Joshua Tree Climbing and biking Trip in 2025

April 2, 2025December 6, 2025 | wpfeiffer

Betsy and I spent eight days climbing, hiking, and biking in Joshua Tree National Park at the end of March and beginning of April. For several days we were joined by Gordon and his and Betsy’s friends Meghan, Jacob, and Alex. We stayed in our best Airbnb yet called Fable, which was very close to the center of Joshua Tree town. On the ninth day Betsy and I hiked in the Whitewater Preserve on our way home. Here is what we did each day.

Day 0 (Monday, March 24): Betsy flies to San Diego in the morning, and we drive from Del Mar to our Airbnb later in the day.
Day 1 (Tuesday, March 25): I bike 10 miles out and back to the park entrance in the morning. Betsy and I climb the 5.2 Circus route on Cap Rock in the afternoon.
Day 2 (Wednesday, March 26): I bike 21 miles out and back to the Quail Springs turnout in the morning. Betsy and I climb a 5.2 route on Easy Buttress in the afternoon.
Day 3 (Thursday, March 27): Betsy and I hike 3 miles up and down Ryan Mountain. Alex and Jacob arrive in the evening.
Day 4 (Friday, March 28): Jacob and I bike 10 miles out and back in the morning, while Betsy and Alex climb. Gordon and Meghan arrive in the afternoon and climb up two routes on Turtle Rock after Betsy and Alex place belay ropes. I only make it part way up these 5.4 and 5.5 routes.
Day 5 (Saturday, March 29): Gordon, Meghan, Jacob, and I shuttle to Geology Tour Road. The three of them do a 17-mile mountain bike ride there, and Gordon rides another 11 miles to Keys View. I ride 32 miles on my road bike from Geology Tour Road to Keys View and then back to town. Betsy and Alex climb on their own.
Day 6 (Sunday, March 30): A highlight of the trip is Betsy leading the rest of us on a rock scramble through the awesome Chasm of Doom! Afterward, Betsy and Alex do some serious rock climbing, while the rest of us do a delightful 1-mile hike on the Hidden Valley Nature Trail. Later, Gordon, Meghan, and Alex head for home.
Day 7 (Monday, March 31): Betsy and I shuttle to Intersection Rock and then bike 15 miles out and back to Keys View in a ferocious wind! Jacob rests his sore legs and heads for home in the evening.
Day 8 (Tuesday, April 1): Betsy and I celebrate her 42nd birthday with a 3-mile hike to the Fortynine Palms Oasis and a climb up the 5.1 Brimstone Staircase route on Morbid Mound.
Day 9 (Wednesday, April 2): We check out of our Airbnb and go for a 2-mile hike in the Whitewater Preserve on our way home.

Photos and commentary follow.

Day 1: Tuesday, March 25. This is the Tortoise House of Fable, our two-house Airbnb.
And this is the Hare House next door.
I pass this stagecoach on my morning bike ride.
I turn around at the park entrance but will pass it later in the day and many more times in the coming days.
This is Cap Rock from the south. Betsy and I hike around on the left to climb from the other side.
I am ready to belay Betsy.
Betsy is halfway up the crack that defines the 5.2 Circus route. The belay rope goes through a carabiner attached to a sling and cam that she has placed for protection. I will clean the route on my way up.
Betsy is higher up the route.
Now it it my turn, and I struggle up the middle part of the route.
Finally I near the top!
Betsy and I savor the success of our Type 2 fun adventure!
Orion (on the left) and Jupiter (on the right) shine above Cap Rock as we finish our loop hike in the dark.

Day 2: Wednesday, March 26. This is my beautiful view of the park as I bike to the Quail Springs turnout.
Snow-capped Mt San Gorgonio comes into view on my ride back.
This is an especially picturesque Joshua Tree.
I get another glimpse of Mt San Gorgonio as I drop down in elevation.
Betsy starts the more than 1-mile hike to Easy Buttress.
A round kingcup cactus is in the middle of the trail.
The approach pitch is a hassle. Eventually I get to the top of it here with a belay from Betsy.
This is Easy Buttress. Our 5.2 route follows the prominent crack. I don’t have any photos of Betsy on the climb because I gave her my iPhone at the start 🙁
I near the top of the climb.
I am on the top!
Betsy and I savor another successful climb.
Betsy sets an anchor for me to descend. Our rope is not long enough for her to rappel down the same way, so she finds an alternative route down.

Day 3: Thursday, March 27. This is Ryan Mountain, our hiking objective for the day.
Betsy is at the start of the trail to the top.
I pose with Saddle Rocks in the background. Betsy has climbed the lower ones.
Betsy nears the top.
I touch the rock pile on the summit.
This is the stunning view to the west from the summit.
The Wonderland of Rocks is in the distance as we head back down the trail.

Day 4: Friday, March 28. Gordon, Meghan, Jacob, and I hike the trail around Turtle Rock while we wait for Betsy and Alex to join us.
This kingcup cactus is blooming.
Betsy has highlighted our two routes up Turtle Rock: 5.4 Bisk is on the left, and 5.5 Blistering is on the right.
Gordon is raring to go.
He belays Betsy as she heads up Bisk.
Betsy pauses after surmounting the big block at the bottom.
Betsy sets an anchor so we can belay from below.
Gordon starts up Bisk. Note the belay rope high overhead.
Betsy has a comfy belay spot.
Gordon is happy to have gotten past the big block.
Gordon looks for a good hold.
Gordon makes it to the top of Bisk!
Meghan starts up Bisk.
Meghan makes it to the top too!
Daredevil Alex free climbs above a window in the nearby rock wall.
Gordon climbs Blistering.
Gordon is on top of Blistering.
Meghan starts up Blistering.
Meghan nears the top of Blistering.
I climb halfway up Blistering and call it a day 🙂

Day 5: Saturday, March 29. After shuttling to the start of Geology Tour Road, Jacob, Gordon, and Meghan are ready to begin their 17-mile mountain bike ride.
I get on my road bike and head back the way we came. I am bundled up because there is a cold wind.
I pedal hard to warm up against the cold headwind as I ride to Sheep Pass, shown here. Fortunately the wind dies after I go over the pass.
When I get to Cap Rock I turn onto the road to Keys View. The Circus route that Betsy and I climbed four days earlier is just below the cap.
The road goes through Lost Horse Valley.
The last stretch of road is a grinding climb up to Keys View! San Jacinto Peak is on the left, and Mt San Gorgonio is on the right. From here it is 21 miles back to town, much of it downhill.

Day 6: Sunday, March 30. Gateway Rock hides the Chasm of Doom.
Meghan is at the entrance to the Chasm.
I enter the Chasm enthusiastically!
Jacob and Betsy are with me deep in the Chasm!
I scooch on my back below a big boulder to get through the Birthing Canal and then climb a chimney on the other side.
Meghan rests on a ledge where the route opens up to a window.
Jacob and Gordon are at the window, which overlooks Turtle Rock.
Jacob and Gordon head back into the Chasm as we go out a different way than we entered.
I see the way out!
Betsy and Alex give me advice for the final descent.
This is our intrepid team of adventurers: Betsy, Jacob, Meghan, myself, Alex, and Gordon!
This map marks the start of the Hidden Valley Nature Trail, a 1-mile loop.
This plaque has information on climate change over the past 10,000 years.
A Joshua Tree is in bloom.
Meghan takes this great photo of a chuckwalla! We see two of them on our hike.
Gordon scrambles high up some rocks to take this nice photo of a kingcup cactus in bloom.

Day 7: Monday, March 31. Betsy and I start our bike ride between Intersection Rock and The Old Woman, seen here.
I struggle to stay on my bike in the wind.
This stretch of road is less windy.
The road steepens as it approaches Keys View.
We brace ourselves against our bikes to stand up in the ferocious wind at Keys View!

The wind really is ferocious!

Day 8: April 1, 2025. This is the map at the start of the trail to Fortynine Palms Oasis.
Betsy and I are ready to start our hike.
We see a lot of these California barrel cacti.
I hang onto my hat in the wind.
The oasis has a lot of palm trees, but no water is apparent.
Betsy bounds down the trail on our way back.
Our afternoon climb goes up the 5.1 Brimstone Stairway route on Morbid Mound.
Betsy zips up the route to set a belay for me.
I make good progress on the bottom of the route.
But I struggle a long time in the middle of the route until Betsy climbs up next to me to let me stand on one of her shoulders.
With a shoulder foothold I get past the difficulty!
I am on top of Brimstone Stairway!
Betsy scrambles to the very top of Morbid Mound for extra credit!

Day 9: Wednesday, April 2. This map shows the area around the Whitewater Preserve.
Betsy starts our hike along the rock-lined trail.
There is water in the Whitewater River, which Betsy crosses on a small wooden bridge. It must need to be moved often depending upon the river flow.
We turn around when we get to the Pacific Crest Trail. It is 2,445 miles from here to Canada!
This is the trail back to the start.
These brittlebush flowers and pool are in the oasis by the Visitor Center
Here is a parting view of the pool as we end another great adventure!

Biking Across Kansas in 2023

June 17, 2023August 8, 2023 | wpfeiffer

Gordon, my brother Jay, and I participated in Biking Across Kansas (aka bee-ay-kay) in June 2023. Gordon and I biked the entire distance of 576 miles from Colorado to Missouri in nine days, while Jay did half of that. Gordon rode his first century, and I rode my fastest one! We camped each night at a school in a small town, ate lots of fundraiser breakfasts and dinners, and were joined by nearly 500 other enthusiastic bikers. We were impressed by the changing landscape and land use as we moved across the state, enjoyed the variety of wildflowers, and appreciated the friendliness of the folks we met. We never got rained on while biking but had some exciting storms overnight. Here is what we did each day.

Day 0 (Thursday, June 8): Gordon and I check out our bikes in Wichita after arriving the night before. My brother Neal treats us to sailplane rides from the Wichita Gliderport northeast of town. Gordon and I stay at my sister Pam’s house, and she hosts a family reunion in the evening.
Day 1 (Friday, June 9): Pam, her husband Bill, and son Brian shuttle Gordon, Jay, and me from Wichita to the southwestern corner of Kansas where we three bikers begin a short first-day ride of 9 miles from the Colorado border to Elkhart. Pam, Bill, and Brian help us bikers get settled in our tents for the night before they drive back to Wichita. After dinner, Gordon and I do a 9-mile bonus ride nearby. Our total climbing for the day is 400 ft.
Day 2 (Saturday, June 10): Gordon, Jay, and I bike 63 miles but climb only 600 ft from Elkhart to Satanta.
Day 3 (Sunday, June 11): Gordon and I bike 78 miles and climb 1,300 ft from Satanta to Spearville. Jay struggles to keep up and gets Pam to shuttle him the last third of the way. The two of them help Gordon and me set up our tents and have dinner with us before they drive back to Wichita.
Day 4 (Monday, June 12): Gordon and I bike 68 miles and climb 700 ft from Spearville to Stafford. Soon after we arrive, Jay shows up with his SUV and teardrop trailer, and Pam and Bill come to have a fundraiser dinner with us. Jay sleeps in the SUV, and I sleep in the trailer for the rest of the trip, while Gordon opts to continue camping in his tent.
Day 5 (Tuesday, June 13): Gordon and I start early and bike 101 miles from Stafford to Newton! We draft each other and make great time on this very flat route with only 900 ft of climbing. Jay drives to Newton and bikes the route in reverse until he meets us and then rides with us for the last few miles. Several relatives drive from Wichita to Newton for a mini-reunion. A big thunderstorm drops more than an inch of rain overnight.
Day 6 (Wednesday, June 14): Gordon and I bike 78 miles and climb 1,800 ft from Newton to Eureka. We join a paceline and make great time again. Jay drives to Eureka but doesn’t bike with us.
Day 7 (Thursday, June 15): Gordon and I bike 62 miles and climb 1,500 ft from Eureka to Chanute. Jay drives to Chanute and doubles back on his bike to ride the last few miles with us.
Day 8 (Friday, June 16): Gordon and I bike 57 miles and climb 1,600 ft from Chanute to Garnett. Jay drives to Garnett and doubles back on his bike to log 42 miles for the day. Gordon is thrilled to eat a buffet dinner in town instead of a fundraiser dinner at the school and sleeps in the air-conditioned gym instead of his tent because it is hot outside.
Day 9 (Saturday, June 17): Jay joins Gordon and me to bike 51 miles and climb 2,300 ft from Garnett to the Missouri border and then back to Pleasanton where BAK 2023 ends! Jay’s wife Kimberly rides with Pam to Garnett and picks up Jay’s SUV and trailer. Kimberly and Pam drive separately to Pleasanton where they and other relatives join us for a celebratory picnic. We return to Wichita in two shuttles.

Photos and commentary follow.

Day 0: Thursday, June 8. Gordon and Neal pose with our ride in a hanger at the Wichita Gliderport. The sailplane is a 1958 Schleicher Ka2b, which was built from a kit by a club in Germany. More than a dozen years ago Neal spent three years repairing one of the wooden wings that was damaged in a trailering accident.
After we move the sailplane out of the hanger, Neal explains how the Venturi tube measures airspeed.
Then we move the sailplane to the end of the airfield where we will get a tow. Gordon goes for the first ride with Neal but suffers from motion sickness and is happy to land after only half an hour.
I am ready for the second ride. Neal gives the thumbs up signal to the tow pilot to take in the slack on the towline attached to the nose.

Neal and I take off with a tow! (Thanks to Pam for the video.)

We get towed to 2,000 ft above the Gliderport, which is at 1,400 ft.
We catch good afternoon thermals and are soon at 7,250 ft. Our airspeed of 43 knots is really slow! We eventually reach 8,000 ft just below the bottom of scattered clouds.
This part of Kansas is really flat! The photo includes three airfields. There are two long runways at McConnell AFB at the upper left, a single runway at Beech Aircraft just below the previous two, and a runway and taxi strip at Colonel James Jabara Airport near the upper center.
After an hour and a half it is time for us to land at the gliderport shown here.
We come in for a soft landing on the grass.
Afterward, Neal shows us an uncovered wing from a 1954 Schleicher Ka2 that he is rebuilding in the hanger workshop. It is astonishing that we were being held up in the air by little pieces of wood that are glued together!

Day 1: Friday, June 9. Here is the route map for BAK 2023. We take a shortcut today from the Colorado border to Elkhart and bike a longer century route on Day 5 from Stafford to Newton. We also bike longer routes on the last two days.
Jay and Gordon join me for our start of BAK 2023 at the Tri-State Marker where Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma meet.
Here is a closeup of the marker with the dates when each state was admitted to the union.
Gordon and Jay start biking east along the stateline road that quickly turns to dirt. That provides an extra challenge on our road bikes. The road looks like this most of the way to Elkhart.
When we get to the schools in Elkhart after only nine miles of biking, we find our shuttle crew of Brian, Pam, and Bill waiting to help us pick a good campsite and set up our tents.
We go inside the high school and pick up our route guides and new BAK 2023 jerseys, which we model here in front of Jay’s tent. Our shuttle crew heads back to Wichita, and we eat our first fundraiser dinner in the middle school cafeteria.
After dinner, Gordon and I do a nine-mile bonus ride in and around Elkhart. We go further east on the stateline road and turn onto US 56, where we are welcomed to Kansas! Despite a population of only 1,884, Elkhart has huge grain elevators, similar to those we will encounter in many more small towns over the coming days.
A local store has words of encouragement for BAK riders painted on its windows.
Glenn Cunningham was an outstanding American middle-distance runner who grew up in Elkhart.
Ominous clouds form to the west at dusk. (Thanks to Jay for the cool pic.)

Day 2: Saturday, June 10. We survive an overnight windstorm with only a few sprinkles. I get up in the middle of the night to re-attach the rainfly of my tent, and Jay awakens to find two fallen tree branches close to his tent.
We bike along US 56 through the Cimarron National Grassland. At over 100,000 acres, it is the largest area of public land in Kansas.
Great plains yucca shares the prairie with grass.
Two cheery sunflowers provide some color other than green. However, it will be awhile before we see more than a few of these.
These enthusiastic kids chant “Go bikers!” to welcome us to our first rest stop in Rolla, which has a population of 380.
According to the Rolla wind gauge, today is one of those “unheard of” days 🙂
On the horizon is Hugoton, the biggest town of the day with a population of 3,764. A small center-pivot irrigation system is on display in the foreground at a sales outlet. Irrigation is essential for growing crops in this part of Kansas.
In town we relax at the city park where we buy lunch from locals.
A little way out of town a herd of cattle huddles close together. Is that for protection?
Clumps of blue spiderworts provide some nice color on the shoulder of the highway.
Pumpjacks pump oil on the north side of the road.
And gas wells pump gas on the south side of the road.
Our final destination for the day is Satanta, population 1,092. The corn crop here is pretty scraggly.
This concrete teepee in town honors Satanta. He was the Kiowa chief for whom the town is named and was one of the signers of the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty.
We set up our tents next to Satanta High School. Jay discovers that he left the rainfly of his tent in Elkhart 🙁 so he fashions a rainfly (not shown here) from a tarp that he brought along. It makes quite a racket in another overnight windstorm but holds off a few more sprinkles.

Day 3: Sunday, June 11. Our first town today is Sublette, population 1,375. It is named for William Lewis Sublette, a frontiersman, fur trader, and mountain man. (Maybe he got lost out here on the prairie.) For those of you from California, note that gas at the Cenex station is $3.259!
Copeland is the next town and first rest stop. Despite a population of only 251, it still has impressive grain elevators. Here Jay powers out of town after refueling at the rest stop.
Next we come to Montezuma, population 951, which for some reason is named for the ruler of the Aztec Empire. Jay struggles to keep up with Gordon and me and tells us to continue on without him.
Soon we are surrounded by 170 giant wind turbines!
They make up the Gray County Wind Farm, which you can read about here.
Further up the road we see an old-time windmill, but it does not work.
Gordon and I “get the Hell into Dodge” as he texts to others 🙂 We have lunch at Jimmy Johns and then hightail it out of town. With a population of 27,690, Dodge City is the biggest town on this year’s BAK route.
I arrive at Spearville, population 796, our home for the night.
We stay at the Spearville School.
I am surprised to see Jay and Pam, who help me set up my tent. Pam drove from Wichita to rescue Jay west of Dodge City. They eat dinner in the school with Gordon and me before they head back to Wichita.
Our tents and bikes are next to the track. I am tempted to run a mile but just walk a lap instead. Wind turbines in this “City of Windmills” keep watch over us.

Day 4: Monday, June 12. A light rain is falling when we wake up in the morning, so we wait for it to stop before getting on our bikes. Thus we are among the last bikers to arrive at the first rest stop in Kinsley, population 1,456, which claims the title of “Midway USA”.
The bridge over the railroad tracks as we leave the rest stop has a good view of town.
Soon after we leave town we come to the Arkansas River, the sixth longest in the US. I am excited to see what it looks like.
I am astonished to see that it is only a puddle here! Somebody has taken out all of the water!
Just beyond the empty river we find a profusion of wildflowers along the shoulder of the road. These purple flowers are poppy mallows.
These blue flowers are spiderworts.
And these fried egg flowers are prickly poppies. They look just like the much taller tree poppies that grow in my yard!
Our lunch stop today is in Lewis, population 400.
Because there are few food options in this tiny town, BAK provides lunch for us at Wayne Community Hall.
After we leave town, we finally see a profusion of sunflowers! It’s about time, since Kansas is the Sunflower State 🙂
Gordon and I end the day’s biking at the high school in Stafford, population 959. Soon afterward Jay arrives in his Jaguar SUV towing a teardrop trailer! He sleeps in the SUV, and I sleep in the trailer. Gordon is happy to keep camping out. Pam and Bill pay a surprise visit, and we all eat a fundraiser dinner together.
A nearby camper is Don from Oklahoma, who is riding this velomobile. It is a shrouded recumbent tricycle that is really fast because of its low drag! He and a buddy with another velomobile are typically the first ones to get to each day’s destination.

Day 5: Tuesday, June 13. This is the day that Gordon and I will bike a century, so we get up early and start biking at sunrise. (Thanks to Gordon for the cool pic.)
Before long the two velomobiles catch us. Gordon pedals hard but cannot stay with them very long.
When we get to Yoder Road we turn south to take the longer century route and pass the skinny water tower for Yoder, population 165.
We continue on to Haven, population 1,170, where we have lunch at the Kwik Shop.
We cross the Arkansas River, which has water here!
We get to Halstead, “The Biggest Little City In Kansas” 🙂 Its population is 2,165.
A cheering section of little girls welcomes us to a fundraiser rest stop in Halstead. Jay bikes here from Newton and rides with us to the finish 🙂
The chalk on this sidewalk in Hesston, population 3,505, tells us that we are almost to the end of the century ride!
Gordon and I are thrilled to get to the end of the ride in Newton, population 18,433. We bike 101 miles in 7-1/2 hours including stops for food and photos along the way. This is Gordon’s first century and my fastest one!
Various relatives drive the short distance from Wichita to Newton to congratulate us. Here Gordon’s cousin Josiah joins us.
Gordon pitches his tent next to Jay’s SUV and trailer. Overnight a big thunderstorm drops more than an inch of rain, which gets Gordon pretty wet.

Day 6: Wednesday, June 14. Gordon is all smiles as he bikes on another flat road past wheat fields.
We ride much of the day along US Bicycle Route 76. Established in 1982, it starts in Kansas at the Colorado border and goes to Virginia.
BAK provides lunch for us in Cassoday, population 111.
Pale purple coneflowers with their droopy petals bloom by the side of the road.
We enter the Flint Hills and go through the first road cut of BAK 2023!
A colorful mural welcomes us to Eureka, our day’s destination with a population of 2,289. Powerful tornadoes came through town in 2016 and 2018, and some parts of it have not been rebuilt.
We spend the night at Eureka Jr/Sr High School. Like most of the schools for BAK 2023, it is at the edge of the much older town that it serves.
The school mascot is a tornado despite the damage tornadoes have inflicted on the town. The girls basketball team raises money by selling us food at rock-bottom prices.

Day 7: Thursday, June 15. We start the day riding through gently rolling hills.
We are in the Flint Hills, which you can read about here.
The hills are not very big, and because the soil is rocky, most of the land is used for grazing cattle.
Some locals turn out to give us encouragement 🙂
Further east we come to our first big hill! This looks like Wisconsin, except that there are not many lakes here.

Gordon finds a patch of butterfly weed abuzz with butterflies and bees.

Fellow biker Marcie encourages me to strike this heroic pose in a wheat field after I take a photo of her in a similar pose.
The towns we pass through today are tiny. Coyville, population 59, “claims many firsts” for Wilson County.
We encounter this massive treaded machine moving along the highway.
Flowers of annual fleabane bloom by the side of the road.
Our destination for the day is Chanute, population 8,642. The tents for the luxury Alpaca service are pitched in a colorful array in front of the high school.
We are told that we cannot camp close to the school, so Jay finds this island in the parking lot with a tree for shade 🙂

Day 8: Friday, June 16. We pass the Ash Grove Cement plant as we leave Chanute. The raw material for the plant comes from a big quarry that we pass a few miles later.
The first town along today’s route is Humboldt, population 1,836. It was named by German immigrants after Baron von Humboldt.
The only other town of significant size today is Iola, population 5,396. Natural gas was discovered here in 1893, which led its population to explode to over 9,000 in 1910. Gordon buys some padded bike shorts here that he hopes will help his sore butt.
As we near the end of the ride we see a small pumpjack making a few bucks for its owner.
Our destination for the day is Garnett, population 3,192, where we spend the night at the Anderson County Jr/Sr High School. As usual, the velomobiles arrive before us.
There is no fundraiser dinner tonight, so Gordon is thrilled when he gets to have a buffet dinner at the Dutch Country Café. He goes back for seconds 🙂
After dinner we take a shuttle to the impressive Anderson County Courthouse for the last all-participant meeting of BAK 2023.
While waiting for the meeting, we have our picture taken.
The meeting begins with a couple of songs by the barber shop singers. After that there are thank-yous for all the folks who helped make BAK 2023 such a special event.
When we get back to the school, Gordon decides that it is too hot to sleep outside in his tent, so he opts for the air-conditioned gym. However, the main floor (shown here) is really crowded, so he gets a secluded spot on the balcony above the bleachers.

Day 9: Saturday, June 17. This is the last and hilliest day of BAK 2023.
A monarch butterfly feeds on common milkweed by the side of the road.
Nearby a great spangled fritillary feeds on thistle.
When we get to Pleasanton, we need to wait for a long train to pass before we can cross the tracks to get to Missouri.
We make it to Missouri! We then return to Pleasanton, population 1,238, where we have a celebratory picnic with assorted relatives who supported and cheered our adventure 🙂

Santa Ysabel Creek Mountain Bike Ride in 2023

March 19, 2023April 16, 2023 | wpfeiffer

Gordon, Kurt Knutson, and I had a great time riding our mountain bikes in a 24-mile loop along and near Santa Ysabel Creek on March 19, 2023. Starting at the Boden Canyon Trailhead on SR 78, we rode above the creek through Boden Canyon, along the floor of Pamo Valley, up the Black Mountain and Santa Ysabel Truck Trails, higher still on Black Canyon Road, and then back to the start on paved roads.

Photos and commentary follow.

Kurt and Gordon are at the start of the ride at the Boden Canyon Trailhead on SR 78. We briefly follow the Guejito Truck Trail on the other side of the gate.
Kurt pushes his bike up this steep single track after we leave the truck trail when it drops down to the creek.
The trail soon widens and levels out. Blue ceanothus (California wild lilac) is in bloom.
This view looks back to the trail above and the creek below.
I bike past more blue ceanothus.
Gordon bikes past blue ceanothus in the distance and yellow poppies on the right.
The canyon opens up at Pamo Valley, and we briefly follow a paved road until it crosses Santa Ysabel Creek. This is the view downstream from the bridge where the pavement ends. The creek has much more water than usual because of the wet winter.
On the other side of the bridge we ride on a trail through the ranch in Pamo Valley above Temescal Creek.
This map shows that we are more than halfway up the coast-to-crest trail along the watershed of the San Dieguito River.
We continue on the trail after it crosses the dirt road. Pamo Valley is owned by the City of San Diego and leased for cattle grazing.
Kurt stares down a steer that obviously has the right of way. Kurt eventually goes on the grass around the steer.
We leave Pamo Valley and begin a long climb up Black Mountain Truck Trail and then Santa Ysabel Truck Trail, where I am here.
We pose for a team photo with Santa Ysabel Creek far below. Remarkably, one of the few persons we encounter on the truck trail happens by and takes this photo of us 🙂
We continue on the truck trail above the creek. Black Canyon Road, which is our way out, is in the distance.
This big rock is in the middle of the road, so no trucks have gone by recently.
I stop to decide how to cross the creek.
I ford it on my bike and come out with clean shoes 🙂
When the trail reaches Black Canyon Road, we follow it uphill toward Ramona to the south. Here Gordon celebrates the top of the climb! We then have an easy downhill on dirt until we get to paved roads that take us back to the start 🙂

Death Valley Bike Tour in 2022

March 18, 2022December 27, 2022 | wpfeiffer

Here is my blog of the awesome, six-day bike tour with Lizard Head that I did in and near Death Valley in March 2022. Among the adventurous group of 14 guests and 2 guides were my son Gordon, brother Jay, and nephew Brian Cornwell, as well as friends Barb Schreiber and Mike Smolin with whom Mary and I biked in 2007!

I biked EFI (every fricking inch) of the offered rides, and the following itinerary reflects that.

Day 1 (Sunday, March 13): Red Rock Canyon -> Blue Diamond + Old Spanish Trail -> Shoshone (49 mi & 2,600 ft of climbing)
Day 2 (Monday, March 14): Shoshone -> Furnace Creek (77 mi & 3,900 ft)
Day 3 (Tuesday, March 15): Furnace Creek <-> Dante’s View + Furnace Creek <-> Beatty Junction (63 mi & 4,200 ft)
Day 4 (Wednesday, March 16): Mile 12 -> Ubehebe Crater -> Stovepipe Wells (74 mi & 4,300 ft)
Day 5 (Thursday, March 17): Stovepipe Wells <-> Emigrant Pass (46 mi & 5,400 ft) + 4-mi hike in Mosaic Canyon
Day 6 (Friday, March 18): Stovepipe Wells -> Rhyolite (41 mi & 5,300 ft)

This was a very well-photographed tour by me and others, so my blog is longer than usual. Also, check out Annette’s poem at the end.

Enjoy!

Day 1: Sunday, March 13. After a short shuttle from Las Vegas, Gordon, Wayne, Jay, and Brian are ready to start riding at the entrance to Red Rock Canyon.
A long line of bikers heads for the beautiful canyon with the horizontal red stripe.
The Fab 4 take a break at a scenic overlook near the mouth of the canyon.
We bike to Blue Diamond, have lunch, and then shuttle into California to ride along the Old Spanish Trail. Here our guide Wylie prepares to unload bikes for the afternoon ride while Rebecca and Annette take pictures.
After biking over the first of the tour’s two Emigrant Passes (a small unmarked bump of elevation 2,848 ft according to my GPS), we cruise downhill to the Amargosa River. This sign seems a stretch, since there is no water to be seen.
But after a few miles we see some water. Could this be the wild and scenic river?
Our day’s ride ends in Shoshone, which has one motel, one restaurant, one store, and one gas station.
We share some stories in the courtyard of the Shoshone Inn. Clockwise from guide Peter in bright blue are Wylie, Brian (who is wiped out), myself (who can’t seem to stop talking), and patient listeners Gordon, Mike, and Barb. (Thanks to Jay for the pic.)
On our way to dinner, Barb remembers that she needs to make a call. I don’t think it went through 🙂

Day 2: Monday, March 14. The Fab 4 are all smiles after breakfast is served outdoors by our guides. The phone booth behind me looks less functional than the one Barb tried the evening before.
Gordon, myself, and Jay start the tour’s longest ride in Shoshone and soon reach the entrance to Death Valley National Park. Without his bike, Gordon will have a tough time keeping up. (Thanks to Annette for the pic.)
Jay powers up the deserted road to Salsbury Pass.
After Gordon recovers his bike, we all make it to the top of Salsbury Pass (aka Salsberry Pass on the map), the high point of the day.
After a seat-rattling descent on a very rough road, we reach the floor of Death Valley. Jay seems well attired for the ride ahead. Telescope Peak has little snow on top because of the drought.
Eventually we rejoin Brian, who shuttled ahead, and get to Badwater.
There is actually some water here but not to drink.
After lunch we hike up a short, narrow canyon, from which there is a striking view of Badwater. (Thanks to Gordon for the cool pic!)
Gordon and I (as well as Chuck, Mike, and Lou) ride the full 77 miles from Shoshone to Furnace Creek to finish the day at The Ranch at Death Valley, our home for two nights. This is a very large resort with lots of greenery, including a golf course. There must be a lot of water underground.

Day 3: Tuesday, March 15. Two rides are offered today, and Gordon and I opt for the more challenging climb to Dante’s View. We are joined by Lee, who, along with her husband Richard, is only on the tour for two days. Wylie shuttles us up the first 11 miles and 2,300 ft of the climb so we can get back to Furnace Creek in time for lunch.
That still leaves 13 miles and 3,400 ft of climbing to the top, with a 15% kicker at the end.
We look for tortoises but don’t see any.
Gordon manages a smile despite the grinding climb.
The spectacular view at the top proves worth the effort!
Here is the view without us. Relevant elevations are 5,463 ft at Dante’s View, -282 ft at Badwater, and 11,049 ft at the top of Telescope Peak.
After lunch at Furnace Creek, I do a solo 24-mile ride to Beatty Junction and back. Along the way I see a few wildflowers but no superbloom.
Later I check out the 20-mule team wagons and other machinery at the outdoor Borax Museum on the grounds of the resort.

Day 4: Wednesday, March 16. After breakfast we shuttle a couple of miles to the site of the Harmony Borax Works, which is described on this plaque.
The entire team of 14 guests and 2 guides, except for Richard and photographer Chuck, gathers for a group photo. We then hike to the ruins and wagons behind us.
Here are wagons for hauling processed borax and drinking water.
Wylie retrieves Annette’s bike so she can ride a shortcut from here to Stovepipe Wells. The rest of us shuttle to Mile 12 on Scotty’s Castle Rd.
Once we arrive at Mile 12, we are greeted with a ferocious headwind that awaits those who will get on their bikes. Gordon takes this amazing video of Wylie playing a tune on a rubber band in that wind. That persuades almost everyone to shuttle 13 miles further. (See video with sound below.)
Chuck, Mike, and I get on our bikes and take turns breaking wind for 13 brutal, uphill miles until we get to the first rest stop. Chuck decides he has had enough and gets in the van for a bump, but Mike and I soldier on. Thankfully the wind and grade ease up, and we are fine. Here Mike leads me as we approach the turnaround at Ubehebe Crater.
Mike stands on the rim of Ubehebe Crater, which was created by a volcanic steam explosion in the recent geologic past, estimated at hundreds to thousands of years ago.
Eventually we regroup in the shade at the Grapevine Ranger Station while waiting for lunch. (Thanks to Chuck for the pic.)
After lunch we reverse the morning’s route and are treated to a terrific tailwind while going downhill as well 🙂 The wind spawns lots of dust devils, such as the one ahead near the sand dunes.
Most guests end the ride at the last rest stop, but a few of us, including Gordon here, continue on our bikes to Stovepipe Wells.
Along the way we pass the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
Finally, we arrive at Stovepipe Wells, our home for the next two nights. Mike and I bike 74 miles this day. Gordon bikes all but the first 13 miles.
We enthusiastically gather for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and place our orders only to discover that there is only one cook this evening! Nearly two hours later (after some of our bedtimes 🙂 ) our food finally arrives. (Thanks to Annette for the cheery pic.)

Day 5: Thursday, March 17. Mike and I, and eventually Chuck, begin a long out and back ride from Stovepipe Wells to the second and much higher Emigrant Pass of the tour. It is 9 miles to the turn to the pass and 14 more miles to the top.
Mike and I get to the turn just before the van arrives with most of the guests who have taken a bump to start the day. (Thanks to Jay for the pic.)
I ride the last few miles to the pass with Patti. By the time we get there the temperature has dropped to the mid 50s! (Thanks to Chuck for the nice pic.)
Soon Gordon joins me at the pass, but there is not much to see besides this sign. I started the day at 10 ft above sea level and so have climbed more than 5,300 ft. The return to Stovepipe Wells is the most incredible downhill of the tour!
After lunch we go for a 4-mile hike in Mosaic Canyon. I hiked here as a graduate student in 1966!
Soon the canyon narrows.
Jay climbs up a dry waterfall over water-polished rock.
When the canyon is blocked by a much taller dry waterfall, the way around is obvious.
Brian and Gordon are dwarfed by their surroundings at the top of that dry waterfall.
We end the day with a stargazing outing at the nearby sand dunes and see the International Space Station fly over. (Thanks to Jay for the cool pic!)

Day 6: Friday, March 18. To avoid a shuttle, I start the last day’s bike ride from Stovepipe Wells and leave before anyone else.
I scream around the turn at Beatty Junction to meet the van, which caught and passed me earlier. (Thanks to Jay for the nice pic.)
Chuck, Mike, and Lou catch me at the van’s first rest stop, and we get ready to resume our ride. Some bikes are still up top for guests who are taking a second bump. (Thanks to Jay for the pic.)
I approach the second rest stop and leave Death Valley behind. (Thanks to Gordon for the pic.)
While I grind up the road on my bike, Jay hikes to this vantage point to take a picture of the van at the second rest stop. It is called Hells Gate because of the sere canyon ahead.
Mike, Gordon, and I celebrate our arrival at Daylight Pass, the high point for the day.
After one last downhill, we cross into Nevada and reach Rhyolite, where our biking ends.
The oft-photographed Cook Bank building is a shadow of its former self.
Here is what it looked like in better times.
The train depot still looks good, but the railroad was profitable only during its first year in 1908.
You can read its sad story here.
This is the intrepid team of 12 bikers who started and finished the tour together: Jay, Brian, Wayne, Rebecca, Barb, Mike, Chuck, Annette, Steven, Patti, Lou, and Gordon.

Multi-talented Annette wrote the following poem to commemorate the tour.

A fond memory by Annette Orella

I’m here to tell you all a quick rhyme
Of a trip by fourteen once upon a time
To Death Valley they rode
Bicycling their mode
To partake of all possible sweat and grime

Of great import were the guests on the trip
Not just anyone can take on this ***blip****
It takes true guts
Or perhaps be a little nuts
To ride through the desert at a clip

From Oregon came Mike with Barb by his side
Three cross country trips a source of Mike’s pride
But she’s got a new plan
E-biking to catch up to her man
So up the hills her legs won’t be fried

From San Diego hailed Rebecca and sweet Lou
Up and down the dunes they both flew
Not a pool did they miss
And with push ups found bliss
Through the trip their broad smiles and good karmas grew

From Kansas and San Diego came the clan
Bikers all through and through to a man
Wayne a true EFI
Gordon sturdy and spry
Jay and Brian never opting for the van (at least that’s the way I’m choosing to remember it!)

Next from New York came Patti and Steve
Whose laughter was truly a reprieve
She cranked up each hill
Pulling others by pure will
And keeping all entertained by your leave

Partway through we were joined by Richard and Lee
Sadly only one biker would they be
But Lee carried the flame
Riding hard all the same
While Dear Richard patiently did a look-see

And last but not least Chuck – none too slow
Whose love for cycling continues to grow
As Annette tries to catch him
His sights never dim
As he continues to go go go go (go go go go go)

Now this story could not be complete
Without the people who enabled this feat
Our guides were the best
Keeping bellies full, minds at rest
Peter and Wylie thanks so much – what a week!

You might ask about our intrepid guide Wylie
Of whose praises we sing very highly
On each road he would dash
With tattoos and a stash
Providing care and encouragement kindly

This poem’s not complete without mention of Peter
Jersey born, a man of skills hard to beat(er)
Soft hearted and kind
Helping us out of many a bind
Having him guide was really a treat(er)

Now before we all say goodbye
And return home with a bit of a sigh
We’ll pack up one last time
Jump on bikes, turn on a dime
And drink in the desert landscape and sky.

Yellowstone Bike Tour in 2019

August 24, 2019December 27, 2022 | wpfeiffer

The last bike tour that Mary and I did together was with Lizard Head in and near Yellowstone National Park in August 2019. We biked EFI (every fricking inch) for the first four days with the following itinerary.

Day 0 (Saturday, August 17): Fly from San Diego to Seattle and on to Bozeman.
Day 1 (Sunday, August 18): Shuttle to West Yellowstone and then bike to Canyon Village (40 miles & 2,500 ft of climbing); this was my best birthday ever: riding a bike with my best friend through spectacular scenery in perfect weather with a tailwind!
Day 2 (Monday, August 19): Canyon Village <-> Yellowstone Lake with side trips to the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (47 miles & 2,300 ft).
Day 3 (Tuesday, August 20): Canyon Village -> Grant Village (66 miles & 3,700 ft).
Day 4 (Wednesday, August 21): Grant Village -> Cody (103 miles & 3,400 ft).

Mary did these challenging rides with a cold that worsened each day. By the time she got to Cody, she was exhausted and decided that she could not bike the even tougher days ahead. Thus she rested on Day 5 and flew home on Day 6 🙁

I continued on, however, with the following itinerary.

Day 5 (Thursday, August 22): Out-and-back from Cody along South Fork Road (52 miles & 2,000 ft).
Day 6 (Friday, August 23): Cody -> Cooke City (77 miles & 8,000 ft).
Day 7 (Saturday, August 24): Cooke City -> Red Lodge (66 miles & 5,300 ft); shuttle back to Bozeman.

Photos and commentary follow.

Day 0: Saturday, August 17. I had a great view of the High Sierra during our flight to Seattle; Thousand Island Lake is at the lower left, Banner Peak and Mount Ritter are at the lower center, and Mammoth Mountain is at the upper right.
Mount Rainier towers above the clouds in this view from our flight to Bozeman.

Day 1: Sunday, August 18. After a morning shuttle, we biked from West Yellowstone to Canyon Village; we followed the Madison River upstream to its source at the junction of the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers; we whizzed along with a tailwind most of the day
At the river junction, we continued up the Gibbon River
Steam vents are prominent throughout the Norris Geyser Basin
Emerald Spring gets its beautiful color from the combination of yellow from sulphur lining the pool and reflected blue light from the sky
Steamboat Geyser is the world’s tallest! major eruptions of 300 ft are infrequent; minor eruptions of 10 to 15 ft are common; although it is just steaming here, I have a video of a minor eruption
Day 2: Monday, August 19. We biked an out-and-back from Canyon Village to Yellowstone Lake
We followed the Yellowstone River for miles; on the way back we stopped at Hayden Valley, shown here, which is prime habitat for bison
This one was on the other side of the road; we saw lone males every day in the park but no herds; they were reportedly further north in Lamar Valley, which is closed to bicycle tours
When we neared Canyon Village, we took side trips to the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; this famous view is of the Lower Falls
The Upper Falls, though not as tall, is also impressive; we biked across the bridge above the falls
Day 3: Tuesday, August 20. We biked from Canyon Village to Grant Village and went past many more steam vents
Old Faithful was true to its name; thousands of people joined us to watch this spectacle; I also have videos of the eruption
We crossed the Continental Divide from west to east twice; this first crossing of the day at Craig Pass featured Isa Lake, a narrow little lake covered with lily pads
You can read here about this remarkable little lake
Day 4: Wednesday, August 21. We biked from Grant Village to Cody, outside the park; here are our vans and trailers at the first rest stop; the bikes on top of the blue trailer belong to guests who wanted a “bump” so they would not need to do the entire 103-mile ride
Throughout the park, we passed miles and miles of burnt trees from various fires, the most massive of which were in 1988; these trees are above Yellowstone Lake
After a steady climb, we reached Sylvan Pass at Mile 43; from here we had 60 miles of downhill to Cody! along the way, we left the park via its east entrance and encountered sporadic showers
Our long downhill followed the North Fork Shoshone River
We biked through three tunnels at Shoshone Canyon; this is the first and longest one
A weary but relieved Mary stands in front of the cabins at Buffalo Bill Village in Cody, our home for this night and the next; her face and helmet are spattered with mud from drafting me on rain-soaked roads; in the four days since we left West Yellowstone, we biked EFI (every fricking inch) without a shuttle, covering 256 miles and climbing 11,900 feet

Day 5: Thursday, August 22. This was an optional rest day, but I chose to do a relatively easy out-and-back ride on South Fork Road, which follows the valley of the South Fork Shoshone River; the lack of traffic compared to Yellowstone was a pleasant change; I got worried when my thermometer hit 93 °F before the turnaround; fortunately clouds moved in and dropped the temperature by 10 °F
The most distinctive landmark along the way was Castle Rock, shown here left of the sign
Day 6: Friday, August 23. I was one of only six or so guests who biked all 77 miles from Cody to Cooke City; most shuttled the first 17 miles to the start of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, which covered all but 13 of the remaining miles to Cooke City
These are the long, sweeping switchbacks that I climbed at the start of the byway
Eventually I got to Dead Indian Pass (8,071 ft), which commemorates the unsuccessful 1877 flight of the Nez Perce to escape the US Army; this is the jaw-dropping view of the switchbacks I descended from the pass; at the bottom, I crossed Dead Indian Creek and had a gradual climb from there almost all the way to Cooke City
After crossing Dead Indian Creek, the byway first goes along a bench above the canyon of Clarks Fork Yellowstone River and later follows the river itself; Pilot Peak is the pointed spire in the distance
This group photo in Cooke City shows our 20 guests (without Mary) and four guides
Day 7: Saturday, August 24 The last day’s ride was entirely on the Beartooth Highway from Cooke City to Red Lodge; the first 13 miles retraced the end of the previous day’s ride except that the temperature was in the 30s most of the way and reached a low of 35 °F! fortunately it got warmer once the sun came up and we started to climb; this view back shows Pilot Peak in the morning light
Once again, there were long, sweeping switchbacks to climb; this view back above timberline is just below the summit
Here I am at Beartooth Pass, the high point of the tour!
After crossing the summit plateau, I was treated to an incredible downhill all the way to Red Lodge; long straights were broken up by these spectacular switchbacks going down; at one point I hit 43 mph in a 45 mph zone!
Four happy bikers celebrate the end of an awesome tour in Red Lodge; Bruce, Ilse, and Jeff are friends from Vancouver who biked with Mary and me in Arizona three years before; in the final three days, I biked 195 miles and climbed 15,300 feet, which gave a total of 451 miles and 27,200 feet for the week

Chile Bike tour in 2019

March 11, 2019December 27, 2022 | wpfeiffer

Betsy, Gordon, Mary, and I did a seven-day bike tour with Ecotours Chile in the lake district of Chile in March 2019. This tour was on Mary’s bucket list for years, and she was thrilled when the kids and I finally went with her 🙂 Here is the itinerary for our tour.

Day 0 (Sunday, March 3): We arrive in Santiago after a 14-hour, overnight flight from Los Angeles and check into our Airbnb. In the afternoon, Betsy, Mary, and I walk to Cerro Santa Lucia and visit the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts on the way back.

Day 1 (Monday, March 4): We fly to Temuco and meet our guide David, driver Javier, and the other two guests, Jennifer and Linda, who are sisters from Pittsburg Kansas. We shuttle to Corralco Lodge at the base of Volcán Lonquimay and bike 15 miles (with 1,800 ft of climbing) to Túnel las Raíces and back in the afternoon.

Day 2 (Tuesday, March 5): We shuttle through the tunnel and then bike for 66 miles (5,200 ft) through Liucura to Paso Pino Hachado and back to Liucura, after which we shuttle back to Corralco Lodge.

Day 3 (Wednesday, March 6): We bike mostly downhill for 61 miles (2,100 ft) from Corralco Lodge to Lautero and then shuttle to Pucón on Lago Villarrica at the base of Volcán Villarrica. We spend the first of two nights at Hotel Vientos del Sur.

Day 4 (Thursday, March 7): We bike from Pucón to Lago Caburgua and then on to Termas Huife where we soak in the hot springs. We bike a little more for a total ride of 44 miles (3,500 ft) and shuttle the last few miles back to Pucón.

Day 5 (Friday, March 8): We shuttle to Panguipulli and then bike 43 miles (4,300 ft) along the east shore of Lago Panguipulli and on past Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco to Puerto Fuy on Lago Piriheico. We spend the night at the Marina Fuy Hotel.

Day 6 (Saturday, March 9): We shuttle to a Nestlé plant south of Osorno and bike 47 miles (2,400 ft) along the west shore of Lago Llanquihue to a little beyond Frutillar. We do a short shuttle to Puerto Varas on Lago Llanquihue. We spend two nights there at Casa Kalfu Hotel.

Day 7 (Sunday, March 10): We bike from Puerto Varas along the south shore of Lago Llanquihue to Volcán Osorno. Betsy and Mary do all but the last four miles of the very steep climb up Osorno, while Gordon and I go all the way to the end of the road at the ski resort for 37 miles (5,000 ft). We then shuttle back to Puerto Varas.

Day 8 (Monday, March 11): We walk around Puerto Varas, take a shuttle to Puerto Montt, and fly to Punta Arenas where we start our trekking tour the next day 🙂 We spend the night at Hotel Rey Don Felipe.

Photos and commentary follow.

Day 0 (Sunday, March 3): Mary makes friends with a llama in Santiago.
Betsy and Mary stand below Cerro Santa Lucia in Santiago.

Day 1 (Monday, March 4): In the afternoon we arrive at Corralco Lodge, the ski resort where we spend two nights. It is at the base of Volcán Longquimay (9,400 ft), which last erupted in 1990. We go for a 15-mile, out-and-back bike ride before dinner.
Monkey puzzle trees surround the lodge. Their tough, long-lived leaves have sharp edges and points.
Stray dogs are common throughout Chile. This one hung out at the lodge, where the temperature was close to freezing overnight. Mary gave it food scraps after our meals.

Day 2 (Tuesday, March 5): David and Javier help the guests get ready to bike.
Betsy starts our longest day of biking (66 miles) after we shuttle through Túnel las Raíces. That single-lane tunnel is the longest in Chile (2.8 miles) and is just below the Sierra Nevada volcano (8,379 ft), the white-capped mountain in the distance.
We are in the Araucanía Region. We started biking east of the tunnel and are going southeast to Paso Pino Hachado.
Mary climbs to the pass above the Río Biobío valley.
I summit Paso Pino Hachado (6,181 ft) at the border between Chile and Argentina, our turnaround for the day.
Mary summits too after breaking wind for Gordon on much of the climb.
These monuments mark the border.
Gordon whizzes down the thrilling descent back to Liucura in the valley below.

Day 3 (Wednesday, March 6): We have an easy, 60-mile ride mostly downhill from Corralco Lodge to Lautero. After that, we shuttle to Pucón, where we spend two nights at the Hotel Vientos del Sur.

Day 4 (Thursday, March 7): We do another easy ride for 44 miles near Pucón. There are birds and cattle on one side of the road …
and llamas on the other side.
Eventually we get to some hot springs.
We enjoy the pool and hot springs, which are uncrowded on a cloudy day.
After soaking and eating lunch, we bike a little further.
Gordon’s and my favorite part of the ride is stopping to eat wild blackberries 🙂

Day 5 (Friday, March 8): We gather for a family photo at Lago Villaricca below Volcán Villaricca before shuttling from Pucón to Panguipulli.
We start biking outside of Panguipulli and ride for 43 miles along the east shore of Lago Panguipulli to the other side of Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco (7,946 ft) in the distance.
Javier has a healthy snack ready for us along the way.
We go past this cool kayak course on the river below.
We spend the night at the Marina Fuy Hotel on Lago Piriheico.

Day 6 (Saturday, March 9): We shuttle south past Osorno and then bike to this restaurant, where Mary relaxes after eating a delicious buffet.
These llamas are in a field next to the restaurant, which has a spectacular view overlooking Lago Llanquihue with Volcán Osorno (8,701 ft) in the distance. The volcano last erupted in 1869.
We bike 47 miles and shuttle the last bit to Puerto Varas, where we spend two nights at bike-friendly Casa Kalfu Hotel.

Day 7 (Sunday, March 10): On our final day of biking, we continue around Lago Llanquihue to the base of Volcán Orsono.
Betsy, Gordon, and Mary approach the base of the 8-mile climb to the end of the road at the ski resort below the summer snow line. Betsy and Mary do half of that very steep climb, while Gordon, David, and I bike all the way. Some pitches are between 16 and 20% grade!
Gordon makes the last part of the climb look easy.
Gordon, David, and I celebrate the climb and the end of a successful tour at the ski resort!

West Texas Bike Tour in 2017

April 15, 2017December 27, 2022 | wpfeiffer

Mary and I did a seven-day bike tour with Lizard Head in West Texas during April 2017, covering 382 miles on our bikes. We rode three days in the Davis Mountains and four days in the Big Bend parks on good roads with very little traffic. We did more shuttles than on previous trips but shared them with very interesting guests and our guides, John and Leslie. Here is a brief summary.

On Day 1 (Sunday, April 9): We shuttle from El Paso to just south of Kent. We then bike 38 miles into a strong headwind on the west side of the Davis Mountains and do another shuttle to our overnight stay in Marfa. This town was made famous by the movie Giant, which was filmed west of town.

On Day 2 (Monday, April 10): We shuttle to Fort Leaton just east of Presidio and then bike 59 miles to the ghost town of Terlingua. It has a population of 58, not including ghosts. This ride is up and down along the Rio Grande, mostly in Big Bend State Park. The air temperature is in the 90s, but our bike thermometers read in the 100s. We spend the first of three nights in Terlingua, which is just outside Big Bend National Park.

On Day 3 (Tuesday, April 11): We bike 48 miles from Terlingua to the Santa Elena Canyon of the Rio Grande, where we hike and wade in the river before shuttling back to our ghost town. We bike a U-shaped route, mostly in the national park, with an uphill headwind on the first leg and a downhill tailwind on the last leg.

On Day 4 (Wednesday, April 12): We bike up to the Chisos Basin, go on a hike, and bike back to Terlingua. We do 58 miles on our bikes, covering some of the same route as the day before. Mary’s GPS says that she sets a new 40-km speed record on the way back, as we go downhill with a tailwind most of the way. We see some scraggly lupine flowers, which are evidently called bluebonnets in Texas.

On Day 5 (Thursday, April 13): We shuttle to Panther Junction and then bike 68 miles out of the national park to Marathon. The scenery is pretty bleak, but are lots of small wildflowers and interesting roadkill: a deer, badger, peccary, and vulture.

On Day 6 (Friday, April 14): We shuttle to Fort Davis and the then bike the Davis Mountains loop, part of which reverses our first day’s ride. This is reportedly the best ride in Texas, and the last part of our 75-mile clockwise loop is very nice. Mary and I also add three bonus miles climbing to the top of Mt Locke where the 2.7- and 2.1-m telescopes of the McDonald Observatory are located.

On Day 7 (Saturday, April 15): We do a blazing downhill ride for 33 miles from Fort Davis to San Solomon Springs at Balmorhea State Park. There we swim with fish in the huge, freshwater pool. Afterward we shuttle back to El Paso.

Photos and commentary follow.

Day 1: Sawtooth Mountain in the Davis Mountains
Day 2: Flash flood gauge; it is hard to believe that there is ever 5 feet of water in this desert wash
Day 2: The Rio Grande, a strip of green across miles of desert
Day 2: Remains of Contrabando, a ghost town on the Rio Grande used as a set for several Western movies; most building were torn down recently
Day 2: The ghost town of Terlingua is on the light-colored ridge straight ahead with the Chisos Mountains in the distance
Day 2: Reunion in Terlingua! Remarkably, Mary and Wayne had dinner with her sister Ann and husband Dick (on the right) along with their good friends Jerry and Suzanne (on the left), who were on a separate trip to West Texas at the same time!
Days 2 to 5: Downtown Terlingua as seen from Mimi’s Room 6, our lodging for three nights; many ruins, such as those in the foreground, dot the area
Days 2 to 5: Some ruins have been repurposed, such as this one where we had breakfast each morning; there was always a line when it opened at 7:30 am
Days 2 to 5: Mimi’s Room 6 where we stayed at La Posada Milagro; the bedroom is another repurposed ruin, while the bathroom on the right is new
Day 3: Santa Elena Canyon of the Rio Grande
Day 3: Rio Grande where it exits Santa Elena Canyon; we waded across it here from the US to Mexico (left to right)
Day 4: Biking to the Chisos Basin
Day 4: Hiking the Chisos Basin loop
Day 4: Biking back from the Chisos Basin, which is in the deepest notch of the Chisos Mountains in the distance; to get there we biked around the left ridge and went up the other side
Day 5: Cactus flowers
Day 5: The Gage Hotel where we spent the night in Marathon; our guides, Leslie and John, are securing the bikes on top of the van for the next day’s shuttle to Fort Davis
Day 6. Drug store and hotel in Fort Davis; we stayed across the street at the Limpia Hotel
Day 6. Entrance to the McDonald Observatory; the 10-m telescope in the distance is on Mt Fowlkes; we climbed Mt Locke, which is 150 ft higher behind the trees to the right
Day 6: On top of 6,790-ft Mt Locke in front of the 2.7-m telescope; there is also a 2.1-m telescope nearby
Day 7: Indian paintbrush
Day 7: End of the biking at San Solomon Springs
Day 7: Huge, freshwater swimming pool at San Solomon Springs; we swam all the way around this nearly two-acre pool; the water is very clear and up to 25 feet deep with lots of fish

Arizona Bike Tour in 2016

April 1, 2016December 27, 2022 | wpfeiffer

Day 0 (Saturday, March 26): Mary and I drive to Tucson for the start of the six-day Trail of the Apaches bike tour with Lizard Head. To break up the drive, we do a 27-mile warmup ride in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California.

Day 1 (Sunday, March 27): Mary and I are joined by my brother Jay for the start of the tour near Tucson. We bike a 25-mile loop in Saguaro National Park and do a 7-mile round-trip hike up Wasson Peak.

Day 2 (Monday, March 28): We bike up Kitt Peak and finish with another ride through Saguaro National Park for 49 miles total. We again spend the night near Tucson.

Day 3 (Tuesday, March 29): We shuttle to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and bike 46 miles through Arivaca to Arivaca Junction. After another shuttle over a busy stretch of road, Mary and I, along with guide Emily, get on our bikes again for the last 18 miles and finish in Patagonia with 64 miles overall.

Day 4 (Wednesday, March 30): We bike 62 miles from Patagonia to Parker Canyon Lake and then back to a winery near Sonoita. After that we shuttle to Bisbee, an old mining town. During the bike ride, Jay sees a herd of pronghorns, and Mary sees a javelina. Along the way the cable breaks for the rear derailleur on Mary’s bike. Mitch, our second guide and mechanic, is unable to repair the cable, but sets the derailleur so that Mary has three reasonable gears in front to continue riding.

Day 5 (Thursday, March 31): We bike 77 miles from Bisbee in Arizona to Rodeo, just across the state line in New Mexico. The weather is cool but sunny at the start. As the day wears on, the skies become more ominous, and we are treated to rain and sleet just before we finish our ride. After the clouds depart that night, we view the Milky Way in all its glory.

Day 6 (Friday, April 1): We abandon our original plan to bike up Mount Graham because its summit of over 10,000 ft is predicted to have a high temperature in the 30s with a chance of snow. Instead, all of the guests do a short 16-mile bike ride into beautiful Cave Creek Canyon, and some of us follow that with a strenuous 9-mile round-trip hike up 8,000-ft Silver Peak.

Photos follow, and the captions include the names of a few of the many mountain ranges in Arizona.

Day 0: We are welcomed to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Day 0: This sign on the entry monument reflects Mary’s view of the desert
Day 0: But that’s not right! There are ocotillos!
Day 0: And wind turbines!

Day 1: I join Mary and Jay for the start of another great adventure with saguaro cacti behind us
Day 1: Emily, one of our two guides, poses with us on top of Gates Pass; Emily says that the saguaros look like whiskers
Day 1: Wasson Peak, our 4,687-ft hiking objective; the 7-mile climb to the top and back turned out to be more challenging than the day’s 25-mile bike ride
Day 1: Hedgehog cactus flowers in bloom
Day 1: Trail near the top of Wasson Peak; we started way down in the valley to the left
Day 1: On top of Wasson Peak! Tucson is in the valley below

Day 2: Mary starts the climb up telescope-topped Kitt Peak, which is 6,883 ft high
Mary powers up the windy climb (photo by Mitch Clinton)
Day 2: I power up the climb behind her (photo by Mitch Clinton)
Day 2: Here are some of the 24 telescopes on top of Kitt Peak! The dome at the left is for the largest one, the 4-m Mayall telescope
Day 2: A welcome sign on top lists the many universities that participate in the operation of the observatory
Day 2: There is a great view of Baboquivari Peak from the top of Kitt Peak
Day 2: Mary whizzes back down; there are strong, gusty winds, and Mary and I are the only ones who bike down
Day 2: Mary climbs Gates Pass for the third time in two days

Day 3: Jay and I start the day’s ride in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in the Altar Valley
Day 3: Mary climbs out of the Altar Valley to Arivaca; Mary and I lead the pack after fighting a ferocious headwind; the Baboquivari Mountains are in the distance
Day 3: Clumps of verbena add color along the way
Day 3: Jay and our guide Mitch do a climb after leaving Arivaca; the San Luis Mountains are in the distance
Day 3: The Stage Stop Inn, where we spend the night in Patagonia

Day 4: Mary rides the road to Parker Canyon Lake; the Huachuca Mountains are in the distance
Day 4: Jay works hard to smile on the climb to the lake; the Mustang Mountains are in the distance
Day 4: View of arid rangeland and the Mustang Mountains on the way back from the lake
Day 4: We end the ride at the Sonoita Vineyards; it is hard to believe that folks can make a living growing grapes and making wine out here
Day 4: We shuttle to the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, where we spend the night

Day 5: Our team of 11 geriatric guests and young guide Emily pose to start the day; our other guide Mitch takes the picture; seven of the guests are from Canada
Day 5: Colorful bike store in Bisbee
Day 5: The Copper Queen open-pit mine
Day 5: How the pit was made
Day 5: Mary bikes through the San Bernardino Valley on the road from Bisbee AZ to Rodeo NM; the Perilla Mountains are in the background
Day 5: Monument in Apache near where Geronimo surrendered
Day 5: Rainbow at end of the day from the Painted Pony Resort north of Rodeo NM; the Peloncilla Mountains are in the distance

Day 6: Mary bikes toward Silver Peak, which we hike up later; it is one of the most prominent peaks in the Chiricahua Mountains
Day 6: We enter Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains
Day 6: One of six deer that we see in the canyon
Day 6: Emily and Jeff (from Vancouver) lead Mary on the trail from the canyon to Silver Peak
Day 6: Cholla in bloom; it is known as the “jumping cactus” because of the ease with which its stems detach and stick to passersby; we give these cacti a wide berth
Day 6: We make it to the summit of Silver Peak, the highest point of our tour; various elevations are listed online, but the benchmark at the summit says 8,020 feet above sea level; the foundation is for a lookout that burned down during a thunderstorm in 1992
Day 6: Mary signs the summit register to top off a great tour!

Colorado Cols Bike Tour in 2015

July 4, 2015March 18, 2023 | wpfeiffer

Mary and I rode the Colorado Cols bike tour with Lizard Head in June and July 2015. Over seven days we covered 540 miles, including two centuries, with 36,000 ft of climbing. Bruce from Chicago was the only other guest, and Emily was our only guide. John Humphries, who runs Lizard Head, made special arrangements so we could do this tour with only three guests. We really appreciated that 🙂

Here is what we did each day.

On Day 0 (Saturday, June 27): We drive from Colorado Springs to Grand Junction after finishing the Spanish Peaks and Great Sand Dunes tour the day before. We visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park along the way.

On Day 1 (Sunday, June 28): We shuttle to Mesa and bike 70 miles (with 6,600 ft of climbing) to Paonia over Grand Mesa. We rate this our best Lizard Head cycling day yet!

On Day 2 (Monday, June 29) We bike a shortcut from Paonia to Crested Butte over 10,007-ft Kebler Pass. It is only 47 miles (5,000 ft) compared to the 110-mile recommended route. However, 23 miles of the shortcut are dirt and gravel, which is why it is not recommended. We manage to make it on our road bikes without falling, see beautiful scenery, and get to Crested Butte early in the afternoon.

On Day 3 (Tuesday, June 30): This is the Queen Stage of the tour, i.e., the longest distance. We go 134 miles (8,000 ft) from Crested Butte to Creede. Mary and I bike all the way in 13 hours!! She is only the second woman to do this on a Colorado Cols tour. We follow several rivers and go over two high passes: Slumgullion and Spring Creek. We have perfect weather with mild temperatures and very little wind. Bruce completes the bike ride too but gets sick afterward and rides in the van for the rest of the tour 🙁

On Day 4 (Wednesday, July 1): We bike 65 miles (3,100 ft) from Creede to Pagosa Springs and go over Wolf Creek Pass. This is net downhill and easy compared to the day before. Soon after we get to Pagosa Springs a spectacular thunderstorm arrives. While we are soaking in our first pool the light rain turns to heavy hail. The pools take on a new dimension as the water jumps up when the hailstones hit. Before long the pounding on our heads makes us want our bicycle helmets. That and nearby lightning prompt us to go inside until the storm passes. Afterward the hail is piled up like snow in many places.

On Day 5 (Thursday, July 2): This is nominally a rest day. However, we do an easy 31-mile loop west of town (1,900 ft). We have lunch by a lake that reminds us of Wisconsin. Afterward we soak in several pools without worrying about hail and lightning 🙂

On Day 6 (Friday, July 3): We shuttle from Pagosa Springs to Durango and then bike 72 miles (7,500 ft) from there to Ouray through the spectacular San Juan Mountains. We go over three high passes – Coal Bank, Molas, and Red Mountain – and descend one of the most incredible roads we have ever been on: the Million Dollar Highway. We spend the night in an “unusual” room at the Columbus Hotel, the last hotel in Ouray with any rooms on the holiday weekend.

On Day 7 (Saturday, July 4): We celebrate our anniversary by biking 121 miles (3,900 ft) from Ouray to Gateway. We do one more climb to nearly 9,000 feet, but the rest is mostly downhill following the San Miguel and Delores Rivers. The ride begins with cold rain as we leave the mountains and finishes in desert heat moderated by high clouds.

Photos and commentary follow.

Day 0 (Saturday, June 27): We go for a hike above the Black Canyon of the Gunnison on our drive between two bike tours.

Day 1 (Sunday, June 28): After a shuttle from Grand Junction, we begin biking in Mesa.
Mary starts the climb up Grand Mesa. The Book Cliffs on the other side of the Colorado River are in the distance.
We pass a beaver dam along the way.
We have lunch by this lake near the top of the mesa.
We spend the night at the Bross Hotel in Paonia. This town looks like Evansville Wisconsin, where Mary grew up.

Day 2 (Monday, June 29): We follow the North Fork of the Gunnison River for miles.
We bike up a good dirt road to Kebler Pass.
We reach Kebler Pass at 10,007 ft. The road is paved at the pass but is dirt on either side!
Crested Butte towers above the town of the same name.
We spend the night at Elk Mountain Lodge. Many buildings in town have bicycles in front.
Mary, Emily, Bruce, and I relax while we wait for dinner.

Day 3 (Tuesday, June 30): This is the elevation profile for today’s 134-mile Queen Stage. Slumgullion Summit is the big peak at Mile 94. The total climbing for the day is 8,000 ft.
We bike upstream for miles along the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River.
Mary climbs up Slumgullion Summit.
We celebrate reaching the top of Slumgullion Summit. This is the highest pass on the tour.
After a brief downhill, we climb again to Spring Creek Pass, which is just a bump after Slumgullion. The water on the side that we came up on drains into the Colorado River, while the water on the downhill side drains into the Rio Grande.
Wildflowers are in bloom along the headwaters of the Rio Grande.
Two happy bikers celebrate in Creede after their 134-mile ride!!

Day 4 (Wednesday, July 1): After we leave Creede, Mary rolls downhill along the Rio Grande.
The day includes one big climb up Wolf Creek Pass at 10,857 ft. There we cross back from the Rio Grande side of the Continental Divide to the Colorado River side.
We are treated to a delightful descent down these switchbacks on the way to Pagosa Springs.
We spend two nights at the Springs Resort and Spa. The San Juan River is in the foreground.
While we soak in the springs a thunderstorm passes overhead and piles hailstones next to this sidewalk and on the window sill.

Day 5 (Thursday, July 2): On our rest day we do an easy out-and-back ride to Hatcher Lake where we have lunch. This lake reminds us of Wisconsin.
When we get back to the springs we check out the Lobster Pot. At 112 °F it is the hottest pool and is never very busy 🙂
The Top O’ the Mornin’ pool is our favorite.

Day 6 (Friday, July 3): We begin biking in Durango after a shuttle from Pagosa Springs and see these deer just out of town. We see lots of deer on the tour, but these are the only ones who seem unconcerned about being close to people.
We bike along a flat country road in the Animas River valley before climbing over the San Juan Mountains in the distance.
We have a great view of the high country in the San Juan Mountains just after we top Coal Bank Pass.
Red Mountain Pass is the third and highest of the day.
We bike down the incredible Million Dollar Highway on our way to Ouray. The road is notched into cliffs with no guard rails, so everyone goes slowly, whether in cars or on bikes.
Mary poses at an overlook above Ouray.

Day 7 (Saturday, July 4): We bike in a cold rain as we leave Ouray but are treated to this beautiful, parting view of the San Juan Mountains after the rain stops.
Mary climbs Norwood “Hill” after following the San Miguel River for miles and miles.
Next we come to the Dolores River with its Hanging Flume in the right center.
This is a zoom of the flume. Most of the wooden parts are gone with just some of the iron “bents” that supported it left. This flume was built in the 1880s to move water downstream at high enough elevation to provide the pressure needed for hydraulic mining of gold.
Emily soaks Mary with the hose from a cold spring near the end of our ride.
Mary, Emily, and I celebrate the end of a great tour below the Palisade in Gateway. Mary and I biked “every fricking inch” of this tour, including two century rides of over 120 miles!