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!
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