I grew up in Payson, but I have not lived in the area since 1996. Needless to say, 18 years in CA will change a person's views on the world. I only bring this up, because this week as I was riding on Trail 200, I spotted another mountain biker. Although I am aware that Payson has a fairly active group of mountain bikers, this was my first time seeing one out in the wild. As we pulled closer to one another, I noticed what appeared to be a GoPro chest mount on the approaching rider. However, to my surprise, the other mountain biker was carrying a chest holster for a handgun. In AZ it is legal to carry a weapon on your person in public, as long as the weapon isn't concealed. I was aware of the law, but after being in CA for so long I had forgotten. In CA, such an act would get you arrested. In AZ, its apparently no big deal.
I made small talk with the heat packing biker, and never made mention of his "little friend." After we said our goodbyes I was left thinking about the encounter. What surprised me, was that I was asking all the wrong questions in my head. I wasn't asking "why was that guy caring a gun?" or "what is out here that he felt he needed a gun to protect himself?" No, no, no. The first question to enter my mind was, "why would he want to carry around all that extra weight?" I guess even an old Payson boy still has a lot of things to get used to.
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