Arizona day 4

Rode the shoot - out route with Dave, Doug and Tom.  Fast ride past Helmet Hill twice.

Arizona day 5

Ride with Marilyn, Dave, Jamie and Don to Coyote Pause for brunch. Guys rode back over Gates Pass.

Arizona day 3

Rode 20 miles south on Mission road, past the bridge and the mine. Very little traffic on the way out. Light rain on home trip,  but downhill all the way.
Regular Friday ride cancelled because it had been raining,  but Don and Jamie joined us for a ride around town.

Arizona day 2

Dave and I rode up through Gates pass around the loop in the desert and back via old Tucson and Cat Mountain.  Began to rain in the afternoon,  so stayed in town. Home cooked Indian dinner chez Don and Jamie.

Mount Lemmon

Beautiful sunny and warm day. Long ride across town,  and then a gradually steeper climb for 20 miles. Climb through desert, then cactus thin out,  then pine forest.  Great views riding along upper ridges with hodoos. 

Ride from Perpingan to Taragon sur Ariege

Perpingan old town was very pleasant, despite negative description in guide book. Bike routes not well organized. I went to tourist office to get bike route brochure, but the route west out of town was not included.  I followed the instructions I had found on the web, and with some searching, they worked
Routes are not very well marked in town. This turned out to be a safe way go get out of town. Not very pretty, but good surface away from cars.
By the time the bike route ended, I was on small roads. I cut North from there, got a cafe lunch just at the edge of the plain. Climbed over many hills on small roads to get to 117 highway, which runs from Perpingan to Foix. By the time I got on that road, it was already late afternoon, so I had to hustle. That road had light traffic and a bit of a ahoulder, so it was a nice ride.
Late in afternoon, I stopped for tea and apple cake, which restored my strength. Just before the road turns North to Foix, there is a round about which connects to the small road down to Taragon.  That road has bike lanes painted on both sides. They are too narrow, but it establishes the fact that it is a bike route. again, a relaxed ride, although I was running out of energy, after 155 km. A nice reception from the lady at reception at the Hotel Bellevue, who sent me right in for dinner dressed as I was, so that I would be served before the kitchen closed.

Alberta rides

Rode in the Rockies and the foothills with Jay in early September. It was unseasonably cold at the start.  We were surprised to find it snowing at the top of the Highwood pass.