Rides I didn't do on our trip to the Grand Canyon

I mentioned in an earlier post that I didn't do the Kaintuck trail in Missouri because it was flooded.  I'd be interested to try that out sometime.

Another trail in Oklahoma that looks fun is the Arcadia Lake Trail in Edmond, with up to 14 miles of single-track, mostly easy but many tight and twisty sections according to trails.com.  It also says there's a lot of deep sand.  That is not a favorite terrain of mine.  But overall it looks like it's worth trying out.

We bought a small book on mountain bike trails in Gallup, NM, and were planning to ride there, but a few things made us wary:  1)  we lost the book,  2) On our way out, we stopped to get gas and drove through the town and it seemed depressed and desolate, and  3)  I read a review on trails.com (or singletracks.com?) that also warned about getting your car broken into.  So we kinda just didn't want to do it.  Sorry Gallup.

Grants, NM is also advertised to have mountain biking.  We stopped at the very nice Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center there and got maps for a couple of rides there.  I could have done a ride, but I was too keen to get to Albuquerque and ride there.

In Las Vegas, NV, we stopped at the lovely Red Rock Canyon interpretive association.   Until we saw this, all we really wanted to do was leave Las Vegas.  I don't really like places where I know I wouldn't survive very long if my car broke down--though I suppose the same thing applies to winter in Wisconsin and I like living here.  But Red Rock Canyon is something of an oasis in that harsh desert.   Unfortunately, we didn't discover until we were in the hotel that night, that just down the road from the canyon, literally 2 minutes away was the best single-track in the area.  So if I'm ever back, and I'm not sure what would get me back, I would definitely like to ride the singletrack, as well as visiting Red Rock Canyon again.  I'd need to stop at a bicycle shop to get maps, as there was nothing on trails.com.

Bluff Creek Trail -- Oklahoma City, OK

This was sweet.  We stopped here both ways.  and yet, we forgot to take pictures both times.  In both cases, it was at the end of a long day.  The first time it was very windy.  The second time it was threatening rain.  But I rode anyway and both rides were very fun.  The thick woods made the winds and rain non-events.   I found this in trails.com and we picked our hotel to be nearby so it was very convenient.  It's only 3.8 miles long, but fun single-track.  It's the kind of trail that will turn a beginner into an addict.  It was a good trail to start out on for my first mountain bike ride of the year, and because I'm still recovering from my broken elbow in January.  I don't have my full strength back, but my bone is all healed.  On the second ride, I gave a guy my spare inner tube.  He really wanted to ride and didn't have time to go to the store.  I totally understand.  He gave me a seat bag in return, even though I didn't really want it.  He said it was a hot brand.  He's a sales rep.  Like I care about that.  But like I said, I can totally understand wanting to bike on a Friday evening.