Coconino logistics

[BD]

Thinking of late February. How is that for heat, water, etc?
Anyone have advice on maps?
Will use GPX, but like to look at, and carry, paper too.
Any advice/guidance on logistics, route, parking, etc appreciated.

[AZTtripper]

I wouldn't be too worried about heat, but the trails in Flag will be snowed in is my guess. Not sure about the ADot they might turn that water off before things have a chance to freeze. I wouldn't want to do the Mingus Goat trail if there was ice on it, the SS bypass is all good tho. Sedona should be good to go and the loop would be good even if you couldn't ride the higher elevation sections. Or are you riding a snow bike?

For maps I have carried the gazetteer type maps, pages photo copied for field use, the don't show the trails but they do show a large area and all of the roads that you cross. Sedona would be hard without GPS and cue sheet Lime Kiln is pretty well cairned and or signed a lot of the rest would be on these maps. GPS is the way to go once you get used to it, as long as you have a good base map, your good to go.

Tim

[BD]

Thanks Tim. Sounds like my window is a bit too early as I hate to miss the trails around Flagstaff. In a typical year when would be the earliest the higher elevations are decently ride able? I am not on a snow bike.

I am trying to drag my brothers down from frozen Idaho for a bit of sun and riding in the middle of their ski season. Any advice on a decent alternate muti-day loop in the Coconino country for late February would be awesome. Thanks again, bd.

[AZTtripper]

Yeah about a month or so early, the stuff north of Flag is one of the potential snow detours for the AZT, 2 out of 3 years they have ridden thru in mid April.

Wrong time for the Coco but the right time for everything south of Sedona. The Black Canyon Trail is in prime season as well as the Gila Canyon's. See Scott's Thanksgiving post http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,6639.0.html

Here's a BCT trip report http://smozilla.blogspot.com/2013/12/first-bikepacking-trip.html

Also Mark and I's Flagstone trip http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,6180.0.html

[BD]

Awesome. Thanks so much!