I am getting stoked to do an ITT Coconino 250 attempt starting at noon on June 22.  Looks like it could be hot but I thing it can be mitigated.... and with luck I will finish... I will set up my "homemade" tracker, but is anyone going to be at their computer to watch with all the great rides that are happening this month?! Oh wait, is it against the rules to watch a different race while racing?   
Woohoo it feels like bikepacking season!!!!

I too think you could crush it Chad!  But it IS Harris that said it is "soft".  I think that I would have to have some luck and one of the best rides of my life to do it in 2 days (48 hours)...

...June 8...I think I am going to do the 250 at "race pace"

coolio Chad.  You gunning for Harris' "soft" record of 2:03:46?  I'm going to start the 250 at highnoon on June 22.  It will likely be hot in Sedona, but the sun should be setting and a nearly full moon rising about the time I get to the bottom of the Old Munds Wagon Trail.... I only have a 48hrs to work with...

I got to play "Spot paparazzi" today - finding Kurt on the Fort Valley Single Track.  





Notice the tape on his right ankle - I think he said his achilles tendon was giving him a little trouble.  Also notice the hiking poles he just picked up in  Flagstaff.  Should be useful for the Grand Canyon stretch.  I told him that Bright Angle lodge on the Canyon rim would be a good breakfast before descending the canyon on Bright Angel Trail.... now I look at the Map and see that the course doubles back and descends the S. Kaibab Trail....
He was in great spirits and doing well.  I think he said that he's sleeping closer to 6 hours/night now; earlier in the ride it was more like 3-4 hours.  



I told him that there was a new thread here on the forums and the discussion was that if trail magic was refused then racers should be DQed... with that he happily took some of the best Chocolate in AZ, produced by Uncle Buzz.  

Exciting! 

Sunny and 60+ degrees in Flagstaff today.  Most of the trails are gettting really nice around here...  Hope it holds and these guys can make it here. 

Love Mark's Call in "...make it to Flagstaff one hike-a-bike at a time..." 

Snowed a fair amount up above 9000 this weekend.  Really good powder turns! 

There will be snow/mud on Hart Prairie from snowbowl road all the way around to the NW side of the peaks. 
This is great to watch and read.  Thanks everyone.

Brad and Matt are on the highline trail.  It is a very interesting trail, having beautiful stretches and really sucky stretches - par for the course on the AZT.  Ive done a few trips on the highline trail starting from the Eastern TwoSixty trail-head and I do recommend it to the adventure rider, along with the horton creek trail. 
Looks like Blair and I are going powder skiing tomorrow.... if the weather clears I may be able to get out on the trail to look for Matt and Brad on Saturday...

Was planning to go mtbing tomorrow and maybe see some azters on the trail but it is cold, windy and wet...  Snow is starting to accumulate on the ground in Flagstaff... 

...I knew where the reward lay and smiled some more...

 
Big congrates to the new AZT 300 record holder and all the inspiring rides.  

I think the ~68% DNF stat speaks for Scott's AZ adventure mtb race/ride.  

I don't think snow is going to slow Matt and Brad down anytime soon... Maybe mud, but tons of snow has melted around Flagstaff even though we had a fair to good snowstorm last week - the same storm that gave the AZT riders a snowy start, gave me and friends a continuous 3000 ft powder to powder-corn splitboard descent.  
There will likely be some snow drifts here and there but mostly I think it will not be a big deal until Hart Prairie and the North Rim.  

Scott, what are the snow reroutes - are there gpx files? Found the files...
I might be able to get out to see what the course is like and maybe pop-in on Brad and Matt for a AZT interview.  

light snow here in Flagstaff and ~2-3" of new powder on the ground at 9000 feet....  may be more on the way next week... 
Randy and I are headed up to camp at 11,400' tonight - hoping to find new powder in the Abineau canyon chutes tomorrow... hard to believe there is a bike race coming through here in a week or two...
I'll be cheering on those spot dots and may hand out some trail magic and take photos as the AZT 750 racers come through Flagstaff...

Light to moderate raining in Flagstaff today (april 21 2010).  3-4" of snow has fallen at 9500'.

Best of luck to the racers! 
Scott, I really like the writeup on the AZT trackleader page.
http://topofusion.com/azt/race.php

There will be more great rides for everyone that needs to pass on this 700+ mile ride. 
I am stoke that there are still contenders.  Hope everyone carrys a spot for us fans!

I've done a little bit of wondering around and my thinking right now is that anything above 8000ft MAY have snow or mudd on it.  Over 9000 will LIKELY have snow and mudd.  This is approximate  - you may find this limit lower or higher in certian geography.  It is melting fast and it could get a lot better in two weeks, about the time a very fast rider would make the Mogollon Rim. 


 

You all will be able to RUN across the Grand Canyon while carrying your bike.    Why?  Because you will be damn fit from carrying it through mud and snow from Payson to past Flagstaff.   
I went skiing 2 days ago and even the south facing slopes of Hart Praire still have 1-2 feet of snow on them...

...Right now I would say that ~100 miles of AZT around here (Flagstaff) are 80% snow and mud... more if you include the AZT N. of the grand canyon...

We had a warm week and I am going to knock that snow and mud percentage down to 65%.

In other news, CTR and GDR vet Brad Kee called me today and said he has bought tickets and will be going for the full AZT.

that is the spirt!  I say if you are on the fence then go for it!!!!!   if ya ride your bike at night, the mud and much of the snow will be frozen over...  
flowing creeks everywhere (not always the case here) and it could be like a tropical vacation compared to MC's adventures.  

The snow is melting... but still a lot of snow left especially on N. facing slopes and in sheltered gullys/canyons....
These pictures were taken during a splitboard tour on March 21st, 2010.
This picture (from Saddle Mtn.) looks south towards the Kachina Peaks.  The AZT is under snow down in the flats.


This (when the snowmelts) mountain-biker, Rico is riding on top of ~4 feet of snow on an East facing slope of Saddle Mtn. at about 8600 feet elevation.


3-6 inches of snow in the 8000ft range are forecast for this week...
Right now I would say that ~100 miles of AZT around here are 80% snow and mud... more if you include the AZT N. of the grand canyon....  Wish I could give you a better outlook... but maybe April will see no snow and very warm days...

Krefs, I am glued to that snotel site on years like this!
Right now, near Flagstaff on North facing slopes of the AZ trail, there is 2-7 feet of snow. 
We are deep into an El Nino pattern... I hope it works out for the AZT race, but you can bet there will be some route adjustments.
Scott, make sure to contact me in early April and I can do some scouting and get you some tracks for good reroutes. 
Since this is a mountain bike site...  here is a January 2010 picture of Joe Murray.

Another mountain-biker John....

And the remnants of an avalanche that another Mountain-biker triggered and took a ride in.  He was very lucky and self extracted before his companions made it down to him.  Crown and toe are circled.

"Longest singletrack bike race in the world." 
Killer!   Wish I was in put it is not gonna happen...
Here is a pic of the AZ trail near Flagstaff - the trail is a few hundred yards up in the trees. 

This was on Christmas day before it dumped 7 feet in January.  But it is Arizona and things melt fast.  I have not touched a bike since December cause the BC skiing has been rather incredible this year...
Come April, I will be happy to check out the trails and let you know what to expect...

Killer pics and read.  bummer about Pete's wheel but a successful trip nonetheless. 
There IS aLOT of dirt and paved road on the first 125 miles of TU, aka Daves Hairy Monster.... and It took a fair amount of cream to get me through...
As far as the cold goes, I think it would be a good summer route as long as the first 80 miles are done by moon light.