I might be nuts but once you finish TDR then what? (getting out of AW)

[Pizzaz]

Just planning for 2013... flying over from Sydney so getting to the start is the easy bit but what to do at the end?

Somehow (assuming that the bike gods have been favorable) hitching / catching some random bus doesn't seem like the way to end it and the chances of my wife making a trip to AW for a pickup with two small boys under 4 are pretty remote...

So I was thinking of just riding on to a major airport - Tuscon looks to be the closest spot (can get connections from there to anywhere...) and have been looking at routes etc... but stumbled across the AZT and that looks to be an interesting option... does anyone have any suggestions on getting from AW to the trailhead on the border and then the general trail to Tuscon?

The maps and stuff are fairly gettable its more the resupply options etc... thinking I'll slow it down some and enjoy some scenery (so 60 miles / day )

Thoughts / experiences etc all welcome.

Thanks.  Arran P

[AZTtripper]

Sure heading for Tucson makes sense, taking the AZT sure if your sick of riding your bike.

Looks like you could pick up some single track just west of Cloverdale if your really looking to kill time.

Most likely you'll just want to take the back roads rather then trails. You'll still end up in Douglas, Bisbee, and Sierra Vista. You could stay closer to the border and skip Bisbee but then you miss the resupply in SV. Of course it's not really that far then to Patagonia/Sonoita.

The AZT race course starting at Parker Lake is nearly 30 miles of grueling fun single track. You could cut the time a lot by taking the roads. You could also skip Patagonia and head straight into Sonoita. This will make sense once you see the map.

Then you could take the AZT course out of Sonoita out to Upper Gardner Canyon and ride the Flume Trail (fun and mostly easy) to Kentucky Camp (water). After some more AZT you could easily head to the other side of the mountains, on the old 300 course thru Box Canyon, and on into Green Valley. From there take Old Nogales highway (just east of I-19) and come into town right at the airport.  

[Pizzaz]

Awesome, thanks for the tips/advice... Of course by then I may be do over it I trade the bike for a lift to the nearest Greyhound stop!

[AZTtripper]

Yeah you'll have to be quite gung ho to be charging into the Canelo Hills after finishing the Divide. Tho I should think that by that point you'll have everything dialed in.

[Mauro_N]

Im thinking of doing the same thing, crazy I know, but I don't know when ill be back in that part of the wold and want to make the most of it. The question I have is there another trail system which will take me from Antalope wells to Phoenix? And is the ATZ rigid friendly?


Thanks Mauro

[Pizzaz]

Yeah, I'll be on a rigid SS... I figure I'll miss some of the more challenging stuff in favour of doing some actual sightseeing!   Bit of re-integration into society before sitting on a plane for 20 hours to get home

[Mauro_N]

Thanks Ill keep that in mind. I have found another option which is to back tracking down the TD to Grants and head to Albuquerque International Sunport. Its another 400 or so miles back to Grants, plus the distance from Grants to the airport. The bonus is that there is no need to find resupply points ect. Just thinking less work to prep (route wise) but more riding time which may or may not be good. But Ill only if I made a mistake by adding this extra bit on until I finish.

[mathieu]

Last summer I had to find out myself how to get from AW to Tucson. There are three options:
1. The shuttles between US and Mexico.
2. A taxi to Lordsburg or Deming, from where public transport to Tucson or El Paso is available
3. Biking out.
There are several daily shuttles from AW to Phoenix or Tucson or Albuquerque. The disadvantage is that you have to wait in the middle of nowhere, usually in blasting heat, uncertain whether they have a free place. Find names of shuttle companies in http://www.mataortizcalendar.com/traveling.html .
Sam Hughes from Hachita is willing to taxi riders from AW to Lordsburg or Deming. However, Sam is now 83 and had health problems recently. His telephone number is on the ACA map and his house is next to Hachita's Post Office.
Finally, the bike out to Tucson (3-4 days). I was told that the San Luis pass directly west of AW to Cloverdale is closed by the Border Police. So you have to return first on NM-81 to Hachita. Assuming that you don't want to bike the Interstate 10 to Tucson, because of the nauseous diesel fumes, the most direct route is NM-9 over Animas (good grocery ; Hachita's grocery is out of business) to Rodeo. Then to Portal, dirt road over Onion Saddle to Chiricahua National Park, Gleeson,  Tombstone, Sonoita, Vail to Tucson. Or fully on paved roads: Rodeo - Douglas - Bisbee - Sierra Vista - Sonoita - Vail - Tucson.  There is also an intriguing dirt road, rarely used by bikers, between Animas and Douglas called the Geronimo Trail. See http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1&page_id=310078&v=3D .

[Christopher R. Bennett]

The closest option is to head east to El Paso. It's only 169 miles to the airport.  Head back up the road to Hachita and hang a right to Columbus where there are supplies and a motel. There is a really good bike shop half a mile from the airport - Crazy Cat Cyclery (6625 Montana Avenue (915) 772-9666) - who could box your bike. In fact last year Paul Atalla and I paid one of the workers to drop us off at AW to start the race.

El Paso has flights with Southwestern who only charge $50 for bicycle.

[bpeschka]

The people in that part of the country are pretty friendly.

It's not inconceivable to think that you could hitch a ride with a northbound vehicle, depending on time of day.  The port of entry isn't open 24 hrs.  You might have to put your bike and maybe yourself in the back of a pickup.

Just don't get in the trunk of a car or into a UHaul truck if there's already 20 people in there.  They might not be legal. ;}