A Navajo tea to quench that desert thirst
The holy grail for many mountain bikers is the red rock of Moab, UT. Moab doesn’t have an exclusive license on red rock, however. In fact, it’s ubiquitous in regions of the American Southwest, as Rita and I discovered on a trip to Arizona to visit my friends Carl and Poppy. They live in Tuba City, the largest town on the Navajo Reservation. Tuba City has no mountain biking trails, but the Red Mesa Rim Trail is a tick over an hour drive north.
We flew into Phoenix, itself sprawled out in the Sonoran Desert, and then drove north the next day. Of course, one can’t talk about the Sonoran Desert without talking about the beautiful Saguaro cactus. It’s a treat to gaze out the car window and see these large cacti scattered about the landscape. Eventually though the elevation rises, and the Saguaros disappear.
We took a slight detour and stopped at Meteor Crater. It is a giant hole in the ground, but what makes it special (as the name gives away) is that it was formed when a meteor from space crashed into the ground. Maybe because of its extraterrestrial origins, astronauts used to train there, fully kitted in space suits. From there, it was on to Tuba City, which has its fair share of red rock.
The population of Tuba City is 9,098, which for a reservation town is quite large. They have a Friday market where they sell traditional Navajo wares, such as pottery, and classic Navajo fare, such as grilled mutton. Sheepherding is common on the reservation. I bought a Navajo style hat from a female vendor, and I butchered the Navajo word for hello, “Ya-at-eh”. Her response to my failed greeting was “okay, you want a bag?” The highlight though was a glass of iced Navajo Tea, which packed a lot of flavor for an herbal tea.
It’s Red Mesa Rim Trail time
I will get to the Red Mesa Rim Trail, but first I have to plug the famous Navajo Tribal Park, Monument Valley. It’s a land of towering sandstone buttes, which I’d also call red rocks. Two are shaped liked mittens, one a thumb, another a totem pole, and all of them whatever your imagination conjures. That was a fun game, to visualize something in the red rocks and then see if you could get others on board with your vision.
The day after Monument Valley we drove to Page, the sight of our mountain biking adventure. It’s also home to Antelope Canyon, a famous slot canyon that is famous for its photogenic qualities. We did the tour, and our sharp guide regaled us with tales of flash floods, famous visitors, and memorized statistics of the surrounding area. After Antelope Canyon, Carl, Poppy, and I drove to the Red Mesa Rim Trail. Rita stayed at a cafe to work.
I had the good fortune to use a well-built, powder blue Specialized, borrowed by Carl from a friend. We got a little confused at the beginning, and started on a double track access trail, missing the real trail. It was quite sandy, and Poppy gave up due to her thin tires. Our group now down to two, Carl and I found the trail, which circled near the edge of the mesa.
Blues on the Red Mesa Rim Trail
There is one green trail that circles around the mesa, and several blue and black trails that veer off from the green trail. We reached a junction with one of the blue trails and decided to give it a shot. As soon as we took the turn, it transitioned from dirt trail to slickrock. It was the first trail I’d ridden that didn’t actually have a “trail” per se; there were just painted marks on the rocks giving you a target to reach.
This blue trail ate us alive. There were large rock drops, steep declines, and bumpy inclines. In addition, we were decently close to the edge and its stark exposure. There was a healthy share of hike a bike. Still, there were a few sections where it all came together, and I got my first true taste of classic slickrock. After blundering our way around this trail, we got back on the green and continued our way around the mesa.
We did get one more shot at a blue trail, and this time we received our redemption. The rock was smoother, and we had a blast flying around and following the painted marks. Importantly, it got me itching for more. Certain black trails which careened down the side of the mesa looked very tempting; maybe someday. We followed the final section of green trail, and then it was over. We biked roughly 5 miles and headed back to meet Rita. She was shocked to see us, thinking we’d be gone much longer.
The grandest of canyons
The next day we decided to visit the Grand Canyon. Carl works in the Canyon, cleaning toilets on the trail. It sounds like a dream, hiking all day from toilet to toilet, and then spending the night in the bunkhouse. We left the hiking shoes at home though and brought along the bikes. This would be my third time biking in a National Park.
There is a greenway that runs intermittently along the South Rim. When the greenway stops, bikers simply get on the Rim Road, where traffic is fairly light as it is primarily for tour buses. It is a rule in the Park to pull over and allow the buses to pass. We started at Park Headquarters and took the route out to Hermit’s Rest, which was nearly 9 miles one way.
Every half mile to a mile there are beautiful scenic overlooks; Maricopa Point, Hopi Point, the Abyss, Pima Point, and more. We biked, gawked, biked, gawked, and biked some more. Grand Canyon is a bit of a misnomer. It’s more like Grand Canyons, plural. In addition to the main channel carved by the Colorado River, it appears streams carved out several other equally magnificent canyons that enter the main canyon.
Lots to look at
All combined, the sights are a marvel. The walls are multiple colors, including several shades of red. In a few spots one can just see the ribbon that is the Colorado River, winding its way along an ancient path. Helicopters fly off in the distance, giving tours, or occasionally on rescue missions. Carl said there is typically one rescue effort a day for hikers who get into trouble. One funny moment came when the crowd became enamored with a large mining hole in the ground, temporarily ignoring the Canyon’s natural beauty.
Hermit’s Rest, a rustic stone hut, was designed by Mary Jane Colter to resemble an old Miner’s Cabin. It was also our final stop before we turned around. Earlier that day we visited another Colter building, Desert View Watchtower, which also had a rustic tone. The inside was opened up to Indigenous artists, who styled it in the manner of their predecessors.
On the ride back, Rita began to fatigue. Carl however, showed us how to bike alongside each other with a hand on the back of the fellow rider, so as to push each other along. In this way we helped each other over the surprisingly large hills coming out of Hermit’s Rest. There is a big downhill that we got to enjoy going into Grand Canyon Village. From there, it was a short ride back to the car.
There hadn’t been much for wildlife during the day besides the soaring birds and sneaky lizards. On the drive out however, we passed through a huge herd of elk who make their home on the rim. Then it was dinner time, back on the Navajo Reservation in Cameron. I had the fry bread, a staple, along with a massive bowl of chili.
