When the Cubs Come to Town...

Yesterday the World Champion Chicago Cubs rolled into Surprise Stadium and their fans flocked to the game. The weather cooperated with a glorious sunny day for a baseball game. Surprise Stadium has a capacity slightly north of 10,000 and my understanding is that the Cubs games are more often than not sold out. One thing was evident - there were a lot of very white folks itching for a sunburn and the Arizona sun delivered.

The Cubs won handily as they beat the hosting Royals and in the midst of  all the activity I thought I'd capture some sights from around the stadium. I think every baseball fan at some point should make the pilgrimage to Spring Training. Win or lose it's tough to go wrong. There are seven stadiums in the Phoenix area so the choice of games to choose from is huge. Surprise Stadium apparently has some of the lowest ticket prices in the Cactus League. Me, if I wasn't working during the game, I'd be parked out on the outfield lawn. You get a great view of the action and at only $8 the price is hard to beat.

So to all those still stuck in the cold and snow make a plan to head this way. The good folks in Surprise would love to see you!

"Play Ball!"

Opening day was Saturday and Surprise Stadium hosted its two resident teams, the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals, duking it out on a day made for baseball. Clear sunny skies, temps in the high sixties (pleasantly cool for locals), and a crowd of about 6,000 who apparently had waited long enough for the new season to arrive. Seems like KC fans outnumbered those from the Lone Star state but that didn't stop anyone from enjoying a bunch of grown men play what is in essence a child's game exceptionally well. The Royals won the game but I don't think anyone from Texas will begrudge them their 1 and 0 record.

Ticket prices for these games range from $8 to sit on the outfield lawn where the kids try to flag down the occasional homer to $30 if you want to stare down the pitcher from behind home plate. The field here is immaculately cared for and you can tell the full time staff really take pride in "their" stadium.

As I write this Phoenix is getting some weather they don't regularly see - rain. At today's game featuring the Rangers hosting the Milwaukee Brewers it held off until the first pitch and then maintained a steady drizzle the rest of the game. The players didn't seem to appreciate being out in the wet as they seemed equally lethargic on both squads. A couple of hundred miles north up in Flagstaff they are expecting upwards of a foot of snow but Flagstaff is several thousand feet higher in elevation than Phoenix so folks here tell me all we can expect are some cooler temps along with the precipitation.

There are games everyday from now through March 29th. One of the more anticipated games comes this Wednesday when the Royals welcome the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Apparently Cubs fans fill the stadium for these games so the excitement is building for that one. The Stadium is not too far distant from Luke Air Force Base and periodically F-35's fly low over the stadium in formations of two, three, or four as they head back to base. I'm sure none of the pilots are flying over the stadium to check things out... Home to the 56th Fighter Wing it's something to see and hear (more like feel) these beautiful jets rocket by just a couple of hundred feet above the stadium. For the history geeks out there the base was named for Second Lieutenant Frank Luke , a Medal of Honor Recipient and the number two United States ace in World War I.  He was shot down and killed by German soldiers in France in September 1918.

Not that any of the fans think about any of that as they bask in the sun beer in hand munching contentedly on hotdogs and Crackerjack. Nor are they bashful for buying Spring Training gear for their favorite team. That stuff doesn't come cheap but they simply smile and reach for their wallets and purses and they walk away seemingly thrilled with their purchases. And that's as it should be. Whether you love it or hate it fans go to baseball games for one reason - to have fun rooting for their favorite team. Spring training just gives them a chance to indulge a little bit sooner than most of their peers who sit at home locked in Winter's embrace.

So I'll put up with a rainy day now and then as at least for this season I'm one of the faithful flocking to the Arizona desert in eager anticipation of the crack of a bat on a ball and the roar of the crowd. So hey 2017 - ready or not - baseball is here!

Snow and Ice and Everything Nice?

Sophie, my wife and the love of my life, tells me it is snowing at home. As I write this temps are in the 70's, there's a gentle breeze blowing, and clear blue skies. I guess that's what 924 miles from home gets you. Oh well, someone has to do it...

I'm working Spring Training at Surprise Stadium which is home to two teams, the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers. Opening Day is tomorrow, Saturday and the expectation is that it will be sold out. I had training on Tuesday and worked in Aramark's main store for a couple of hours on Wednesday to get some practice with the merchandise, registers, and customers. Folks have been watching the teams practice for a couple of weeks and they seem to all want "Spring Training" apparel. As I anticipated, most everyone is in a good mood as it's difficult to watch baseball in the Arizona sun and not be pretty mellow and relaxed.

Everyone will be working opening day but I've had yesterday and day to myself and have had the chance to explore White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The campground is very nice, there are great hiking and biking trails to enjoy, and the desert is starting to bloom. Temps have been in the 70's and 80's and at night, as the desert is known to do, it cools down nicely into the 50's. Pretty comfortable given that my wife may well be outside right now shoveling snow (sorry honey!).

The campground hosts folks from all over the world and I've seen license plates from Oregon to Utah and all over the Midwest. My humble little camper is dwarfed by most of the RV's here but that's fine by me.

Phoenix is a huge metropolitan area with roughly 5 times the population as Denver and its spread over a very large geographical area. White Tank is on the western side, and McDowell Park, where we were the week after Christmas, is on the eastern side. It's about 60 miles and a good solid hour or more to get from one to the other. The area is slowly expanding what they call the Maricopa Trail (most of Phoenix is in Maricopa county) which when finished will encircle the city. I've ridden parts of the trail in the last two days and for mountain biking it's a real treat. The northbound trail from White Tank Park wanders through the desert before abruptly ending in the middle of nowhere which I guess is as good a place as any to turn around. I've visited 'nowhere' many times in my life and have always found it an enjoyable journey.

What the birds see at White Tank...

This trip down I brought a little camera drone along to try some aerial photography and I spent this morning out in 'nowhere' taking some birds-eye views of the surrounding country. I love taking pictures and this adds an entire new dimension to the hobby. To see a sample video from my drone click here.

Well, time to go for now. Busy,busy busy. Where'd I put my bike shoes...?

New Year, New Journey

No one really ever knows where life will take us. As Roberts Burns reminds us, "the best laid plans of mice and men" often go awry. Back in December as I sat contemplating a cold winter's day and experiencing that condition described as cabin fever I came across a posting for a springtime opportunity to work the 2017 Baseball Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. Applying on a whim I was pleasantly surprised when I was offered a position. Fast forward several months and I sit in the Maricopa White Tank Public Library writing this blog having just completed orientation at Surprise Stadium. I'll be working for Aramark, who has the concession rights for the stadium, in one of their retail tents where loyal fans can stock up on all the latest Spring Training gear and apparel for the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals.
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As I was sitting in orientation on a glorious and hot Arizona day I could watch the Royals players taking batting practice just a couple of feet away. The stadium is beautiful and appears to be lovingly taken care of. I chose this gig for a couple of reasons. One was the chance to beat the snow and cold in Colorado, second was a chance to work in a place where customers would generally be in a good mood. The advantage of Spring Training is that the games don't count. Hope springs eternal, all the teams start out equal in their quest for the World Series, and it's tough to be upset eating a hot dog and drinking a beer on a beautiful day.

My nephews would be in hog heaven here. They both play, and love, baseball. Maybe I can talk them into visiting while I'm here. I'm camping in White Tank Regional Park in site 29 which has an incredible view of the city lights at night. My wife is still at home working her day job and while I miss her dearly I find myself with spare room in the camper.

So we will see where this 6 week adventure takes me. The people I'll be working with all seem nice and the Aramark manager, Danny, even provides a small pre-game meal to the staff on the days we work.

So thatš it for now. Wherever you may be I hope your day is  as beautiful as it is here. Batter up!

Addendum of course...

Its August 24th and I thought, hoped, and prayed that I was done riding in the rain. The good news is that when I rode today I didn't actually get rained on; the bad news is that it snowed instead. I'm up in Leadville, CO which brags about its 10,000 feet elevation.

When we were driving  south on the Cassiar Highway way up in Canada we noticed that some of the Aspen trees were already changing color signaling the approaching Fall.  Even at 10,000 feet here in Leadville the Aspen probably won't start showing their Fall colors for another month so I was a tad bit surprised to ride through snow showers while enjoying Leadville's  great  Mineral Belt Trail.

I took the picture above across from the Leadville golf course where they were still wacking the little round ball while dressed in shorts. Looking back the way I had come the cloud cover cleared just enough to catch a glimpse of the snow covered peaks. Not bad for a summer bike ride but definitely unanticipated as far as the snow goes.

Who knows? Maybe they'll be firing up the snow making guns at the nearby ski areas in time for September skiing. That would be a first and most likely won't happen but here's hoping! Now, where'd I put my bike tights and booties...

The Road That Beckons

I dream of the road that beckons

Yellow line on sliver of grey

I dream of the road that beckons

That carries me day to day

It calls to me this siren song

And somehow I know it's there that I belong

This urge to wander

That will not go away

The road that beckons

Lead me not astray

The road that beckons

Come, let's go that way

The Road Home

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step then the journey home begins, at least for us, with a reluctant step on the gas pedal and a sad glance in the rear view mirror as we head south towards Denver. Some of the route mirrored the way we had driven up. This time around we were treated to the Canadian Rockies in their full splendor which means it was sunny and we could actually see them. The route from Prince George to Jasper takes you through some incredible scenery and Sophie and I agreed that it would be worth a trip unto itself to explore this area. Jasper remains a favorite for us and it must be the same for a lot of Canadians as this time through the town was hopping to the point of being very crowded. The campgrounds were all full so we continued south to one of the more remote campgrounds along the Icefields Parkway. Even that far out from Jasper the campground was quickly filling up so we were glad to land a spot for the night.

Cycling along this stretch of road can be heaven or it can be hell depending on the weather but as mentioned above we were finally being smiled on by the rain and sun gods which made for some nice riding. One of the real advantages of being on a saddle pedaling along at a lot slower speed than in a car is the ability to truly stop and smell the roses, breath the clean, fresh mountain air, and take pause when the hills become too many and too steep or the wind too strong. The legs may get weary but great scenery is a wonderful distraction and for me always motivates me to keep going if for no other reason than to see whats around the next corner or over the next hill.

Most of the traffic seemed to be heading north toward Jasper so on my side of the road it was only the occasional car that whooshed past me. Whereas the cars are supposed to pull over only in designated sidings cyclists can stop just about anywhere and taking pictures up here is a heck of a good excuse to stop for a couple of minutes and take it all in.

We had brought Sophie's fancy camera but to be perfectly honest every picture I have shared with you in these posts has been taken with our Samsung Galaxy phones. Her fancy camera never came out of its protective case but we were reaching for our phones to take a picture all the time.

As on most trips, there is often more to see and do than one can possibly accomplish. I did make a point at riding in to see Sweetheart Lake and was lucky to catch it at sunset on a beautiful summer evening. If places like this can't bring peace and contentment to the soul then I don't know what can.

Sweetheart Lake at sunset. Stop and sit a spell...

There is a campground at Sweetheart Lake and you can bet that on our next trip up this way I and my sweetheart will be staying here for at least one night. Any campground along this stretch brings its own vistas and it took some concentration on focusing on getting on down the road. 

Here too there were glaciers aplenty to see, though as up north most are in dramatic retreat. Still, they command your attention and I was itching to get out the hiking boots and plant some footsteps on all the great trails we were passing. 

But time and distance called us on. Once out of the mountains we quickly became aware of the summer heat which we were certainly not used to. Yet temps in the high 90's were a welcome change from highs in the 50's and 60's that were the norm in Alaska. For the first time on the trip we were able to don shorts and tees and break out the sunblock (only we were silly enough to actually pack sunblock for a trip to Alaska). By the time we reached the Colorado border our normal summer tans had reappeared and we looked more normal. Montana was spectacular as always and we were sad to leave Kalispell and the great camping along Highway 83. In Big Fork Sophie was actually able to buy a pound of Huckleberries fresh picked from a vendor off the side of the road. Needless to say they did not last long!

Wyoming was hot and windy as expected as we flew south on I-25. I always tell Sophie that you can tell when you hit Colorado as the traffic quadruples and the speeds go up by 10-15 mph. We only saw a handful of Colorado license plates on our entire journey but that shortage disappears the minute you see the "Welcome to Colorado" sign at the border with Wyoming. Make no mistake, I love Colorado but if our trip this summer to the uncrowded North showed us anything its that we are loving her to death. 

Well, there you have it. A trip not measured in miles (about 8,000) so much as places seen, people met, and memories made. Its good to be home, though I already yearn for the openness and freedom of the road. Thank you to all who have tagged along through these posts and in all of your journeys we wish you safe travels. See you on the road!