I reached out to Joe Polk to confirm. Stand by....

Yes!! MtbCast is accepting calls: 888-866-4491.

Here's my ride report from a couple weeks ago:

AZT300 '21: Oracle Iditaridge

Jeremy started around noon y'day, his ITT starting time was listed as 7a today, so all points began tracking at 7a - when he reached SR82. Scott adjusted his start time back to noon y'day and if you now click on his personal page you'll see all his track points. So, if you say you're going to start your ITT at such & such day at time X, try to do so. Or edit your registration via email link. Makes it easier for everyone.

Alexis, so glad to hear you're on the mend. I miss your mtbCast call-ins!!

Will Pete stop tonight?? Timon and Jefe on deck!!

I'd like to give a huge shout out and Congratulations to Alexandera Houchin for setting a new SS record on the 300!! Alice Drobna's time of 3d 10h 30m in 2015 has been lowered to: 2d 19h 25m!! Outstanding!!

If you all do a full reload of Trackleaders, you'll see some more checkpoints have been added. I wanted to try and space them out a bit more evenly over the 300 and up north along the 800 I thought there should be one between Flagstaff & South Rim. So, you'll now see checkpoints for: Parker Canyon Lake, Canelo Pass Rd, Molino Basin & Cedar Ranch.

A few days ago I uploaded an updated version of both gpx files, current version is v6 for both the 300 & 800. Found a few track discrepancies while out on the trail, nothing major, just wanted to correct them.

Timon,
You're best bet is to go further south, come up & over Montezuma Pass & drive up to PCL via W. Montezuma Canyon Rd. Dirt road is in pretty good shape.

First two taters have opted for Sunset trail into Summerhaven!!

Four of the Potato Head gang rode through the first night and are heading towards Prison Camp already!! Hopefully Oracle Ridge has been getting packed down by hikers, melting a bit and provides a bit of riding for everyone. Riders have the option to bypass Sunset trail due to snow.

Back home, AZT300 No. 3 in the books: 4d 8h 30m I'll take it all things considered. To answer a question above re: Hog Canyon, it was about 2 hours faster. That's about what I estimated for me, shorter route, no dillydallying in Patagonia/Sonoita. Yes, the mid-section was a mix of hike-a-bike & slow riding, but in total that part took me 20 minutes to clear. It's a cool route and a nice temporary addition while more singletrack is being built.

Here's the short of it from Mt. Lemmon: Reached Prison Camp around 11p and it started to flurry. Didn't want to camp there since it was still early, so I started up the paved climb. Snow intensified, but wasn't sticking, wind howling too. Goal was the Green Mtn. trailhead and assuming bathrooms were open, I'd camp there. It paid off. Woke at 4:30a to take a leak, had to go next door since my space was jammed!! Opened the door and....6" were piled up!! Went back to sleep. I heard the plows running later and got going. There was at least 8" on the ground when I started up, but the road was mostly clear and easy to pedal. I had the Fire Dept. shout some encouragement on the climb, and another law enforcement agent stopped to let me know there was 12" up in Summerhaven. I told him I was prepared and he gave me a thumbs up. The Sawmill Grill didn't open, that sucked because I wanted a burger!! Instead, a complimentary hot chocolate from the general store. A bunch of thru hikers were heading out to Oracle Ridge, so I followed suit a bit later with the small comfort of at least following post-holing. All I can say about the traverse down was it was one hell of an upper body workout!! Snow was 6-24" deep for 10 miles. Yep, all the way down to Cody trail. Took me 8 hours, countless topples, wheels freezing - think death mud, but snow!! Winds were whipping all day, constant 30-40mph and snowing. Then, at the bottom setting up camp next to SR77 it began to snow again.

Anyway, thanks for the shout outs. It'll be a fun blog post to put together.

Well, the bike is loaded and ready to roll on Thursday. I thought I had cherrypicked the perfect weekend for the 300...then I double checked the 10-day forecast y'day morning. Rain/snow incoming!! I'm actually looking forward to it. I've had a great bikepacking winter so far, might as well break out the bivy & rain gear for this one. I'm stoked to be kicking off the northbound spring ITTs. After Picketpost, my dot will be continuing on, but only for a short bit as I'm riding home from there.

I'm really looking forward to checking out Hog Canyon. No plans to detour to Patagonia or Sonoita, Rocking K will be my resupply hopefully semi-early on Day 2.

I imagine Red Bank Well & Cott Tank will get some use. I'll just carry enough to get to Kentucky Camp. Looks like I may be the next rider on course....shooting for a 7a departure on Thursday March 11th.

It's been two whole weeks, why not another route change, eh? I wasn't planning on it, but when you have a Grade A pro scout out on his bike, it can't be ignored. Thank you, Scott Morris I introduce to you: Hog Canyon. *There is a Game & Fish register that all riders will have to sign when accessing Hog Canyon. Part of the access negotiations with local ranchers. This will bypass Sonoita, cut out more pavement & add more dirt. Sonoita was going to get the axe soon enough, let's start early. So, as of 2.23.21 the current version for both the 300 & 800 is v5. Available for downloading now: https://aztrail.home.blog/route-gpx/

This now means the first on-route resupply is the Rocking K market near Tucson, miles 105 & 128 respectively. Happy planning and decision making!!

Also, on the 800, Mike S. & I rode the Four Peaks segment out to Sunflower this past weekend from the Pobrecito OHV area. Most of the route went through the Bush Fire burn scar. While lots of terrain was charred, there were plenty of substantial unscathed areas both down in the desert and up in the tall pines. It was good to see. The singletrack section, 8 miles, out to Sunflower is overgrown, still plenty of catclaw even though a bunch burned - it's still there to scratch ya!! Relentless!! Lots of low hanging burnt branches and loose rock, so expect slow going. I did get word from a section hiker that they would do some trimming this coming week, how much, who knows but any is better than none. So, cover up when going through there!!

Too bad about the 1000, it looked better on paper with the Black Canyon and Sedona trails. 
But, no one has done the trail, rather than the road, north of the Canyon yet for the 800 or 1000 (or sub 10 day time for the 750 either).

On the other hand, I was feeling I really needed to get down to Arizona this fall to get to race the only year for the 1000.
Now, there is not a worry about the border still not being open by October 2021.

If you really want to do the 1000 route, go for it. The route is available, it's just not part of the Grand Depart. It was never meant to be included in the AZTR, just something to ride border to border since the 800 was shut down. I'd love to see some others give it a crack.

Great news to report: The Bush Fire closure order has been lifted as of 8:00a today.

https://aztrail.org/four-peaks-to-open-after-seven-month-closure/

The AZT800 is back in business. With this much advanced notice, the AZ1000 route will not be part of the Grand Depart in October. It served its purpose as a temporary option for the 800. I'll leave the route available if anyone wants to ride it in the future outside of the AZTR, but I don't plan to update it going forward.

And Congrats to Tuck...Justin, on pulling off a stellar SB 300 run with a side of Lemmon Drop mixed in too.

Happy New Year ya freaks!! 2021 is here and hopefully we can get back to some semblance of normalcy, like a Grand Depart!!
Speaking of, the Grand Depart is scheduled for Thursday, October 28th, 2021. This is the latest start based on the 4th Thursday model. Depending on how this year shakes out, I may move it forward a week. This past year, we had one finisher of the inaugural AZ1000, Ralph almost made it to Stateline without winter weather, but he got snagged near Flagstaff around the second week of Nov. Anyway, we'll keep an eye on things going forward. Cold/snow up north or extreme heat down south?? That's Arizona for you.

Some route notes:
The AZT800 is still closed. The area around Four Peaks & Sunflower is off-limits at this time. Closure order doesn't expire until spring, then the AZT needs to be evaluated for access. Wildfires ravaged over 100 miles of AZT in 2020, please consider a donation to the ATA: https://aztrail.org/get-involved/donate/ So, with all that said, the AZ1000 will once again be the route this fall in conjunction with the AZT300.
Look for new singletrack in the Canelo Hills West for both routes. It's a fantastic addition. However, it does mean that Patagonia is now off-route. It's 4 miles slightly downhill into town OR stay on the route up SR82 to Sonoita. Keep in mind, in the next year or two, Sonoita will be off-route as well as the Temporal Gulch singletrack project will be completed thru to Gardner Canyon.
As posted a few weeks ago, Oracle Ridge has re-opened. I'd like to get down to Mt. Lemmon to check it out for myself, hopefully before snow piles up.
There's a mile or so of new-ish singletrack added to the route right after the Boulders segment. It cuts out a sizable section of that powerline road, the singletrack had been built a few years ago, but the connection is stuck in the State Trust permit office. So, the trail technically deadends in a wash. Fear not, there's a short connection to a 2-track that leads back to the powerline road. It's a cool bit of trail that needs some tires put to it. We'll do our part.
Farther north on the 1000, I trimmed a bit of the spaghetti bowl in Brown's Ranch to help with navigation. Still a lot of turns, but a fun bit of riding.
AZT300 & AZ1000 gpx tracks for 2021 have been posted to the website: https://aztrail.home.blog/route-gpx/

Rules:
Did some house cleaning here. There was a bit of redundancy, so I cropped out a bit.
Added a section about media support to fall in line with the Colorado Trail Race's stance on it. No pre-arranged media support. Self-document all you like. If you have to have media following you, do it on your own, not during the AZTR, else expect an * and no records will be noted for a media covered attempt.
https://aztrail.home.blog/rules/

Grand Canyon:
This isn't new, but can't be reiterated enough. Your bike MUST be disassembled and attached to your back, wheels must NOT touch the ground. No rolling/riding below the rim. No exceptions. If you plan to camp/sleep/nap, you need a backcountry permit for either Bright Angel or Cottonwood CGs. Again, no exceptions. Anyone caught in violation of these basic rules are instantly disqualified and banned from future events. You will also be reported to the Grand Canyon National Park Service. Be on your best behavior, yield to all, smile, have fun. Yeah, it's hard. It's supposed to be, but it is doable. Plan, plan, plan and ask questions if you are unsure.

Remember, ITTs are always welcomed and encouraged. Please carry a mask for entering public areas and limit interaction whenever possible. Be safe, plan away, stay healthy and ride on. I hope to see you on the AZT in 2021.

We have a few dots on the map heading north!! Best of luck to all the riders. Gonna be toasty in the Old Pueblo, but a nice break in the weather should be arriving in time for the Gila River Valley & riders continuing north around metro Phoenix. Why, it might actually rain here on Monday!!

http://trackleaders.com/aztr20

Taprider,
Paul was concerned about the heat forecast heading out into the desert void and his legs were pretty worked over. He made a safe call.

ATTN: AZ1000 riders. After the most recent ATA Newsletter, it has been confirmed that most of the AZT north of US89A near Jacob Lake is OPEN. There remains a 2 mile section of AZT closed, so a minor detour is still in effect. This does mean, yet another, update to the track. The most current file is v13, now available for download. Riders will now be able to roll into Stateline CG via the AZT and that is very good news!! There was also a short, 0.5 mile, reroute of the AZT near Schultz Tank after Flagstaff. That too has been adjusted.
If you plan to ride either the 300 or 1000, sign up!! Dot watchers are anxiously waiting!!
https://form.jotform.com/trackleaders/aztr20
Tracks may be downloaded here:
https://aztrail.home.blog/route-gpx/
I appreciate everyone's patience this year with the seemingly nonstop changes.

I have checked out the trail closures and they are wide open for business the question is who is going to start the complete 800 north to south about the last week of October.

The 800 is not open, there are currently 3 long standing closures of the AZT proper along the 800 route. In general, going southbound: Stateline CG to US89A, Sunflower to Four Peaks & Oracle Ridge. If you plan to do a border to border ride, your route will be the AZ1000.

Good news to report, the Mangum Fire closure area on the North Rim has been reduced as expected. The AZ1000 route will be able to finish at Stateline CG!! However, the Arizona Trail remains closed north of US89A, so getting to Stateline from Jacob Lake will be on Forest Roads, but the do closely parallel the AZT for the most part. It's a nice ride. The gpx has been updated and posted on the website, current version is v12 (Hopefully this is FINAL), current version for the 300 remains v4.
I rode the 1000 route through the Goldfield Mtns. today, I like the way it flows and the views are off the hook.
So far, only a handful of sign ups for each. While both routes weren't what we were expecting for 2020, I think they are great and still offer a solid challenge. Even if you don't plan to ride either route, please consider a donation to the ATA, the fires hit the trail hard this year and will take a lot of work to get it restored.
Thanks for all your patience in regards to the seemingly endless track updates.
Sign up for an ITT and I'll even mail you a sticker!! What a deal!! I had some prototype AZ1000 stickers made, won't be the final design since it's not actually the Arizona Trail Race, but whatevs.


https://aztrail.home.blog/route-gpx/