Saturday, January 7, 2012 (McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Fountain Hills, AZ)

With our backpack stocked with water and snacks, we donned our bike helmets and were off on our bikes...it was 10:20 a.m. and we were hitting the trails.  We rode on the road to the trailhead of the Pemberton Trail (also the trailhead for the Scenic Trail).  Passing the turnoff to the Scenic Trail, we carried on crossing a road and continuing on the Pemberton Trail.  The whole loop is 15.4 miles but we don’t plan on doing the whole thing...we‘ll cut off at a trail that will lead back to the campground. 

It was a great trail but it was steadily going up...one of our first inklings that we were taking the ‘hard way’ were all of the other bikers whizzing by us in the opposite direction...hmmmm.... So far it was like spending 2 hours on an exercise bike with a heavy drag but we persevered!  After stopping to talk to a fellow coming the opposite direction, he said that the trail gets nice...going up and down and then steadily goes down at the other end...yeah...he never rides the part of the trail that we started off on.

He was right...it was quite ‘roller-coasty’ and lots of fun...this wasn’t extremely mountain biking but it was as close to it as I have ever done...and about as extreme as I care to do!  The trails were busy...it was Saturday, after all, but not overly so.  We passed a few hikers on the trail and even one fellow riding his horse.

This was a nice rest spot...

We turned off Pemberton Trail and took Granite Trail...the same trail that we had walked the other day.  Two hours, forty-five minutes and 13.8 miles later, we arrived back at our campsite.  What an awesome ride...we both really enjoyed it.  And one of the best things for me is that my knee didn’t bother me at all.  After yesterdays hike, I could hardly walk because my right knee was giving me some major grief...so much for that cortisone shot the doc gave me when I was back in Victoria.

After a little lunch, you’ll never guess what I did...I baked cookies!  I had made the recipe when we had been home at Christmas and Steve really liked them...Homeland Flax Cookies...a fairly healthy alternative to the chocolate chip cookies he likes.

When we had arrived home, the first thing Steve did was check the recording of the hockey game...Vancouver Canucks were playing Boston.  Well, wouldn’t you know it...they weren’t broadcasting the game on the channel.  He had even double checked to ensure we got the channel...sheesh!  So instead of spending the afternoon watching the recorded game, he checked out the sports highlights on the BCTV news...yaaah...we won...then headed outside to sit in the sunshine while I baked cookies.  The temperature is really nice...in the low 70s with just a slight breeze so that it is not too hot.

And that was pretty much our day...we really love this spot and wish that we had booked our stay here a little longer...the week is going by so fast!