The Yentas Are Back In Action, Gabbing Our Way Up The Mountain

I like to think the definition of close friends is seamlessly picking up the bonds and love exactly how you left it months earlier and that's exactly how it worked this morning when The Pedaling Yentas renewed their bicycle rite of biking through the inspiring Red Rock Scenic Loop.

We joked about our ages and health maladies, but the truth is that the two oldest guys -- doctors Ben and Scott -- are the strongest riders of the pedaling yentas as we took off from a Summerlin Albertsons shopping center and headed west into Red Rock Canyon to the Scenic Loop.

I nicknamed us the pedaling yentas because we just gab away, laughing and joking and swapping funny tales as we grinded out the uphill miles of the scenic loop some 25 miles west of the Strip.

Today was also a special day for Scott. The veterinarian and college science professor celebrated his 1,000th ride on the 13-mile loop, whjch peaks at 4,771 feet and is a 1,500-foot gain from the shopping center we use as home base.

  Here's Dr. Scott to your left, riding one of his many bicycles. He has three main road bikes that he literally cycles through for Red Rock Scenic Loop duty. His Bianchi seen here, plus a Trek and a Cannondale. And we have also been known to ride fat tires on the loop, too.

Scott is from New York, just like Anthony, who owns Broadway Pizzeria, and myself. So, when we start chirping away up the mountain, it's like being back in the mother land of New Yawk.


I met Scott on the loop three years ago when he was completing number 700. It was an honor to see the guy nail number 1,000 today. And he's not done. He wants to ride his 1,001th trip around the loop.

We had a grand time entering the federally-controlled BLM scenic loop.The guy in the booth enjoyed snapping this photo of us,

Then it was off to the climb. Anthony thought he would have a tough time with the big steep hills of the loop but he did fine.

Rounding out the yentas today besides Scott and Anthony were Ben, who is a medical doctor, and Paul, who works as a page designer at the local Las Vegas newspaper, the Review-Journal.

The beautiful part of conversation and catching up with great friends is that the words work as high-octane fuel to propel us up the mountain.

Especially at Mile 2, the ballbuster part of the loop where the grade gets challenging.

We reached the scenic overlook right before mile marker 5 and took a break to drink, munch a banana and assess the physical strains.

We were all OK.

The last eight miles of the loop after the road summit is mostly downhill.

And the section of road in the shadow of the Big Red Stripe is inspiring.

Here's Paul riding in front of the big stripe.

I love these guys and we will back on the road next weekend on the River Mountains Loop near Henderson, Boulder City and Lake Mead National Recreation Area.