Riding the Rim

I'm back and I did it -- I rode my new eBike on the rim of the Grand Canyon! This was a personal achievement for me because 3 months ago I could barely ride down the city paved block in front of my house. I had not ridden a bicycle for FORTY years!

First I had to get used to bike seats (that's a killer), then get my knees back in business. I suffer a lot of knee pain from a torn meniscus under my knee cap on my left and old skating injuries to my right knee. So, I wasn't sure I could ride at all. Amazingly, my knees don't hurt so much peddling. My eBike is not a scooter -- I must peddle. It's power assist, not a motorized ride like my motorcycle. It's work!! And, if the battery dies, I have to peddle with my own power.

So, I loaded the new eBike on the back of my RV Van, tossed the dog and half my belongings (or so it seemed) inside and took off on Sept 24. The first night I boondocked at the Arizona travel center. Then spent three fabulous nights in the Ponderosa pines (above) under the dark skies of Flagstaff at Woody Mountain park. (definitely the place for RVers. Black Bart's is old and dilapidated and others are too commercial. These folks are great! Tell Jim and Bruce HI! ) The dark sky policy of Flagstaff is wonderful for stargazing. A quiet paved road next to Woody Mt is a road to the Arboretum, a surprisingly beautiful nature spot. I rode the 3.5 miles, rested and enjoyed the wild flowers, then back to Woody's for a 7 mile round trip. That was my second ride of about that length (one in ABQ before leaving.) I felt confident I could ride along the Canyon rim -- at least a few miles.

Happy nowadays is the tourist, with earth's wonders, new and old, spread invitingly open before him, and a host of able workers as his slaves making everything easy, padding plush about him, grading roads for him, boring tunnels, moving hills out of his way... spiritualizing travel... abolishing space and time and almost everything else.
tender, pulpy people, as well as storm-seasoned explorers, may now go almost everywhere in smooth comfort... dragged by steel horses, go up high mountains, riding gloriously beneath starry showers of sparks, ascending like Elijah in a whirlwind and chariot of fire. -- John Muir, Naturalist of the 1800's

Yes, it's true. I'm one of those "tender, pulpy" people, but one trying to be healthier and more fit. I ran into a man who had bicycled from Flagstaff to the Canyon -- over 75 miles. I told him I could barely make it 15 miles. He made me feel better when he said, "at least you're doing that. There are people who never leave their cars here."
So, here I am... in my modest moment of glory after biking over 15 miles, three of those were nearly straight up. Yes, I had "peddle assist" but on a 10% incline, very little. It was a small accomplishment, but a Ranger also told me to feel proud -- that I was in the 1% who actually hike or bike at all. That did make me feel proud!
So for now, here's a glimpse of Izzi and me "on the edge" -- I was worried she might push me right over (really!!) Believe me, it's 5 thousand miles straight down from that rim! Below is a widget from PBS where I marked National Parks I've visited. I'll be adding more next Spring!