On March 2, 1996, Philip, Dan and (fearless leader) Michelle traveled to a remote sect ion of the Anza-Borrego State Park to do the offroad climb to Chariot Canyon.
While unloading the bikes, Dan discovered a basic rule of handling bikes in the desert: don't get those tires near any pointy plants-s-s-s-sssssss.
After we fixed the flat on Michelle's bike, we started our climb under crystal-clear skies and 75-degree temperatures. After a mile or so of gentle climbing on sandy roads, the trail became MUCH steeper. As the trail climbed, we had a spectacular view down Oriflamme Canyon back to the desert floor. Soon, we were climbing through patches of snow and arrived at the Chariot Canyon Truck Trail.
By popular consensus, we decided not to do Chariot Canyon, due to fatigue and snowy/muddy road conditions. So we got a fast, fairly smooth ride back to the desert. It almost made up for the climb.