RUST magazine: RUST#40

DESERT
After the ride we were sitting
supping on cold beer and chewing
pizza at the Mellow Mushroom in
Scottsdale, AZ – the banter was
lively and loud and the laughter
plentiful. The guys were being
playful but these are some tough
characters – so if you think you’re
the nuts on a dirt bike then before
you get too big headed I’d suggest
you head out to AZ and ride with
these lads to test your grit. These
fellas are a testament to the old
west. They just fit. Weathered,
gnarly, tough outdoorsmen and
holy shit can these boys crack a
pace on the single wild donkey
track in the desert. Stuart (our
leader for the day) is 59 going
on 14. He’d been out riding this
hard terrain four times that week
and was hardly out of breath on
some of the toughest sections
where I was blowing – heart rate
at 100-105% of max for way too
long – and JB was looking for
energy in a goo sachet, looking
spent. No GPS, no nothing, just
years of experience and local
knowledge. We met at mile marker
8 on Highway X (for us to know)
and simply rode off into the
mountains. A few house rules:
don’t ride into cacti – I did and
boy they hurt like buggery; when
in doubt ‘pin it’, there is no other
way out here; and lastly expect the
unexpected! WM
The team: Stuart, WM, JB,
Mark, Scott, Nate, Tim, Vance
and Drey – and Chase is
taking the shot…
94
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