AriDzona

Turn right, turn left on Olive Ave and go 10.3 miles straight west to White Tank Mountains.

YOU would find it hard to believe the desert could be so quiet.  Apart from the very occasional tweet from an unseen but nearby bird, and maybe the odd fly buzzing you at low level like an A 10 from Davis-Monthan airbase in Tuscon, it's dead quiet.  The temperature is in the high 20's, there is only a whiff of a breeze as I climb to higher elevations and shade is sparse.  I moderate my pace, stopping in what little shade I find even if its only a foot wide Saguaro cactus providing it, take two swings from my lemonade and continue on. 



I'm in the White Tank mountains Regional park just to the west of the city of Peoria in a place called Waddell, which really only seems like a name on a map.  I've come to view the unique library built in the foothills, and tour through the tiny interpretive center where I meet Nancy, formerly of Seattle WA and also as I find out, a former motorcyclist that's given it up as unsafe.  True, she misses riding but I respect her decision. 

Motorcycling is dangerous. 

Don't even let anyone tell you otherwise.  You have very limited protection and that only as comfortable on your body, there is nothing between you and the pavement except for some air, luck and common sense.  You need bucket-loads of that to keep that thin layer of air between you and anything hard.  Whenever I ride down here I am always ultra conscious of traffic.  It moves fast, there's lots of it and driving skills vary a great deal. About the only advantage there is could be provided by the weather.  Motorcycles are in use here year round, so at least drivers are accustomed to seeing us, a hazard we face every new season in Canada. 

 

My daily rider here is a 150 cc 9 BHP scooter called an Adventure by the makers, some Chinese factory in the outskirts of Beijing no doubt.  Although it will out accelerate traffic up to about 40 mph, which is the speed on most surface streets, it's top speed of around 90 kph or 55 mph is not enough for freeway use. 

Stunning Maricopa County library

Spotted in the parking lot, I almost have as much hp as this guy!

I admit I have done some of that with the scooter and sometimes it IS an adventure, like on my last years 170m / 270 km day trip to points west.  Nine rumbling horses means having to gauge how fast that F 150 with the MONSTER tires is closing from behind and estimating just how far over the posted 45 mph speed limit he's traveling. As I change lanes using lights and arm signals with my dayglo neon yellow/green gloves, I'd say he's doing 60-65 mph as he passes me.  I'm conscious of the fact my head is at the same approximate height as his monster mudders! His 36 lug nuts are probably half the weight of my C'Haun L scooter and I'm so close I can almost read the date of manufacture of the tires!

80 MPG!  I qualify as eco friendly in my books.

I'll admit I've more or less become a fair weather rider in the 48 years I've been twisting throttle.  Once past 60, you appreciate the warmth and comfort that a nice sunny day brings to you.  Gone are the days I'd ride 600 miles then park my body on a blow up mattress that often had an unseen leak that somehow wasn't there when you tried it out before packing it.   A blow up mattress is pretty useless at that point.



Today, while at the Maricopa county library, I park my scooter in the "reserved for eco friendly and frugal cars" parking. Hey, there's at least a little shade and at close to 80mpg, I figure someone would have a hard time arguing the fact that I don't meet the rules!



Nobody does and as often they do, people comment on what a good looking machine I have.  It's sparkling silver/blue with the matching top trunk, is good looking in a Tony Curtis kind of way... I don't care if he was gay, he was good looking and Hungarian to boot.


AFTER the once over in the building having paid for a couple of things including my 2$ fee for trail use I'm on my way to the Waterfalls. As often is the case, I have no plan.  I'm pretty certain that the "waterfalls" will be bone dry, after all, it rarely rains here and the nature of the terrain tends to dissipate any water quickly before it evaporates or sinks into the ground.  Way back in '98, on the back leg of Deb's and my Baja adventure, I'd found the Castle Hot Springs road north of the city and having rained the previous day, the dry riverbeds were actually flowing rivers.  Deb had felt bad about not tackling a couple of the water crossing we did in Northern Baja during our 6 week ride, so I took her back to the CHS road and found, well little water left. Where there was running water a hundred feet wide and as much as 2 feet deep just 24 hours before, now was barely enough to wet the tires! 

Picked this up for grand son William, could be his first reader...

It had rained solid for an entire day since my latest arrival, that was a week ago and I was not expecting to see any running water today.  Armed as it were with a map and guided by posted signs I walked from the Library, passed the Bajada Trail and then connected to the Black Rock long loop.  I wasn't sure if I could do the entire loop as it meant walking more than 5 miles in bright sunshine and nearly 30C heat, but I knew that I could head back on any connecting trail at any time.  I wasn't really equipped for walking having chosen to wear dark cargo pants, a black T and sandals on my feet, but after all I was here and like I said, I could turn back at any point.  At least I could unzip my pant legs and I had thought to put on sunscreen on arms and face prior to leaving home...