A spectacular rainbow took center stage against a backdrop of menacing clouds as nearly 200 cyclists rode in Northland Pioneer College’s (NPC) Friends and Family’s twelfth annual Pedal the Petrified cycling tour at the Petrified Forest National Park on Saturday, September 21. Riders from all over the U.S. took part in this year’s event, raising over $37,000 for NPC student scholarships.
This was the tenth “live” ride produced by NPC Friends and Family, the college’s nonprofit foundation that supports student scholarships. Due to COVID, the 2020 and 2021 events were “virtual” tours. Many returning riders described this year’s event as the best yet, and new riders have added it to their annual lineup. Their enthusiasm is noteworthy, given that the day was punctuated by scattered, heavy rainstorms that found a number of riders getting wet. “As we were standing around dripping, riders were laughing and telling me they loved it and that it added to the sense of adventure,” said Betsyann Wilson, executive director of NPC Friends and Family. Wilson, who rode in the event, added the cool temperatures made for great cycling.
Pedal the Petrified is entirely staffed by volunteers. Most are employees of Northland Pioneer College. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of this ride,” Wilson said. “They help prepare the rider bags and check riders in for the event. Most live at least 90 minutes from the park, meaning they wake up very early to be ready for the ride starting at 7:00 a.m.” The volunteers assist with parking, shuttling riders and bikes, picking riders up on the course, and staffing the seven sag stops, located approximately every five miles along the route. The sag stops often adopt themes as they provide refreshing, restorative snacks, information, encouragement, and appreciation to the cyclists. Ambulance crews from Puerco Valley Fire and Medical and Holbrook EMS are also on hand to support with any medical needs.
Pedal the Petrified has taken on a life of its own, creating moments and memories that go well beyond the ride itself. Slated as a metric century ride, which is 100 kilometers, or 62.137 miles, it is not competitive, there are no winners or losers, just 200 riders biking through the incomparable scenery of the national park. Participants can also opt for a half-metric century ride, of about 31 miles, after which they and their bikes are shuttled back to the ride start.
The event was a victory for one of this year’s cyclists. Pedaling against the elements and all odds, Jim Goodding is a long-time Pedal the Petrified participant. He is battling stage four cancer and completed the half-metric century ride of roughly 31 miles this year. This was his first cycling tour after being intentionally run over by a vehicle, from which he suffered several broken ribs and a shattered collarbone. Goodding was joined by his close friend Steve, who, along with two other cycling buddies, make up a group endearingly known as the “Bad Hombres.” Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, the group of cyclists are avid supporters of NPC Friends and Family and the Pedal the Petrified event. They’ve even made the event’s orchestrator, Betsyann Wilson, an honorary member of their group. “I have a standing invitation to ride with them anytime I am in Albuquerque,” Wilson said. Each year Wilson makes them special T-shirts for the event and pays for them out of her own pocket. “I am very proud and honored to be a Bad Hombre,” she said. Despite the rain and the injuries, the Bad Hombres kept the bond of friendship and support going this year and cycled against the odds. “We love this ride and will do everything we can to make it year after year,” Goodding said. “The only thing that could make it better is if someone would talk to the National Park Service about making that hill a little less steep,” he laughed jokingly.
“Pedal the Petrified illustrates the power of Petrified Forest National Park to serve as a valuable partner to its neighboring communities,” explained Wilson. “Of the 200 registrants, only 133 came from Arizona, and of those, only 15 were residents of the NPC service area. Riders traveled from Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and even New Jersey for this year’s event,” she said. The Cities of Holbrook and Winslow benefit from revenue generated through lodging, dining, and entertainment. The event also helps advance awareness about the region encompassing the Colorado Plateau and Arizona’s White Mountains. Wilson explained, “Pedal the Petrified is an outstanding example of how partnerships, in this case between our community college, the Cities of Holbrook and Winslow, and Petrified Forest National Park, can succeed in connecting individuals to our national parks while supporting academically talented, financially needy college students, and strengthening the economic vitality of the entire region.”
