Max has joined a very exclusive club- I think he is #6 in the full meal deal fraternity. Congrats to you. I know how hard it is to crawl out of the ditch and and finish this beast. The AZT is one tough ride.

Now you need to return to CTR for some revenge and to complete the singletrack double play- AZT and CTR in the same year!

Mark C.

Nice work on the highline trail Max- I took waaaay longer to clear that hell. Good to see you out there alone living large. I can see the trails in my head as I watch your spot crusing along.

Good luck to all the racers. I wont be joining you for the 750- I am opening a new business May 1 here in Idaho Springs, Co. We will be selling the pain cream I used as a chamois in the AZT/CTR races!! It is called Fall River Botanicals and will have a website with the pain cream avaiable online.

I really wanted to race but I will have to wait for CTR or maybe the Dixie thing in Utah.

Mark C.

The snow pack at Mormon Mtn. and Happy Jack is up 18-20 inches or so. They got hit on 20th and 21st it looks like. So maybe this year could still have similar snow detours as last year. Maybe some heavy snow in March?

At least we know Scott will nail the forecast and have any fire or snow detours dialed,  ready and mapped out like last year.

Mark that huge tank was it up hill about .5 miles south of the 2 track. That comes just before the start of the Babbit passage. Sounds like Cedar Tank if so that could be a good one.

It could be. I remember seeing the tank, going to it for water. I dont remember much else. I was in scared for water mode as I made a mistake and did not realize after leaving the snow detour road area that morning water was a long way away. The tank was big, the water looked a little green. A house or some complex was ahead uphill? I think I then went back to the course and entered a gate to start Babbit? I dunno- I just remember being really happy to find the thing. It felt really hot out too.

There is tons of water below Mogollon rim in creeks. I was making coffee at a few of them. The river at mile 7.8 on top of the rim is deep and clean.

That water got me to Mormon. Then I hit Flag. Next water was a huge tank on Babbit Ranch around mile 30 of Scotts cues I think. Then Russel fishy water. Then Grandview tower had trail magic water. Not sure but thought that was from the tower people/fire folks I guess. BE careful on your water north of Flag- I got a wicked dehydro-headache so this year I am carrying the Sawyer in-line filter instead of tabs.


Not sure about snacks at Phantom all day long- but I bought some at 6am. Water at rest house on north kaibab trail hike-a-death march.

The North Rim County Store store was closed last year. A snow plow operator told me it opens every year on May 15th, the day the North Rim opens.

The race will be hard, no doubt. But I am excited. Anyone else thinking full meal deal at this point other than Tim or Marshal?

I am interested in this story of you care to share about your "plastic brake pad" Do you mean the plastic piece that is shipped with new brake calipers?

I fashioned a rectangular hunk of a plastic patch kit container into a pad. Superglued it to the pad holder (elixir). Melted the edges over the sides/back of holder. Trimmed that excess until pad slid into place. Used it on the front and barely touched it unless I had to. I made it from Oracle to Apache J like that. It worked enough to make it.

The first two snow detours around Happy Jack/Mormon Lake made that section easy. Pavement abound and resupply in Mormon. 15 miles of missed ST or so I think. Not much different without detours (3-6 hours) but could make Mogollon harder with more food to carry to make Flag (or go off route to Mormon for a bite- I had 6 cups Starbucks coffee in the restaurant!).

After Flag detour was like 5 miles maybe ST missed. Wont make but about 1 hour difference without detour.

The kicker is the North rim ST versus detour. The extra food carry in the canyon will be very hard to manage. I had barely any food for the 47-ish mile road ride to Jacob Lake. My intel found that Kurt was in basically the same boat. The canyon was too hard- carrying lbs of extra food will be painful.

The snow depth at Happy Jack is 19" today. Last year it was 43". Anyone want to discuss how hard the race will be after Mogollon with no snow detours this year?

Edit- looking at these links, I would bet there will be no snow detours and a lot more singletrack than last year. South rim to Jacob Lake will be the hardest hike/ride ever with 50 miles of ST after the canyon instead of a paved road.

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/westwide/snowpack/wy2011/snow1102.gif

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/support/water/westwide/snowpack/wy2010/snow1002.gif

 Mick is one of the nice guy. If your ever at his shop and have time to chat, ask him about his adventures. He's had some of his on.

Yes he is very cool. So was the guy at Junction bikes in Apache Junction (I think his name is Joel?). I met some really nice people in the race and in Arizona in general.
A beef jerky rancher guy near Hayden? had a 29" tube for me when I bailed near Antelope Peak. It was like someone just wanted me to finish. The guy didnt even own a 29er- just had a 29" presta tube in his barn by accident! And it was the last commercial option I had in that area and by total luck as I was heading back to the course dejected with no tubes left and a failing tire.  Best $5 I have ever spent. Good people out there.

I do not really see much of an issue in AJ- as it is flat and fast. The extra 2 or 3 miles I went around the triangle were over in minutes. You do not need to go off route for the grocery store I mentioned above- it is right at Mtn. view and Superstition Hwy. I only went off route to get to the bike shop as my bike was worked over from the crazy blizzard start of the 750 at the border. I literally had McGuyver's bike- no spare tubes no spare brake pads and a failing tire. I had a plastic brake pad up front I fashioned trailside past Oracle.

You could have some type of rule where in town action is whatever route through town you want (like in Payson or Flag or Tasayan) but I think staying with the current rules work too. The moves off route are pretty easy and relatively short.

I am planning to use the bike shop in Payson for a drivetrain cleaning, stans shot, etc. while I shop at the grocery store. But hopefully no new tires this year. I actually ran over a deck screw in Payson and had it jammed in my tire but holding air. The cholla I survived OK but 2.5" screws are my nemesis!

Tim- Heading into AJ has lots of stuff all over on the highway- c-store with mickey-d's on right, a hotel I believe on the left and then a big chain grocery store on the right in a shopping center. As you head west on Apache Trail towards the bike shop (slightly off route but flat and fast, go left on Apache Trail, not right as Mountain View Drive hits Apache Trail) it is commercial everything for miles heading into metro Phoenix. The bike shop is 5-6 miles west of Apache Trail and Mtn. View and had 29" tires, Slime pro tubeless and parts:

Junction Bicycle Sales & Service
10839 E Apache Trl # 131
Apache Junction, AZ 85120-3499
(480) 380-0811
junctionbike.com‎


The next bike shop is in Payson, 2 blocks east off route at main intersection of town:

Hike, Bike, & Run
600 East Highway 260 Suite #3
Payson, AZ 85541
(928) 478-6918
hikebikeandrun.com‎

The owner rides 29ers and sold me a tire right off his personal bike. He also held Matt F. and Brad K.'s bike and box/shipped them home for them. He even let me leave my bike in the shop while I shopped at the grocery store across the street.

Thanks for the confirming info on this section.  I am planning for two different traverses of this section.  The 1st is as you did it.  With a bivy past Jake’s Corner I assume?

But the 2nd would begin pre-dawn from Apache Junction, which would mean Tortilla Flats will be closed.  And Roosevelt lake is about 45 miles from Apache Junction, hence my interest in getting convenient water at a CG there.

Anyway, if the temps are reasonable this section should be relatively easy form a resupply and getting-in-miles point of view

Was there much traffic?  I am hoping not to much.

I left Apache very late, like noon, from the bike shop. After a frazzled 300 with 2 days of mechanical delays, I was moving well but not Kurt speed and not as fast as I expect to do it this year.  I would say that someone in shape could make Payson or farther with a pre dawn move from Apache. BTW I only got a short top off in Tortilla and made it easily to Punkin Center with 140oz or so from Tortilla. I didnt need the Tortilla water. Not much traffic at night.

Had I left Apache at 4-5am I would have made Payson last year in my estimation and my overall pace was slow. Kurt probably killed this section and would nearly make Pine with a 4-5am Apache departure.

edit- Marshal, Punkin Center water is just a fast ride from Roosevelt and there is a spigot on the east side of the general store/gas station that I used after hours. Dont worry about the Cholla CG idea I did think that I needed water there too and made it easily with water to spare.

I got water at Apache Junction, Tortilla Flats and Punkin Center. Jakes Corner had a bar I had a coke in at midnight. Then I hit Payson the next day before noon, Rye stuff was closed at 6am. Water is easy to find (and riding is easy and fast until near Pine) from Apache to after Flagstaff. I carried less than the 300 moves like Oracle to AP water cache.

Mark how long did it take you to hitchhike home last year.

Tim

It took me about 34 hours to get home. I bet I could do it faster this year.

I am in for the 300 and 750. Looking for a ride from Colorado- I will split gas money with anyone who wants to head down to Tucson a few days prior to the start.

Mark

I think being really strong and in top shape is the key the the GC hike. Last year I was not and it nearly killed me. I am training- last year I just rode in the winter now I am serious. I am doing something specific for the course leading up to Tasayan, and then picking up a drop from the PO to complete my canyon kit. Hiking Poles, Etc.

Wow- there are 5 interested already for the FMD, if you include Scott, in this thread. There could be a pretty good starting pack at the border on April 15th. Anyone else out there thinking FMD?