Spring Ride in Saguaro National Park West

What can I say? Spring would not be complete without a sighting of the Spirit Rider, The Wolf!

Rest assure, Gentle Readers of This Blog, the World is as it Should Be, because The Wolf, an ancient guardian spirit, rides Saguaro Nat'l Park for Eternity--Ride in Peace, My Brother!

Couple of White Boys down in South Tucson...

Alan and I meet up for a very fast-paced ride on the Tour of the Tucson Mountains course. Alan wants to put in at least a metric century today. It has started out a bit cool, but we quickly warm up. The weather in Tucson is fantastic this morning, mes amis!

We're just South of Downtown Tucson and A Mountain.

I have learned a lot about training from Alan--as a scientist--he's able to put things into language and concepts I can understand. One thing I'm finally doing right, is drinking enough liquids and getting the calories I need to push at the pace Alan is riding. But as he told me, the pace for him is a bit slower--he's used to riding much faster. With our jobs and families and all that, I think we're doing pretty well today. Also, mes amis, Tucson has had a very wet and colder winter than normal. Its been a bit difficult for cyclists to ride--so when its warm, everyone is on the bike!

Entering McCain Loop, Saguaro Nat'l Park.

There has been a bit more traffic this morning than what we're used to out here in the Tucson Mtns, and Saguaro. We jump onto McCain Loop for a breather--and then I realize that the Wolf is on the road


I get my camera ready as Alan enjoys the fast rollers.

The Wolf will suddenly appear...

McCain Loop is quite scenic, and very fast and fun to ride on.

The Wolf appears as we come up over the hill--I actually snapped two photos of him--usually I just get the one.

What can I tell you about the Wolf, mes amis? This man has been out here for years--and I heard that for some reason, he must ride forever in Saguaro Nat'l Park. But others, some Tohono O' Odam people, have told me he is a type Guardian Spirit--they will not tell me what it is he watches over, but it is somewhere in the park.

The Wolf can be in the Seen, and the Un-Seen, when ever he wants. He can go in and out of those two worlds; we can only be in our reality and our time because we are mere humans. Maybe because we are cyclists, he appears as a cyclist--mostly.


On the home stretch, passing through the old ranch lands of Marana, northwest of Tucson.

The weather was just great--not too cool and not too hot. A few miles out from where I parked my car this morning, I saw the Wing, one of my old riding chums, on his way home from a morning ride as well. He's a math and physics teacher at the high school--very busy these days! But it was good to see him. I drove down to Ina and Thornydale, as in the early afternoon, getting back to my place is pretty difficult with the traffic. Alan gets in his metric century, and I give him a lift home. He's back at his place just before Noon--perfect!


Time to rest for a few hours before we start our routine for the week over again.

Cheers! Bruce