After riding one day in the hot desert into the headwinds I opted to "volunteer" to help the SAG ladies. Actually I needed a day of training on the set up and tear down of the SAG and on driving the van. A day in the desert if always a good training day. There were many riders taking bumps at various sections. So I had a chance to put bikes on and off the top of the van. That is no easy task when you are short like me. But it is amazing what you can do when you strategically brace your butt against the sliding back door.
In the desert we take the riders bike, send them to the shade, and fill bottles and camel backs while they get some food. Of course in the desert it is not easy to find a spot of shade to even set up the table. This year Tracy put labels on water bottles. What a great idea when you are grabbing bottles from two or three riders at a time. This was a 116 mile day so you know they were exhausted every time they came in.
Unusually for the desert, the owner of the company, Tracy, rode some of the route. She loves to ride but seldom has the freedom to do that. So you see her in the picture ready to go out.
While I did not ride, it was still a very long day. The support started at 6:30 loading up some bikes for riders taking a bump and ended about 6:00 when the last van got to town. I did get van driver training: turn on flashers, beep just at the right distance behind them, check for a hand on the helmet as you go by, beep after passing, etc. Whew.
My goal this year was to do the entire ride from Wickenburg to Prescott. I have never completed that ride in years past. It is 6100 ft of climbing in 59 miles. And this is on false flats. A false flat is where the terrain gives the optical illusion that you are going downhill when in actuality you are climbing a 6% grade.
The last 20 miles were rough. Fortunately two of the riders, Randy and Herm, were still out on the road and gave me lots of encouragement the last few miles.
At one of the rest stops I went in the store, bought two V8 juices and came out and sat in the shade with a local water company worker, Joe. A delightful fellow he was. Asking lots of questions about the ride and the nike. He had never lifted a carbon fiber bike before so was amazed at how light it was. Always a joy to talk to the locals.
Norm, my husband arrived today. He will spend a few days riding in the caravan vehicles. Then we will take three days to explore the area on our own after which he will go home. Last night we had dinner with a high school friend of his and his wife. They took us to a great little local steak house and it was a delightful evening.
Tomorrow comes the climb up Mingus Mountain, lunch in Jerome, and the hair raising descent into Cottonwood.
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