Arizona Canal--Thunderbird Paseo to Arizona Biltmore
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time: 11:45 am - 2:00 pm
Route: From my house, near 63rd Avenue and Peoria, to the Arizona Canal at Marshal Elemntary School, to the end of the pavement on Arizona Canal bikeway at 24th Street near Bethany Home Road and back.
Weather: Unseasonably cool for mid-June, 79 degrees. Shifting wind, resulting in moderate headwind both coming and going.
Riding Surface: Bike lanes on 63rd Avenue and Sweetwater. Entry to Arizona Canal on the west side of Marshall Ranch Elementary School. Bike path along the canal (with underpasses except for 23rd Avenue, 7th Avenue and E. Maryland Avenues). Exited Canal during the return at Cholla Street to 63rd Avenues (bike lanes). Flat.
Miles: 26.7 miles.
Duration: 1 hour, 56 minutes.
My speeds: Average 13.7 mph, maximum 21.8 mph.
The Story:
The Arizona Canal bikeway, combined with Cave Creek, Skunk Creek and New River trails, allows for over 100 kilometers (68 miles) of vitually uninterrupted road biking along the north central Phoenix metropolitan area. Underpasses along the way make this possible, and there are only a few streets I must cross. This part of that route, from Thunderbird Paseo Park to the Arizona Biltmore, is one my favorite routes from my house when I have only have a couple of hours to ride.
Today, a cool front travels through the Valley, and the temperatures are in the high 70s and low 80s, something extremely unusual mid-June in the Sonoran desert. Normally, I choose not to bike very much in the low altitudes this time of year, but today I can't resist getting out. There are a lot of clouds in the sky as I start out--almost completely overcast. I can see rain falling from the bottom of some of the clouds, but the drops don't appear to be making it all the way to earth. There's a chance I could get wet, which would be a welcome surprise!
I don't see many cyclists as I start, which is not usually the case. This route is pretty popular, especially on the weekends. It's a little later than I normally ride, so perhaps they are taking their lunch breaks or are already done. The only biker I spy has his rig upside down working on his back wheel. I stop to make sure he doesn't need anything (a pretty common practice among more serious riders), and he motions that he's okay. There are, however, a number of runners on the path. My hat's off to them--I'm not a runner. In fact, to say that I "hate" to run would be an overstatement. Perhaps my body is too old to take all that pounding. Besides, I can cover a whole lot more ground on my Cannondale being out the same amount of time.
I like this route because most of the way I am riding next to the water. Several dams and spillways add variety to the wide. At some points, there are wide strips of desert sand and dirt separating the path from the canal. At other points, especially toward the east terminus, the trail is right on the canal when the waterway is at its narrowest. I can imagine the hundreds of miles of these canals which criss-crossed the Phoenix area over 1,000 years ago when the Hohokam natives farmed with arid, sandy soil with the help of their extensive irrigation system us the flow from the Salt River. (You can see some of the remains of this magnificant culture at the Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park at 46th Street and Washington.) In fact, many of the canals in the Valley of the Sun are built on top of the ruins of these 8th-10th Century waterworks.
It must be duckling season! I see a lot of the little ones in and along side the canal. I also spy a number of duck "couples," which is indicative of the season. I have come to believe that these feathered creatures are territorial, because I find what I would swear are the same ducks in the exact same places along the route whenever I traverse this route. At one point, I see over a dozen little ducks swimming downstream with a parent. They form a formidable flotilla, patrolling their space on the sea. Other birds today includes doves and ravens, scouring along the banks.
Toward the eastern end of the route, I smell the fresh yet musty smell of creosote anticipating coming rain. Just a bit further on are tale tell puddles, indicating that a brief shower has already passed by. The air feels alive as I cruise through this segment.
We're going to the Diamondbacks game tonight, so on the way back I take a shortcut, exiting the canal where Cholla Street meets the channel. I stay on Cholla until 63rd Avenue shows up, where I turn south and make a beeline for home.
I feel like I worked today. With the wind shifting, I pedaled into headwinds most of the way out and back. My speed is a little slower than normal, but the pleasant weather was a reward in itself. This is a great urban trek!
Time: 11:45 am - 2:00 pm
Route: From my house, near 63rd Avenue and Peoria, to the Arizona Canal at Marshal Elemntary School, to the end of the pavement on Arizona Canal bikeway at 24th Street near Bethany Home Road and back.
Weather: Unseasonably cool for mid-June, 79 degrees. Shifting wind, resulting in moderate headwind both coming and going.
Riding Surface: Bike lanes on 63rd Avenue and Sweetwater. Entry to Arizona Canal on the west side of Marshall Ranch Elementary School. Bike path along the canal (with underpasses except for 23rd Avenue, 7th Avenue and E. Maryland Avenues). Exited Canal during the return at Cholla Street to 63rd Avenues (bike lanes). Flat.
Miles: 26.7 miles.
Duration: 1 hour, 56 minutes.
My speeds: Average 13.7 mph, maximum 21.8 mph.
The Story:
The Arizona Canal bikeway, combined with Cave Creek, Skunk Creek and New River trails, allows for over 100 kilometers (68 miles) of vitually uninterrupted road biking along the north central Phoenix metropolitan area. Underpasses along the way make this possible, and there are only a few streets I must cross. This part of that route, from Thunderbird Paseo Park to the Arizona Biltmore, is one my favorite routes from my house when I have only have a couple of hours to ride.
Today, a cool front travels through the Valley, and the temperatures are in the high 70s and low 80s, something extremely unusual mid-June in the Sonoran desert. Normally, I choose not to bike very much in the low altitudes this time of year, but today I can't resist getting out. There are a lot of clouds in the sky as I start out--almost completely overcast. I can see rain falling from the bottom of some of the clouds, but the drops don't appear to be making it all the way to earth. There's a chance I could get wet, which would be a welcome surprise!
I don't see many cyclists as I start, which is not usually the case. This route is pretty popular, especially on the weekends. It's a little later than I normally ride, so perhaps they are taking their lunch breaks or are already done. The only biker I spy has his rig upside down working on his back wheel. I stop to make sure he doesn't need anything (a pretty common practice among more serious riders), and he motions that he's okay. There are, however, a number of runners on the path. My hat's off to them--I'm not a runner. In fact, to say that I "hate" to run would be an overstatement. Perhaps my body is too old to take all that pounding. Besides, I can cover a whole lot more ground on my Cannondale being out the same amount of time.
I like this route because most of the way I am riding next to the water. Several dams and spillways add variety to the wide. At some points, there are wide strips of desert sand and dirt separating the path from the canal. At other points, especially toward the east terminus, the trail is right on the canal when the waterway is at its narrowest. I can imagine the hundreds of miles of these canals which criss-crossed the Phoenix area over 1,000 years ago when the Hohokam natives farmed with arid, sandy soil with the help of their extensive irrigation system us the flow from the Salt River. (You can see some of the remains of this magnificant culture at the Pueblo Grande Museum and Cultural Park at 46th Street and Washington.) In fact, many of the canals in the Valley of the Sun are built on top of the ruins of these 8th-10th Century waterworks.
It must be duckling season! I see a lot of the little ones in and along side the canal. I also spy a number of duck "couples," which is indicative of the season. I have come to believe that these feathered creatures are territorial, because I find what I would swear are the same ducks in the exact same places along the route whenever I traverse this route. At one point, I see over a dozen little ducks swimming downstream with a parent. They form a formidable flotilla, patrolling their space on the sea. Other birds today includes doves and ravens, scouring along the banks.
Toward the eastern end of the route, I smell the fresh yet musty smell of creosote anticipating coming rain. Just a bit further on are tale tell puddles, indicating that a brief shower has already passed by. The air feels alive as I cruise through this segment.
We're going to the Diamondbacks game tonight, so on the way back I take a shortcut, exiting the canal where Cholla Street meets the channel. I stay on Cholla until 63rd Avenue shows up, where I turn south and make a beeline for home.
I feel like I worked today. With the wind shifting, I pedaled into headwinds most of the way out and back. My speed is a little slower than normal, but the pleasant weather was a reward in itself. This is a great urban trek!
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