Getting Winded

"Heaven is under our feet, as well as over our heads."  Thoreau

Headed up into Oak Creek Canyon today, to hike the Sterling Pass trail.  This is about the most difficult hike I've done out here, but it sure is worth the effort.  The trail climbs from the first step past the trail head (elevation 4856 feet), and continues up to 5919 feet at the saddle.  Beautiful wildflowers, incredible views, the sounds of birds and the wind rustling through the tree tops, the smell of a pine forest...a feast for the senses!

Sterling Pass Trail

 (burned trees are from the 2008 Brins fire)

Arizona Thistle (Cirsium arizonicum)

A shady spot for a rest

An expansive view

Oh, did I mention red rocks?

On the other side of the saddle, the trail continues down for a while to Vultee Arch.  I walked part of it, but the trail was very overgrown and there were, gasp, mosquitoes!  I headed back up, over the saddle, and back down the way I'd come.  I've already been to the arch, so I didn't miss anything today.

Heading back home, I saw a car stopped at one of the round-abouts, a bicycle on the ground, and a guy being helped up.  I thought the car had hit the cyclist...turns out the cyclist had taken a bad spill and the guy from the car had stopped to help.  I pulled over to see if there was anything I could do.  The rider was badly shaken, covered in dirt, his shoulder and hand were scraped and bleeding.  He said he was most concerned about his right knee, on which he'd had surgery about a year ago.  He did not want us to call 911, but wanted to return to his hotel.  Try as he might, the guy from the little car could not fit the bicycle into it.  I was driving the Z with the top down, so the bicycle was put into my passenger seat, on end, with half of it protruding above the door.   Dave, the cyclist, rode in the other car and we headed back toward town and delivered him to his hotel.

It looks as though this bike fell out of the sky

and landed on my car!  Delivering Dave's bike

to Los Abrigados Resort

I thought of Paul, the arborist from Milwaukee, who helped me after my Jeep crash last month.  This was my chance to "pay it forward."  So, Dave the accountant from Vegas, I wish you well.