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| Dessert Camp |
| Many of us have found that no other cycling adventure all year compares to Dessert Camp. Some of us reset our twelve month calendars to start the day we leave Camp. We count the months, then the days until next year. It has truly become a very special part of our lives. This year the Boston Contingent consisted of five people; Bruce, Neil, Rick (G), Chris, and myself. (Mother) Theresa and PBP finisher Elizabeth were "supposed" to be with us but opted for Week-2 so they could get more coaching. Back after a brief absence was Rick (H) from Vegas. Jeri (from some smoggy western state) kept us organized and as usual made all our dinner plans. Thank you Jeri! Shelley rode and hung out with us this year, as did the amazing George and Terri RAAM Team. A few random Notes.... Our pre-ride to Saguaro National Park was fantastic. It felt wonderful not to be riding in 33 degree rain at home. The ride to Sierra Vista was tough....really tough. The wind must have been near 40 mph at times and usually in our face. Many many thanks to Rick G. for riding with me that day. We had a guy named Scott with us most of the way too. I cannot imagine how hard it would have been to do it solo. If I never visit Benson again in my lifetime it will be fine with me. George and Terri's RAAM presentations were very moving. Only other riders can understand how difficult their training and racing is.. Bruce rode like a person 20 years younger than his age this year. He has made biking a huge part of his recovery from hip replacement surgery, and it appears to have changed his life. Rick (H) is going to do some killer long rides this year and plans to prepare at the RAO "Camp". Good luck Rick! The ride(s) to Bisbee are always among the highlights of the week for me. Approaching Bisbee in either direction is a lot of fun. The town is a real gem. Someday I would like to spend a weekend there just poking around. The ride through the fort to Sonoita reminds me of the One Day Classics in Europe. The ride has more ups and downs, twists and turns than almost any ride I know of. I found the best pie of the week at the Shell Station in Sonoita. Really ! A ride I did alone from Sonoita down through Green Valley is my favorite stretch of road all week. The horse farms, cattle ranches, vineyards, and grassy plains are framed by the Mustang Hills. The Quality Inn in Sierra Vista is certainly better than the old TMI. It isn't great but it's no longer bad. The breakfasts were much better also. It seems that March in Southern Arizona always has a few weather surprises......like rain, snow, and cold! This year we only had a couple days to complain about. Perhaps the best call of the week was to take the shuttle back to Tucson. Once we got there we were able to enjoy some magnificent riding. As usual, Lon and Susan have this camp so well organized that I cannot imagine anyone not having a great time. All of their support staff.....Bruce, Doug, Suzie, etc. are great to deal with. Most of the people at these camps are "return customers". That it is a testimonial to the Camp's success. On our last night in Tucson we had a "Final Four" party in Neil's Presidential suite. As I recall there was Chris, Neil, Bruce, Shelley, Kirsten, George, Terri, and myself. We all had Mexican beer and food......and watched UCONN pull out the game against Duke! Lon and Susan are talking about a new tour next year that explores a new part of Arizona. Stay tuned! |
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