Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
9/30/09 

Greetings Riders,
 
Ahhh, finally. The last day of September is here and cooler weather is on the way. The warm weather doesn't bother me that much, but I know the water cooler talk for a lot of people has been the extended season we are having with high temps in the low 100's so late in the year. But when you think back just a few months, the talk was how cool June was, so it looks like this Summer season just slid South a little bit and we still ended up getting our 3 solid months of hot weather. The good news is that it is finally going to cool down to the upper 80's and with that comes great riding weather and scenery that COMES ALIVE!
 
What I mean by that is with the cooler weather and shorter days, the leaves will start changing colors. And if you go to the right places, you will see brilliant red, yellow and orange as some trees start to show their fall colors. Seeing the leaves change from solid green to a bright yellow or red has always puzzled me. How can that happen in just a few days? Well, since seeing the fall colors is the subject of this article, I thought you might want to know, as I did, why this botanical phenomenon happens.
 
The long answer is, well. . . pretty long, and technical. I will let you read and study that for yourself. But the shorter answer, taken from the Dept. of Agriculture web site is that three factors influence autumn leaf color. They are leaf pigments, length of night, and weather, but not quite in the way we think. The timing of color change and leaf fall are primarily regulated by the calendar, that is, the increasing length of night. None of the other environmental influences-temperature, rainfall, food supply, and so on-are as unvarying as the steadily increasing length of night during autumn. As days grow shorter, and nights grow longer and cooler, biochemical processes in the leaf begin to paint the landscape with Nature's autumn palette.
 
If you had to pick one thing that controls the leaves color it would be Chlorophyll, or the lack of. Chlorophyll gives leaves their basic green color. It is necessary for photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables plants to use sunlight to manufacture sugars for their food. Ok, now here is the most simple explanation I could find of why the leaves go from green to other colors. During the growing season, chlorophyll is continually being produced and broken down, keeping the Chlorophyll near the surface making leaves appear green. As night length increases in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows down due to the lack of sunlight that enables it, then it stops and eventually all the chlorophyll is destroyed. The carotenoids and anthocyanins that are present in the leaf are then unmasked and show their colors.
 
Certain colors are characteristic of particular species. Oaks turn red, brown, or russet; hickories, golden bronze; aspen and yellow-poplar, golden yellow; dogwood, purplish red; beech, light tan; and sourwood and black tupelo, crimson. Maples differ species by species-red maple turns brilliant scarlet; sugar maple, orange-red; and black maple, glowing yellow. 
 
The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences. A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions-lots of sugar and lots of light-spur production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year. And for the full technical reasons, Click Here.
 
Alright, now you are an expert on why leaves change colors, now where can you find them? In the State of Arizona, we don't have the luxury of seeing this in the major metropolitan areas or in the desert. So we have to go find them, which is the fun part if you are looking for a good excuse to go on a motorcycle ride in pursuit of seeing this once a year march of nature into winter. There are 3 fall foliage hotspots in Arizona that include Coconino National Forest, Apache-Sitgreaves NF, and Kaibab NF. Click on those links for information about those areas.
 
The following are some of my favorite places to see fall foliage that combines brilliant colors with a good ride.
 
The ride up to Snow Bowl just Northwest of Flagstaff. The Aspens are starting to turn and will soon be a brilliant gold and yellow. Take the Skyride to the top of the mountain and get a great view of the Aspens all around. Skyride runs to mid October. Click Here to find out if it is still running when you want to go.
 
The ride up 89A from Sedona to Flastaff is always a good ride in the Fall. You will see some fall colors peeking through the pines, but it is a good ride this time of year regardless.
 
The White Mountains around Greer, Alpine and Hannagan Meadow combined with a ride down the Salt River Canyon would make a great day.
 
A ride up Mount Lemmon through the Aspens would be an excellent day ride.
 
My favorite: The North Kaibab National Forest Fall Colors Tour, particularly State Hwy 67 that takes you from Jacob Lake off of Hwy. 89A to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is 44 miles on a Scenic Byway that offers stunning views of fall foliage and ends at the North Rim. Can't get much better than that. Click Here for Map and information. Call the Forest Ranger Office to make sure this road is open when you want to go. It closes in November for the season. 928-643-8167. The South Kaibab Forest, South out of Williams, AZ is also a good ride.
 
The best time to see the Fall Colors in Arizona is from NOW through the end of October. Some have already begun to change. The best thing to do is to call this Fall Colors Hotline number and listen to the recording. 800-354-4595. Next would be to call the forest service in the area that you want to go, and see if the leaves are changing yet. Phone numbers can be found from the forest links above.
 
This is a once a year opportunity, with a narrow window of viewing time to see nature in living color. So you better start making your plans now. I will provide a couple of links below, but you can just Google "arizona fall colors" and get all the information that you need. Enjoy your ride! As always, go to www.cyclerides.com and click on Day Rides for lots of ideas.
 
Useful Links:
 
The Full Story. Why Leaves Change Color
Wikipedia. Autumn Leaf Color
Fall Colors. http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/
Kaibab National Forest.
Coconino National Forest.
Fall Colors and Fall Foliage in Arizona
USA Today Fall Foliage in Arizona
Fall Colors Hotline: 800-354-4595
 

Every Sunday 

New This Sunday!
Sunday Afternoon Bike Day/Night at Oggi's Pizza & Brewing. This is the stop for West side riders on a Sunday Afternoon. Just off the Loop 101 and 67th Ave. Stop at Oggi's Pizza where they will be having Sunday Afternoon Bike days starting at 4pm - 9pm. Enjoy three $5.99 Dinner Specials including: 1. Build your own Burger: half-pound angus beef burger cooked how you like it with your choice of toppings; 2. California Cobb Salad: fresh greens with sliced grilled chicken, gorgonzola cheese, avocado, tomato, green onions, mushrooms, eggs and bacon; and 3. Turkey Ranch Wrap: oven-roasted turkey breast, provolone cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato and avocado, with creamy ranch dressing and bacon in a sun-dried tomato wrap. Happy Hour pricing on Drinks and Appetizers all night. 22 Televisions to view Sunday Night Football, a nice bar and large dining room as well as an Outdoor Patio to enjoy the great weather. Co-sponsored by Arrowhead Harley Davidson. Motorcycle parking out front. This is a great place to end the day with excellent food. Stop by this week and give it a try. 623-566-8080.