A Few Pictures from my Training Route

Immediately south of the city of Prescott is a section of the Prescott National Forest.  This section of Arizona is known as the `transition zone.'  That is, where the Colorado Plateau peters out and drops off into the `central basin,' the desert.  In the not so distant past there was a great deal of volcanic activity NE of the Flagstaff area.  Further southwest, near Prescott, the earth simply sunk 4,000 or more feet over a 150 miles. 

So ... what this means is that my training route is very hilly, sometimes steep, always windy.  This is the RWGPS link to the 28.3 out and back I did Sunday, May 3rd.  http://ridewithgps.com/trips/4565503

For half of the out and back I'm descending.  That means, if the total climbing was 2,800 feet it was accomplished over 14 miles, for an average of 200 feet of climbing per mile.  Mighty steep. 

This was taken at the highest point: 6100 ft elevation.

 

An indication of the endless switchbacks.  Motorcyclists use this road to run into one another or off the cliffs.  Twenty-two road shrines on 14 miles of road -- all motorcyclists. 

 

Always nice to get a preview of the road below.