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Biking in The Sonoran Desert: Crankin’ up the Heat
By Tracey Rayson
Mountain biking need not be performed in the mountains
to be considered worthy of its namesake. In fact, a
traverse through Arizona's Sonoran desert caught me
grip-shifting into granny gear--quad power I didn't
expect to unleash.
It's an option as individual as the desert bike tour
itself. The area in the eastern watershed of the
McDowell Mountains, at the edge of Scottsdale Arizona,
is my introduction to desert mountain biking. The
landscape is unexpectedly motley and I am told that,
typically, any vegetation does very well here.
Sonoran surprises aren't limited to the richly
textured terrain. Let's face it. Few mountain biking
treks begin with rattlesnake warnings. "We have a
responsibility to the ecology," says Jim Dykes, owner
of mountain-biking outfitter, Desert Biking
Adventures. "Snakes have the right of way here."
Simple deduction. Can't argue with that, nor would I
want to. Admirably, he holds lofty values for the
preservation of the fragile desert ecosystem.
Established in 1992, Desert Biking Adventures was
founded to provide small groups a personal and
enjoyable desert biking experience. Dykes believes,
"there is no better way to enjoy and appreciate the
beauty of the Sonoran Desert. We generally limit the
number of riders to eight, because we found over the
years, a group any larger diminishes our two main
concerns: safety and enjoyment."
Consisting of mainly double tracks, the trails have been
created by Dykes, his wife and friends, by simply
riding over them. Desert Biking Adventures is the only
biking touring company of its kind in this part of the
Southwest. Obviously, successfully fulfilling a
ecotourism niche.
All necessary equipment is provided, including
helmets, bike gloves and water. My finely tuned
conveyance is a 24 speed--grip shift, full suspension,
aluminum frame Mongoose. Dykes delivers a safety
orientation and desert biking basics before we pedal
off. Never far from the group, he follows in the
"Sagwagon", the telephone/radio-equipped vehicle that
transports extra gear,first aid kit, and his clever,
never-ending supply of facts and anecdotes about the
Southwest.
Encouraged to go at our own pace, the bike tour is
billed as a beginner-friendly or a moderately
challenging adventure. Their philosophy is simple.
"It's not a race," Dykes says, "it's not about getting
from point A to point B, it's about enjoying the ride
on the way." His main concern is that participants
come away from the tour with a positive experience.
Different interests are accommodated. You can mount
your bike and crank on and on or at your leisure, you
can stop and smell the--well,...cacti.
Teeming with gutsy colours of granite, mocha, and
sage, the desert by most measures, is drab expansions
of harsh and crusty terrain. But not so in the
Sonoran. Mountain biking across this uncultivated
floor, I am treated to spring vegetation that defies
desert scrub. Rich caramel layers of sand, rusty
stone, and mottled rock is punctuated with bright
blooms of yellow, white and red. Yellow is the
dominant colour in the Sonoran.
The White Blossom is Arizona's state flower, found
thriving on the emperor of the cacti family--the
Saguaro. Their thick spongy arms reach skyward, as if
fallen prey to a stagecoach holdup. They rule this
land of arid plains and barren mountains, growing only
2.5 centimetres a year. I mock their stately stance in
a mirthful, "We're- not-worthy hail." Equally amusing,
I ride past cacti whose names could easily double as
Mother Goose characters--Teddy Bear, Buckhorn,
Hedgehog and Pincushion.
We negotiate rolling double track that weaves through
sandy stretches of emptiness. I am mindful of my focus
on the path. Loose pitches of sand, gravel and parched
washboard terrain get tricky. Any neglect of foresight
and the give and take geology of the Sonoran, will
send you for a nasty spill. Road rash or "takin' a soil
sample" as they say, pales in comparison to a bout with
a "prickly pear cactus" or a "ocotillo." How pale?
Ocotillo, with it's lovely orange blossoms, is the
plant that inspired the invention of barbed wire.
Enough said.
Our 12 kilometre cycle, regardless of rocks and ruts,
is a smooth ride. My bike is outfitted with the
"Derri-Air," an inflatable and adjustable bicycle
seat. To mountain bikers everywhere--our derrieres
are spared! The "Easyrider" model I test is a shock
absorbing miracle. The seat has separate, dual,
adjustable air chambers (think Reebok Pump runners)
and a groove down the middle. Air moves from side to
side and back and forth as I pedal. The volume of air
is equally distributed the entire ride. It's a cushion
to my tailbone and provides reassurance to the more
sensitive areas. Complete with a self-storing hand
pump and a spare air bag, it's a must-have for anyone
who's every complained of a hard and hurtin' cycling
seat.
Roaming the Sonoran by bike proves to be as
exhilarating as it is educational and insightful. The
subtle qualities, textures and multicoloured
dimensions of a desert so well preserved, are not meant
to be viewed through a windshield. If they were, there'd
be no one to mind the snakes.
If You Go:
America West Airlines
Serving more than 140 destinations in the U.S., Canada
and Mexico.
Reservations: 1-800-235-9292
www.americawest.com
A redesigned web site for quicker navigation and
convenient e-ticketing.
Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
7343 Scottsdale Mall
Scottsdale AZ, 85251
1-800-805-0471 or 1-480-945-8481
www.scottsdalecvb.com
The Scottsdale Princess
7575 E. Princess Dr.,
Scottsdale AZ, 85255
1-480-585-4848
www.fairmont.com
After the grime and grind of cranking through the
Sonoran, check out the Princess Spa for massage
therapies, body treatments and therapeutic baths.
Desert Biking Adventures
7119 E, Shea Blvd. #109-247
Scottsdale AZ, 85254
1-602-320-4602 or 1-888-249-BIKE
www.desertbikingadventures.com
Reservation Recommended
4-hour, 3-hour & 2-hour tours
Tours from $77Cdn
The Derri-Air
P.O. Box 1807
Whitefish, MT 59937
1-888-855-3545
www.derri-air.com
Easy Rider $69.50 Cdn
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