lot of people on the trail. When you go out further, it's less people so that made it better. I still had a good ride. After the ride, I went with my mom to see my aunt in the rest home where she is staying at.
After a lot of visitations, my mom and I treated ourselves some barbecue at a really good barbecue restaurant where you eat on a piece of paper, not a plate. And it had a lot of different kind of barbecue sauces. It reminds me of the North Carolina barbecues.
The next morning, I went on another ride. I went to the Hawes Trail System just north of Mesa.
This was a prettier area with less people and the trails were more technical.
This was a good ride and I got done about 10ish when it was going to get hotter. It got to 97 degrees later that afternoon. And Utah was around in the 50s. I swam in the motel pool outside a couple of times.
We visited my aunt more and we watched some tv with her for a while too. Later that evening, my mom and I ate a restaurant close by which had diner food. This meal above was the most fattening dinner ever. The chicken had good sauce and it was good but very fattening. I haven't had anything fatter like this.
My mom explained to me that in Arizona in the fall, they plant flowers in the flower beds, just like what we do in the spring. So that means their winter is like Utah spring. They're lucky. But I still wouldn't want to live in Arizona in the summer time though.
The next week, I had an afternoon off during UEA. So I went on a ride just on the south side of Nebo Loop near Nephi, UT. I tried this one trail called Mahogany Hill Trail. I only rode just like almost 2 miles then turned around because it got too steep and technical. I guess it's only a good horse/foot trail...not bike.
Anyway, I went further down the road and rode up through Pole Canyon. It's a six mile road through Pole Canyon and it dead ends up at the top with a trail from there. I didn't make it to the top because I was getting tired and it was getting dark. There were a lot of hunters camping along this road. I really like this road because it's not to steep to ride up and you get a lot of elevation(about 1,400 feet).
Another ride on the Sanpete county roads in the fall.
How do you like my biker's deer hunter outfit? Orange helmet, orange jacket, and a beard. Now the hunters can see me for sure.
Another gravel road ride. Getting darker earlier in the evenings now. Winter's coming! And I don't like the sound of that.
One weekend, I did my hike in Maple Canyon with my dog. Duke loves to go on hikes with me.
I did my usual favorite Maple Canyon hike. Up Middle Fork trail to the top then back down halfway, then up the viewpoint, then down to the campground on the other side of the viewpoint.
At the very top of Maple Canyon.
The Maple Canyon viewpoint.
Going down the other side(Right Fork Trail) were some rock climbers, it was fun to watch them.
Later in the next week, I went on some more hikes. Up around the Deer Run area. Here's an archaeological find: an ACE Hardware sign hiding in the rocks near the Flume Trail. I used to work there years ago in my high school years. Well, just for a year though, it was a part time job. So that's where that sign went, ha ha.
Then I hiked up to the screen on Bald Mountain.
I haven't been up there for so long and it was a good hike and I might do it more.
It was getting dark so we rushed down the hill to home.
The following weekend, I went on a ride up the canyon on my gravel bike. It was hard because it didn't have low enough gears for me on the road after the pavement. So I craaaanked up to the A Frame house until it got steeper. I probably won't do that again because it did hurt my hamstrings and my back pedaling like that. Just up the pavement on this bike is good enough. It has road bike gearing, not mountain bike gearing.
I rode a little bit on the flat part of the Flume Trail and back on this bike, then rode down the canyon road again. I did wish I had my mountain bike though. The gravel bike is only good for flat gravel roads with a little bit of climbing, unless I change the gearing on it. But I am not going to do that since I have my mountain bike.
