Burn lines….Finally. My skin hasn’t seen the light of day since October, at best. I am psyched I finally made it out of the Durango winter tundra in the search of a mtb dirt shredding weekend and found ourselves in…Phoenix, AZ.

I know weird.

Phoenix is not normally an mtb destination but when you got a free place to stay, I have to say its trails beat Sedona (and Snowbird prices). When I first rolled into Phoenix I went to the only place that I know of in Phoenix McDowell park where I have raced about 4 times so I figured I could shred some singletrack and be in the sun for a few hours. I always forget how fun it is riding there at the park probably because it is totally different from what I would normally ride anywhere else in the country.

After doing a few laps of the course and finding new trails I haven’t hit before I called it a day and headed to the house. I originally had planned on getting in some base miles going pretty easy but theres something about your first ride in the sun that makes you go crazy and kick your own ass. I ended up doing those 2 laps within 3 minutes of my lap times from the last year I raced there….ouch. Needless to say I was a bit tuckered that night.

The next day I got some info on a different trail system that was “really close” to where I was staying, I always forget when I am not in Durango really close means a 30min drive through the city. Did I mention it was 75 degrees there? heck yea! So I rolled out bright and early at 1 after a long sea level coma sleep and shredded some new to me singletrack which is always a good time. After about 4 hrs of destroying singletrack in 70 degree weather and only 2 bottles I was pooped. A refueling stop of gatorade and chocolate milk at a gas station and I was feeling ready to partake on a big “Paysta” feed that night and a few beers I went back into that lovely coma state.

Sunday I ended up waking up a lot earlier so I could ride a little longer and have some part of the day to do something but after a talent scouting mission at starbucks I ended up only leaving an hr. early then the day before. In the end I was able to still get about 4 hrs of singletrack shredding in short sleeves once again. That night the good folks I was staying with had a little get together with a big feast and a lot of beer so I partook on the festivities and made it a little longer night then planned but good times were had by all.

The next day I paid a bit for that late night and was a little hurt up for the drive back. The drive back was a quite one not much singing along with Miley Cyrus or Alisha Keyes on that drive back. Mainly due to the fact that we were leaving warm weather and going back to the tundra. It felt like I was 7 and I was in the family car leaving Disney land in the distance on my way back home and back to school.

Now that I am back in Durango it is cold cloudy and I am sick sooooooo Yippie.

Later,
Adam