Never know what you come across during a ride.

AFTER riding thru sand washes, rocks, boulders, eroded downhill rutted tracks, and dry creek beds, the City of greater Phoenix reaches far and wide into what, not that long ago, was the exclusive domain of rattlers, scorpions, Saguaro cactus and mesquite bushes.

Heavy winter rains, including several downpours during my latest visit, had created temporary lakes in what would otherwise be simply an old gravel pit or depression in the desert. These small water holes are quickly turned into welcome habitat for marsh ducks and other waterfowl.

By mid summer, they will all be long gone...

Having overflown an area of many square miles in the Challenger's front cockpit, I spotted amongst other anomalies, what appeared to be a series of trails and a race course. Once on the ground and back on the DR... I headed on the general direction hoping to find some of the sights I'd observed from the air. After several dead ends, I came across a stock car oval and MX track, where several riders were practising what the following day would be a full fledged "endurance" MX race.

Utilizing the race track and the surrounding desert, riders would battle for what amounts to little honor but major satisfaction only found from pitting yourself, your talents and your machine against not only the next competitor... but the terrain. In this case, Race Day would be further complicated by all day unseasonal steady and at times, heavy rains.

Wandering around the race course, brings back many memories of my own racing days. YZ Yamaha's, Kawasaki KX's and others including CR's RM, Huskies, Can Ams and more. Even though I am well beyond those days, my palms still sweat and my pulse races whenever I am around racing machinery.

It's kind of a shame really... even out here at an MX track, it's pretty much all four strokes now. Hardly the happy wail of a stroker to be heard. The US has been moving to limit two stroke use off road for several years now.

I miss the snappy response and the quick revving zing zing of those old, light weight, easy to maintain race bikes. To say nothing of their superior starting ability if you fell over! They are almost a thing of the past.

I wanted to take my DR out on the course, rev the guts out of it and launch it off the jumps! Rules and discretion dictated otherwise. I would be content to watch and ride my little Doctor around in the open desert, after all... who knows how long that will last before it's legislated away.

Arizona has enacted laws now, that requires permits and equipment to ride out there. It won't be that much longer even that will be limited. Then what? Back to Baja me thinks...

For now, I am happy puttering along, checking out what's around the next wash or bend. Trying not to crash, enjoying the solitude that only the deserts of the planet provide, devoid of the trappings and sprawl of civilizations... maybe going for the odd flight in an Ultra light, looking for the elusive trail that will lead me to my own "Eldorado"

Take care all.