We were feeling lazy when we got back from yesterday’s ride, so we just left the bikes in the car. We’re on a quiet street in a quiet neighborhood, so what could go wrong? So trusting, that Team Anderson.
So what did go wrong then? Nothing. No one broke into the Raven and stole the bikes, fortunately. Lucky this time, but we shouldn’t make a habit of it. And for awhile we thought we were on track for our second adversity-free day in a row, until we got home and Rachael discovered that she apparently has a damaged SD card and lost all of the day’s video. A shame, because she’s bound to have had some great footage from our spectacular descents down Webb and San Pedro Roads. She was pretty sure too that she caught an antelope jackrabbit in one of the clips - a huge one, with ears maybe two feet long in her opinion. The species description casts some doubt on that assessment, but they are a pretty impressive animal.
So anyway, with the bikes already loaded into the car it made sense to capitalize on it and drive out to Oracle for that ride down to San Manuel that I’ve wanted to repeat from last year. It’s almost an hour’s drive and we want to be back in time for dinner, so we leave the house not long after nine and it’s around ten when we pull into the Oracle Public Library parking lot. Ten minutes later the bikes are unloaded and ready to roll when Rachael returns from a successful trip to the library to check out their restroom facilities.
The wall surrounding the Oracle public library is completely muralized.
The ride to San Manuel begins with a climb - a fairly modest one that rises 400 feet in two miles, topping out at 4,800 feet. There are really only two climbs for the day - this one, and the fifteen mile long one that gains 2,200 feet on the way back. So in one way of looking at it, the work’s half done and we’re only two miles into the ride!
This part of the ride, on Cody Loop Road, is very pretty. Large granitic boulders top the ridges on either side as we climb through a mesquite/live oak forest. It’s a different habitat than we’ve been through this time here, so I’ve got my eyes out for something new and am gratified to spot a covey of Gambrel’s quail running off into the brush and a Mexican jay flying low across the road and disappearing into the oaks. They both appear and disappear again too quickly for a photo, but there’s no doubt about their identities so they go on the list.
After only two miles we reach the summit of the first of the day’s climbs. One down, one to go!
Over the top and it’s all downhill for the next fifteen miles - fifteen exhilarating, gorgeous miles that eventually drop to a level just above the San Pedro River. Once we drop below the oak forest the views open up, with a gasp inducing panorama straight ahead across the San Pedro Valley to the long line of the Galiuro Mountains rising above the opposite side and to the right at Mount Lemmon and Mica Mountain.
But why waste any more words, when there are roughly 20,000 of them represented by the pictures themselves? We’ll let them do the rest of the talking, and I’ll just shut up.
Eight glorious miles like this, descending toward the San Pedro River on quiet Webb Road, with the Galiuro Mountains on the opposite side of the river to inspire us. I fall further and further behind as I stop for one gasp-inducing view after another.
Still descending. We drop 1,500’ in eight miles - gradual enough that you can really enjoy the descent, but not so steep that it’s spoiled by dreading the climb back up on the return.
Finally nearing the end of Webb Road. By this point Rachael is nearly two miles ahead of me. At downhill speeds, she’s pulling away about a quarter mile with every photo stop I make.
After leaving Webb Road we turn right on Veteran’s Memorial Boulevard, bike through San Manuel, and then face a few miles of this - an arrow straight road, with the Mae West Peaks rising up at the end. We’re still dropping, but much more gradually - maybe at about 1%.
If you get bored staring down the long, empty road and the distant Mae West Peaks, you can look to either side. The view to the left across the San Pedro to the Galiuro Mountains certainly isn’t hard on the eyes.
Scott AndersonTo Patrick O'HaraThis was lucky. I know they’re around but these are the first ones I’ve seen. There was a small flock of about a half dozen of them. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
This descent, on San Pedro Road, is as steep as Webb Road; and maybe even more spectacular, as we pass through an impressive stand of saguaros and come closer to the eroded cliffs on the opposite side of the river.
Along San Pedro Road. We’re still dropping, so I’m still losing another quarter mile to Rachael for each photo stop. By the time we finally meet up again she’ll have ridden four more miles than me.
And still dropping, but finally nearing the end of it. We’ve been dropping more or less continuously for fifteen miles. Even though we’ve been falling the whole way, Rachael thinks of the return as two climbs rather than one (and our Garmin ClimbPro agrees with her) - one on this drop along San Pedro Road, and the other on Webb Road.
Finally coming to Reddington Road, we turn right and parallel the river. The road continues on to Reddington, Cascabel, and ultimately Benson, but it’s only paved for the next three miles. The sign is outdated, btw. The pavement ended at the junction until recently, when another three miles of pavement were added - part of an inexorable long-term trend to pave the entire stretch.
The view east to the Galiuro Mountains along Reddington Road. I’d been looking forward to this stretch, envisioning a shaded riparian ride alongside the river; but the road never drops all the way down. Soon I’ll meet up with Rachael, returning from her ride to the end of the pavement.
Climbing back up through the saguaros back to Veterans Way Boulevard. Not a bad climb really - four hundred feet in four miles, with a maximum grade of 8% - so I’m surprised to find it harder than it should be. I’ll realize why when we stop for lunch and I check my rear tire: 20 psi.
Back on Webb Road, at the start of its eight mile climb. I’ve gotten ahead of Rachael when she stopped briefly to commune with the cacti, so I’m stopped here to wait until I can see she’s coming before rounding the bend.
If she’s slowed down, she might have seen this sight off to the north. This is the remains of the now inactive gold/silver/copper/lead/zinc/molybdenum/vanadium mines near Mammoth.
Ride stats today: 45 miles, 3,200’; for the tour: 843 miles, 32,600’
____________________
2023 Bird List
37. Gambel’s quail
38. Mexican jay
39. Western bluebird
Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km) Total: 794 miles (1,278 km)
Rate this entry's writing
Heart
10
Comment on this entry
Comment
3
Ben ParkeIt is possible to recover footage from a damaged SD card. I had a 256gb card go rogue on me in Italy. I bought some online software that recovered all but a few files for me. I’ve not tried to run it again to see if I could get the last few files, but the card is set aside and not I’m use in case I ever decide to give it another go. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Scott AndersonIt’s really worth the drive out there. Also worthwhile is to start in Benson, at the opposite end and ride to the end of the pavement. At that end it’s called Cascabel Road: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/winterlude2021/cascabel-road/ Reply to this comment 1 year ago
