Baby Dragon Day Two Recap

Group photo in Santa Barbara on Day Two (THANKS CHAD!)

Where do I even begin. Day One was such an incredibly moving experience that Day Two was poised to be a bittersweet continuation and a momentary point of departure from an amazing community of people at the same time. Whereas Day One offered the promise of a Day Two, I knew that when Day Two was over it could be months before I saw some of these old and new friends again.

  J.R., Tom, Susan, Scott, Chad, and Larry before the cyclists depart on Day Two

 Sunrise in Santa Barbara
 

I started Day Two riding mostly with Justin and Cesar, two incredible, unique individuals who I have come to respect so much as people and as athletes. Alan was keeping up pretty well through town, too. We were Cyclists # 2, 3, and 4 – interchangeably – for the first part of the day. We rode out from Santa Barbara together, passing through town early enough that even early churchgoers had not yet hit the streets. We arrived at the Pacific Ocean to the sight of a glorious, radiant rising sun taking its place above the palm trees and surf. As we continued along the route, we took in the views of the coastal mountain ranges, beachside parks, and quiet neighborhoods.

 Susan [seriously] makes the best PB&J bagels... I said that before, I know.

At Rest Stop 1 we were met by Susan, Hunter’s mother, who joined us for the weekend as we honored Hunter’s life and fought so hard mile after mile to help ensure that people enduring similar battles like his would have a place to turn for help. What a joy it was to see her again and so early in the day!  I’ll come back to Susan in a moment, after recapping some of the rest of the day.

I started the second leg with Justin, but fell back a bit for some solitude. As we rode along the ocean, I pedaled with a heavy heart – cranking out each mile with the memory of friends and loved ones fueling each pedal stroke. The ocean was beautiful that morning and the sky that opened across the horizon ahead was as clear as I sought to make my mind. What a joy it was to be out there on the open road.

 I didn't know he was capable of it, but we got Leo to goof off at the Water Stop

 J.R. arrives at the Water Stop

Shortly after arriving in Ventura, I arrived at the Water Stop… Bart and Sarah were there with big smiles on. The Water Stop is where I lost all control of my time. As was mentioned in the Day One recap, I like to ride hard and play hard. It’s my custom to take my time at stops and then power through the next stretch, passing most everyone who left the stop before me. I spent a lot of time at the Water Stop, having been rushed out of Rest Stop 1 due to planned route closures.

 Bart and Sarah at lunch

I ended up riding most of the rest of the day – at least until the final rest stop – alone. The stretch into Rest Stop 2 found me catching up with Mark and Cesar, if I remember correctly. Lunch was an oasis! I REALLY took my time at lunch. I ate, talked with friends, got an amazing massage and some great personalized sports medicine tips from Tony (THAT MAN IS A-MAZING!), and hit the road.

The remainder of the day was HOT HOT HOT! Temps topped out around 115’F. I wouldn’t normally ride in that, but I pushed ahead for the cause. Being on a fully supported ride made it a little easier, too, having shaded rest stops for refueling, hydrating, and regulating core temperature by spending some time in the shade.

The thought of climbing Santa Susanna Pass coming out of the final rest stop had me a little crazed, but after a long break, plenty to drink, a little massage, and some encouragement from J.R. and others, I hopped on my bike and joined Tony and Ignacio for the climb – a little under 1,000 feet in a mile. I made easy work of the climb – THANK GOD for all that training I did on South Mountain! It was nice to see the top. From the top we had about 12 miles, mostly downhill, remaining to the finish line.

 The top of Santa Susanna Pass... What a welcome sight!

But for a little detour back up Box Canyon Road with Tony, I really enjoyed the last stretch. The hills were behind me. The heat was out of mind. The end was in sight.

 Jackie crossing the finish line

 Julie at the finish line... She didn't look too upset to not be riding in the heat!

 Larry does his best Mr. Miagi... "Oh Daniel-son!"

Rolling across the finish line, I found Julie, J.R., Larry and other friends assembled. I hydrated, pigged out on some mac and cheese, and EVENTUALLY went to pick up my car. Dustin and I convoyed back to J.R.’s and showered while J.R. and the staff/roadies packed everything up. Afterward we went for dinner and some time hanging out at Chad’s place. I went back and forth from being really full of energy to being absolutely exhausted, but had a great time.

If I can take a brief moment to talk about what this meant to me, I hope you’ll bear with me.

I never had the opportunity to know Hunter, but I have been deeply impacted by the mental illness and addiction of someone very dear to me. The weekend offered so many opportunities to think about how fortunate I am to still have her in my life. I’m not sure things had to turn out the way that they did, but the love of my family brought us through in the end. I participated in this ride for the most part for her, remembering how hard it was for us to find help and praying that my efforts and my dedication to making some sort of difference would make it easier for someone else out there to find some help to survive in the face of addiction.

I rode to breathe fire into the fight.

I know that many of the amazing people I rode with this weekend have faced their own struggles with mental illness, addiction, and homelessness. I am so humbled by their strength and courage. I have heard several of them speak of their experiences. I am so proud to have shared this experience with you. I proudly consider you family. To each of you – all of you – I want to make known how very much I love you.

That love extends to the roadies, staff, and the many generous friends that made this weekend possible. Not the least of which is Hunter’s mother, Susan. Your presence on the route, your honest and inspiring words in Santa Barbara, and even your masterfully created PB&J (which was truly the best on the route) stood as an example of the love I have experienced within this community. I am so glad we met. And I want to give a very special thank you to J.R. I know how much of your soul, your time, and your energy has been invested in making this event happen. But it didn’t just happen. This event is a living thing, supported by each of us. I am so proud of you for helping to give it life. Well done, mister!

With the Baby Dragon 180 Ride, which was REALLY 185 miles, behind me, I have completed 836 miles of training for AIDS LifeCycle 10. And now, the real fundraising push for $11,000 begins. If you didn’t take the opportunity to contribute for the Baby Dragon 180 Ride, I hope you will contribute generously to my AIDS LifeCycle 10 at http://www.danmaxey.com. You can make a HUGE impact by making a recurring monthly gift. $300 can help a lot of people. Broken up into 10 monthly payments of $30, it doesn’t seem so bad. And if your employer matches charitable contributions, you can potentially double the impact of your contribution.

Either way, please give as much as you can. Thirty years have passed since the first diagnosed cases of HIV and AIDS. We must do what needs to be done to bring an end to this horrible disease. Enough is enough.

Peace.

Baby Dragon Final Riders Arriving at the Finish Line

Last riders arriving each of the two days of the ride!

Day One: Arriving in Santa Barbara

Day Two: Arriving at the Finish Line in West Hills, CA

Mile 35.1

Leo broke my camera at the Water Stop... Without even touching it. Ugh.

Hunter's mom makes the best PB&J

Totes.

Baby Dragon Day One Recap

Today started early... Early in an inhumane way. I was up a little before 3am this morning to get some last things taken care of before heading over to the starting location for the ride with J.R.

 J.R. gives the safety speech to an attentive crowd of cyclists

We had a lot of things to set up and at one point it seemed that with each minute one new rider or roadie was arriving - most of us excited but a little hesitant to show any immediate sign of it at such an early hour. It was so good to see so many friends.

We started the ride in West Hills and departed for our first rest stop at Santa Susana Park in Simi Valley. The first stretch took us over 13 miles of mostly developed land. I had a really good start to the day and was the fourth cyclist to reach the first rest stop. I ended up being held back a little bit at the start of the day and throughout by "lallygagging" at each of the rest stops. It's a common enough criticism, but I don't come out and join these rides for the cycling alone. I do this as much for the community and getting to know new, amazing people.

Between Rest Stops 1 and 2 I got my first and only flat of the day; and when I stopped to change the tube, another rider, Gary, I did not know today stopped with me to help me with the task. Gary and I rode with each other to the next stop in Moorpark.

Moorpark ended up being a shorter stop for me - a refueling. I got back out on the road with Cruz, Shawn, and a handful of others who had passed me earlier while I was changing my tube.

The stretch before lunch was a good challenge. We rode up the back side of Grimes Canyon (in headwinds) and then came down the winding switchbacks on the other side. The view was stunning. At the bottom we connected to a stretch that was familiar to me from the Paul Hulse Memorial Century Ride we did with the PosPeds in April. I was on this stretch by myself for most of the distance into lunch, which gave me a lot of time to sort out things floating around in my brain and why I am participating in this ride.

After some distance of riding, I could see Max on the horizon and ended up getting within 100 yards of him, but never caught up. Instead, I stopped with a few friends who were working on a flat before we all rode into lunch together.

Lunch was in Santa Paula. Ginger Brewlay was there to serve it up and provided constant entertainment, as did Phil in the Baby Dragon costume. I stayed there for awhile talking with EVERYONE before I left with Max to ride out along the next stretch into Ventura. Max and I just met yesterday, but had a good chance to talk and get acquainted over the 18 miles between stops. It was nice to have him along for that stretch of the route.

 It's best to not ask questions... Or to caption this one - to protect identities

 Phil the Baby Dragon attempts to eat Justin for lunch...

J.R. and me at lunch before I took off

Rest Stop 3 was in the Marina in Ventura. I spent quite a bit of time there, too... Are you seeing the trend? It was there that I got to talk for awhile with Hunter Allen's mother and also with "Uncle" Larry. Max went ahead on the next stretch and I waited, but not quite long enough for Cruz and Shawn to leave. So I was solo for the next stretch into the Water Stop, which I did not intend to stop for, but had to due to the intense, disgusting, challenging, shitty (I can swear here, right?), make-me-want-to-hit-someone headwinds coming from the north. So I stopped and refueled with Bart and Sarah, talked with J.R. for a little bit, waited for the others and took off to the final stop. I TRUCKED from the water stop to Rest Stop 4. The winds were not as bad, although still present, and the roads were much better. It was a good ride.

Rest Stop 4 was in Carpinteria, a beautiful little area along the coastal mountains. Stunning views of both the ocean and the mountains kept me entertained. I didn't spend much time at Rest Stop 4... There were no shirtless, dancing men like the rest stops of ALC and I just wanted to get on the road to the hotel.

The last stretch in was about 15 miles and I just wanted to be in the shower, jacuzzi, eating dinner... You name it. Anything but riding!

I caught up with Justin and Cesar on the final stretch and we rode in together. We had made it! 98 miles!!!

Justin, Cesar, Jackie, Gary, me, and Dustin at the Lemon Tree Hotel in Santa Barbara

We had dinner at the nearby American Red Cross. Chicken, some kind of AMAZING pasta, etc. There was a dinner program - some of which I caught on camera and will recap later. But the feature was the hot tub AFTER dinner. Good time to chat with friends old and new before bed. It was a nice way to end the day.

Some of the guys in the jacuzzi

Total distance today was 98 miles! Tomorrow, we'll ride about 80 back to the starting spot! It's going to be a good day!!!

Dinner!

Carbs and protein in Santa Barbara! Everyone is pigging out. :)

Ventura Marina Park

BEAUTIFUL!!!

36 Miles to Go!!!

Still feeling good!

Flats flats flats...

I had one earlier today.... Justin says this is his second. Beautiful ride. A little warm. More from lunch!

Hello from Grimes Canyon!

What a climb! Now down down down!!!

Phil the baby dragon...

Baby Dragon Breakfast of CHAMPIONS

Leftover cheesecake and French press coffee.

James Ray, International Man of Mystery

Hanging at The Village...

Resting and Reading in Griffith Park

What a great way to spend an afternoon! Reading, listening to the birds, watching the runners... It's a charmed life!

Lunch with Julie at Fred 62

Got into town... Hanging with Julie and having lunch at Fred 62. Keeping a close watch on the bikes across the street.  :)

Almost to California!

I made one quick stop before the border. Another few hours in the car until I arrive in LA.

Looking for Ian Christiansen's fundraising page??

Thank you to everyone who joined us tonight for Ian Christiansen's AIDS LifeCycle cabaret benefit event. If you would like to make a contribution to Ian's efforts, please CLICK HERE!

DM Solo Training Ride: Tempe to McDowell Mountain Ranch

I set out this morning - in lieu of a Saturday morning ride - to round out my ALC 10 training above the 650 mile mark. I needed to get in 44 miles of training to accomplish that goal, so I hit the Greenbelt at 6am and headed north toward McDowell Mountain. It was pretty quiet on the Greenbelt on the way out; most of the people walking, running, and cycling exchanging greetings of "good morning" as they passed.

The sunrise over the Superstition Mountains in the East was stunning.

Tempe, Arizona at dawn including Hayden Butte

When I got to the end of the trail, I needed to travel several additional miles in order to be able to complete the 44 mile goal I set for myself. I traveled Northeast. Moving along 92nd Street, 94th Street, and Thompson Peak Road, I headed up into McDowell Mountain Ranch. The road approaches the base of the mountain. It was quite beautiful this morning. When I got to a point North of WestWorld, I turned back around and headed back toward Tempe.

Camelback Mountain and the Phoenix Mountain Preserves from McDowell Mountain Ranch

The trail was MUCH more congested on the way back, but I was glad to be headed home and to the rest of my busy day.

Today's ride covered a total distance of 45 miles, bringing my total AIDS LifeCycle training to 651 miles. The total ascent along the route was 950 feet.

I will get in one more morning training this week before I leave for Los Angeles for the Baby Dragon 180 Ride next weekend. Check back over the weekend for updates from the road!

Also, please contribute to my AIDS LifeCycle 10 efforts today at http://www.danmaxey.com! Thank you so very much for your support!!

DAN MAXEY: BLOGGING FROM THE BABY DRAGON 180 RIDE in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEXT WEEKEND

Next weekend, I will be riding in the Baby Dragon 180 Ride from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and back in support of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center's programs for mental health, crystal meth addiction recovery, and homeless LGBTQ youth.

I will be blogging from the road and hope you will join me and the rest of the Baby Dragon family as we ride to give LGBTQ youth in Los Angeles a helping hand. I will be posting photos, video, and text updates.

More information on the Baby Dragon 180 Ride is available at http://www.babydragon180ride.org

DM & SB Training Ride: Near Misses on South Mountain

Scott and I set out for another Friday morning on South Mountain. It was another beautiful morning on the mountain. Both of us were a little tired, though, and had to work a little harder to get to the top of the mountain. Waking up so early to ride before the heat makes for a hard ride some days. I can't wait for it to be a little cooler in the desert.

The early morning sun casting new light on the summit of South Mountain

I almost had a nasty spill, but pulled out of it without a scratch! Be careful out there on the road.

With today's training ride behind us, I have completed a total of 606 miles of training for AIDS LifeCycle 10! By the end of the month I'll have a minimum of 800 miles completed. Please show your support by making a contribution today! http://www.danmaxey.com 

TWO Local Shop Rides Make BICYCLING MAGAZINE'S '50 Best Rides in America' List!

If you're looking for additional local rides to supplement your training for AIDS LifeCycle, here are two local shop rides that might be worth looking into. A few of our cyclists have purchased bikes from Bike Barn (and we LOVE the staff there). I might be checking out their rides soon. I will let you know when I'm going!

The image below is a little blurry in spots, but I copied the text below, as well!

From the October 2010 issue of Bicycling... Click to enlarge!

Bike Barn
Phoenix
The Ride: Meeting at 6 or 7 a.m. two Sundays a month, this ride covers 20 to 30 miles, depending on the pack's makeup. The relatively flat suburban roads help accommodate newbies.
The Scene: Ride leaders Bob and Dave create a custom route for each week's group - and because there are two leaders, the pack often splits into fast and slow rides.
The Scoop: bikebarnaz.com

Bicycle Ranch
Scottsdale
The Ride: Attracting as many as 80 people, the A/B/C ride spins 40-60 miles along an out-and-back route that leaves from the shop and heads toward the mountains. After grinding up a 1,500-foot climb, the pack regroups at the Bartlett Lake Ranger Station before descending back to the shop.
The Scene: The shop provides postride bagels and coffee for all riders.
The Scoop: bicycleranch.com
 

DM Solo Training Ride: 35 Miles and a Mountain

It's starting to 'cool down' a little bit in Phoenix, but it's still DAMN HOT. Whew! Let me tell you... I'm getting sort of tired of having to wake up so early to ride on the weekends, so today I let myself sleep in a little bit. When I did wake up, I milled around the apartment a little, make some breakfast, watched a little television, and turned on some NPR while I took care of some chores. I hadn't been outside and assumed it was already REALLY hot, but during a station break on KJZZ, heard what a wonderful, beautiful day it was outside...

So I decided not to squander this glorious day by staying inside and suited up to ride. I think it was in the high 80s or low 90s when I left the apartment and I really only planned to ride around downtown a little bit. By the time I got to the downtown core, I decided I'd might as well ride all the way out to South Mountain and back. It got progressively warmer though and is about 100'F now - and I just got home.

I didn't do my South Mountain rides this week, so this was sort of 'punishment', I guess.

 South Mountain summit on a beautiful Phoenix day!

I had a great ride though. It was hot, but KJZZ was right! It's a beautiful day in Phoenix!

 About to cruise back down the mountain...

Since I had planned a short ride around town, I only had one water bottle with me, so I had to stop a couple times at the Ranger Station in the park. On the way out of the park, a woman approached me and asked me if I was riding to the top. When I told her that I already had, she asked if I enjoy that. She seemed to think I was some sort of masochist. We talked about what it's like to ride South Mountain for a few minutes before we parted; she told me to have a safe ride home as she slipped into the ladies' room.

So today's ride, as you might have derived from the title, was 35 miles distance with 1,900 feet of climb. With today's distance, my cumulative training distance for AIDS LifeCycle 10 totals 590 miles! That's MORE than the total 'official' or 'unofficial' distance of ALC!

Awesome, no?

I'm hoping to ride tomorrow morning and break the 600 mile mark. By the end of the month I should be around 900-1,000 miles!

I am hoping to ride a minimum of 3,000 miles in preparation for AIDS LifeCycle 10. A hundred miles for every year of the AIDS epidemic. Please join me by making a contribution to my AIDS LifeCycle efforts at http://www.danmaxey.com!

DM Solo Training Ride: Sedona to Jerome

 Standing high above the Verde Valley

For a couple weeks now, I've been planning to get out of Phoenix for a day to ride up North. Sedona sounded like a good idea and I thought it would be a good spot to try to get in a moderately challenging ride. I know great routes in metro Phoenix, but don't really know any up in that neck of the woods, so I checked out Map My Ride for some suggestions.

The first route that really caught my eye was an out-and-back route from the beautiful red rocks of Sedona to the mountainside copper-mining-town-turned-arts-colony of Jerome.

Jerome on the side of Mt. Mingus (look part way up the mountain below the clouds on the left - click to enlarge)

From the second I saw the route, I knew I had to do it. My first trip up to Jerome was with my Grandpa Maxey in 2006. I had a rental car and we took a day-long tour through Jerome, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, and Flagstaff. I still remember making that drive up to Jerome - pushing the gas pedal to try to get the rented Pontiac G6 up the steep switchback roads, seeing all the buildings perched precariously on the mountainside, and enjoying the beautiful view of the Verde Valley from the top of town. Each time I've driven that route since then, I've wondered if it might be possible for me to ride a bike up the mountain.

Now seemed like just as good a time as any to try. I've been training on South Mountain and I'm in pretty good shape. Why not?

Parking in Sedona is a little tricky, so I needed to be a little creative. The way I saw it, I had two choices. Park at the Coconino Forest Visitor Center and ride in to Sedona before riding to Jerome or park at a business in Sedona and ride from there. I picked the latter, which ended up saving me an extra 20 miles of riding and having to ride over a whole series of additional hills that probably wouldn't have been so much fun at the end of the day. So, I ended up parking at the Basha's on State Highway 89A a couple miles outside of downtown Sedona.

 Mt. Mingus on the horizon. Looks like flat terrain here, but it's not.

State Route 89A doesn't have a bike lane and for the first few miles out of Sedona, there isn't even a shoulder to ride on, so you're really right in traffic. With two lanes I found that most people changed lanes to stay out of my way. It was a nice change from Phoenix where they'll just run you over. The shoulder picks up eventually and was fairly good for riding, although it probably wouldn't hurt if they took a street sweeper over it.

I took a look at a topographical map of the area when I first planned the ride, but it didn't give a very accurate representation of the terrain on the Sedona to Cottonwood stretch. There's a decent change in altitude from one spot to the next - mostly downhill into Cottonwood. When I pulled the route from Map My Ride, I saw the climb back to Sedona and realized this wasn't going to be so flat. (You can see my elevation profile from the ride at the end of the post). I had a starting altitude in Sedona of approximately 4,400 feet. Cottonwood is closer to 3,200 feet. While most of the first stretch was downhill, there were still some hills to climb. Intermittent winds through the Verde Valley basin made some of those hills harder than they should have been, but it was a pretty good ride down - but for the fact that Mt. Mingus is hanging right in front of you the whole way.

State Highway 89A on the way to Cottonwood from Sedona - Beautiful landscape

Welcome to Cottonwood... Nothing much to see here, but stores to refuel if you need to.

Mom called while I was passing through Cottonwood, so I stopped to talk with her for awhile. When she asked what I was up to, she was pretty quick to tell me how crazy I am. She suggested at one point I was going to die riding out there all alone and wanted to know how she'd know if something happened to me. I assured her that there's plenty of traffic on the road into Jerome and whomever found me would probably call the last number in my call log, which was now her, so she'd be the first to find out. I know I'm kind of a smartass.

From Cottonwood into Clarkdale, there's a fairly steady climb that carries you along the recently diverted Highway 89A - and through several traffic circles - to the base of Mount Mingus. Clarkdale and Sedona are full of traffic circles, which aren't so fun on a bike because it's a little harder to predict what drivers are going to do next. I think there were four or five before the turn off to Jerome. From the turn off, it's CLIMB, CLIMB, CLIMB!

 Look mom! Someone else is as crazy as me!

Jerome, Arizona

I rode for awhile and stopped to take some photos. I think the photo showing Jerome on the side of the mountain at the top of the post was from my first quick stop on the climb. I finished a Powerbar I had started earlier, popped a couple Clif Blocks, and kept going. The road in toward town is consistently steep and pretty curvy for a stretch. As you come up to the town limits, you are pretty much directly below Jerome. The road from there is a series of switchbacks that carry you the rest of the way up. All the while, buildings built along the road are propped up quite precariously - some on stilts - above the road. You'd really think one could just give and topple into the road any minute. It's interesting.

Once you climb up the first few switchbacks (and think you're done), there's still another short, but steep stretch into the middle of town. I was excited to be in town and was greeted by the cheers of a couple of women who I only assume were tourists who had just driven the same road, "OMG! WOW! YOU ROCK!!!" I rode around town a little before climbing a little further up to a scenic overlook a couple hundred feet above town. I could have continued riding to the summit of Mt. Mingus which was just a few short miles, but a lot of climbing, ahead. Since I didn't know how bad the climb back into Sedona would be, I passed. I'll do it next time.

The scenic overlook. You can't see TOO much, but it gives you a view of the terrain.

I headed back into town from the overlook, determined to grab lunch at the Mile High Cafe, an old favorite in Jerome. Haunted Hamburger is good too, but Mile High Cafe allowed me to park my bike in view outside the door and is an LGBTQ establishment. I got a cheeseburger and it was heavenly. I sat at the bar, ate my burger, did some epic people-watching, and had a chat with the bartender before I left. He said they get cyclists in from time to time. He doesn't get why we do it. When I told him I had come from Sedona and was headed back, he didn't seem to know what else to say.

With lunch done, I took another quick spin around town and hit the road back down. From the time I left town to the very bottom of the hill I wasn't passed by a single car, so I pretty much had command of the road. I took it easy coming down, though. I think I approached 40 mph, but kept things in check since I was on unfamiliar turf.

The ride back to Sedona was long, hilly, and hot. It was in the mid-90s yesterday in Sedona. The red rocks on the horizon were a good motivation and a decent gauge of the remaining distance. I decided to ride past the car and into Sedona proper when I returned. I rode in, stopped for mint chocolate chip ice cream in a waffle cone, and took a couple photos.

Posing for a quick photo in Sedona with the red rocks

While in Sedona, I was also approached by a former AIDS LifeCycle rider from San Diego. She had done ALC 5 and 6. She and I talked for a couple minutes and I tried to talk her into doing ALC 10. It sounded to me like she was already considering it pretty seriously. It was amazing though. I've run into former ALC riders and roadies all over the place lately. We need to get them all on board for the big ride!

It was just a couple miles back to the car. All in all, an AWESOME ride and a great workout. I'll never be able to drive up that hill again without thinking of riding it. And I WILL ride it again. Next time I'm going ALL THE WAY to the top of Mt. Mingus, though. ALL. THE. WAY.

Before I get to the stats, here are some crazy photos I took along the way...

One of two giant golden (and very phallic) South Korean Harubang statues guarding Sedona

Elephlamingos?

I am glad to see Sedona takes condom use as seriously as we all should... But maybe I misinterpreted the sign.

So, here are the stats for the ride. Anyone want to join me next time - with a 10 mile extension and a little more climbing in the middle?!

Total mileage: 59.75 miles
Total ascent/elevation gain: 4,075 feet
Elevation profile: Check out that beast below!