Road Tripping with Claudio

Heading on a solo road trip to California! Making several stops along the way to camp, mountain bike ride, photograph, drone film and more.

Day 1

After about a 5-hour, I made it to Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon, Texas.

I have been a state park member for about 15 years since I moved to Texas. It’s definitely worth it if you visit any state park as often as I do.

After arriving to the campsite, I unloaded bike and some gear. Took about an hour to chill before heading out on the ride.

My destination was Lighthouse Peak. Took me about 1.5 hours and 9 miles to get to the peak. The trails was intermediate, except the last hike a bike section. It was brutal, but we’ll worth the climb.

The hike done from the peak was much easier. I took a different route back to camp. About 7 miles and an hour and 20 minutes back. In few sections I had to get off the saddle. I couldn’t climb because legs had no more juice. LOL!

veni vidi vici

Day 2

Before going to bed last night, I took a few astrophotography shots. Still trying to get the right settings for the shots, but I think it went pretty well. Check it out!

Sleeping in the 4Runner was good. It was comfortable for 6 hours but after that, I needed to stretch out. Definitely not enough space to move around. I think I want to look at tear drop-shaped trailers for more room to sit and work.

Fortunately, the campsite was near showers and restrooms. I was able to clean up and get ready for the next stretch of the trip.

Next stop is Albuquerque, New Mexico but first I made a pit stop at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.

I have always wanted to see this art display. It’s cool! If you’re ever in the area, do stop by and check it out. At least once. LOL!

Here’s a drone video of my stop.

Made my way to my next stop, Cedar Crest, in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. My goal was to arrive around 2pm, but I got a late start. By the time I arrived, it was 4pm and most of the trail, about 85%, was in the shade. It was a bit chilly.

I decided to do the shorter trail, Sulphur Canyon, Faulty, and Bill Spring Trails loop. It was 3.3 miles long and just over 7,000 feet elevation. Needless to say, it was a rough climb for this lowlander but it was worth it for the views.

Looks like it snowed recently as there were a few snow patches in the east facing side of the mountains. A little muddy but not slippery.

The last mile of the trail was all downhill. Which was a ton of fun! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventure.

Day 3

The trip from Albuquerque to Flagstaff took about 4 hours. But the advantage of traveling west is you gain an hour or two depending on how many states you pass

I enjoy driving and seeing the changes in topography. From the Great Plains to the mountain regions on northern Arizona. Made it to my destination, Flagstaff. I decided on Flagstaff because of the great mountain biking.

After dropping off my luggage at the hotel, I drove an hour south to hike in Sedona. My goal was to make it to the Cave in Boynton Canyon Trail. It was a good 2.5 miles there and the views were majestic.

The reward for hiking and climbing was well worth the view. Pictures don’t do it justice, but they do a decent job representing what I experienced.

I had the cave to myself for a good 15 minutes. Enough time to get a few selfies and canyon shots. It was dark by the time I got back to my truck. Thank goodness I brought my flashlight. The journey continues tomorrow.

Day 4

I wasn’t sure which trail to ride. The mountains around Flagstaff are full of great trails.

I downloaded the app, All Trails, a few weeks ago as I prepped for my trip. I found a few trails to check out in Flagstaff.

The first trail didn’t pan out because the entrance to the trailhead was closed. I looked at the app and found an alternate entrance to Little Elden Trail.

Glad I did, because this trail was basically a climb out and downhill back to the truck.

The temperature during the ride was in the mid 50ºs and the winds were crazy windy.

It was a great ride! Lucky to get it in before projected snow arriving overnight.