(eds. note: so it seems that this never got posted because I never got pics from from Wayne4 and Zac, and I just noticed it in drafts. so anyway here it is with my pics. it was written 16 March 2009.)

Presidents Day week-end 2008
We flew out to AZ to escape the winter in Prague and then the winter in MD, only to find winter in the desert.

assembling the dumb light bike with ominous desert clouds behind

When we landed it was 60s but the wind on the approach and a choppy landing were ominous signs. It seems a storm was a brewin’. A couple of hours later at about 5pm on Thursday it started raining. Winter rain in the Sonoran desert is not the worst thing. It usually lasts less than 12 hours and actually knocks the dust down. Both of our bikes made it on the plane this year, so we were excited. Plus, as always, or better than ever, the Clarks met and welcomed us like their own. So with warm food in our bellies and the bikes ready to go we turned in for the evening. When we woke the next morning it was still raining, but was expected to stop by noon. By then we were already heading north with Wanye III (Damien’s pops) in their eco-suv, the hybrid Highlander. And we were using it since the road, usually about 15 miles or dirt, was completely mud and stream crossings.

moots SS and giant SS with desert snow

Wayne and Zac's local bikes 1st snow

This was not looking good.
I had done this race a few years back in the rain, and it wasn’t as fun as usual.

When we got to the venue, Wayne 4 (D’s bro) and friend Zac had already set up camp. They had gotten up there Thursday to beat the rain and all were glad they did. It’s always amusing to see how hard it can rain in the desert. Temps were hovering just under 50 now up at a little higher elevation in the foothills of the mountains.

the wintery airstream and camp

the wintery 4x4 van and camp

We settled in here too, and started drinking and listening to music in the mostly-renovated Airstream of W3. Food and beer and a nice waterproof trailer made us forget about the rain a bit. Unfortunately we still had to go out to get more cold beer and to hit the portojohns. As night fell 2 things happened. The temps dropped and some virus later determined to have likely found us on the MD-AZ plane caught up with Verča, so she started regular and often trips out to the second option above.

She only hinted to me at her condition that night, but by her mood, I realized all wasn’t perfect. plus when I awoke in the middle of the night to hit the head myself I found 2″+ of snow covering everything. A strange desert site for sure, especially on my friendly cholla, whom I try to piss on as much as possible.

my cholla with a warm spot in the center from my effluent

By late morning the rain had let up, and the race itself got underway, so we rode in circles for several hours and had a generally great time.

Verča had a pretty amazing race, considering she had to stop to desecrate every other cactus every time she rode, due to her shall we say, intestinal distress. She ended up in fourth place in Solo SingleSpeed Female with 6 laps, while essentially riding only on oranges, cliff bloks, and water.

I had only 1 more lap for a total of 7, placing me at 24th in the Solo SingleSpeed Male.

Only after the race (and into the next day) did I appreciate her will, as the evil virus found me and completely incapacitated me. I could barely get out of bed. We even had to stop 2x on the way back to Tucson, so I could vomit/lay on the side of the road and moan.

Funny thing is, we both loved it and Verča, especially wants to go back soon!
(eds. update: although last year 2009 didn’t happen for $$ reasons, and it looks like we are maybe too busy for 2010.)