2009 Arizona Trail 300 "official" thread

[AZTtripper]

Want to singlespeed tour the 300 with me this year? I am not sure if I was destined to be an ULTRA-endurance racer based on my last two years.

Chad does this mean that you may actually slow down and give yourself a chance to finish this year.

[DaveH]

I was lucky enough to get a taste of the AZT with Scott and Chad over the weekend.  For a couple years  now I've watched this event from the sidelines  wondering why I wasn't out there.  The little AZT taster makes it even more appealing.  What a fantastic piece of trail!

Still uncomitted but more interested than ever...

[Chad B]

Chad does this mean that you may actually slow down and give yourself a chance to finish this year.

Slowing down is good.

[AZTtripper]

Slowing down is good.

Who are you and what have you done with Chad.

[Chad B]

Who are you and what have you done with Chad.

Errr.... yeah, I am not sure what I was thinking. I think I might have had too much red wine last night when I posted that. Time to stay with the beer from now on.

[DaveH]

  Time to stay with the beer from now on.

Tequilla is ok too.

[ScottM]

Tequilla is ok too.

Only if it's been sitting in the desert sun for ~2 years!   Sadly that bottle is off route for the 300...

It sounds like a we're already getting a good field together.  As always, I'll be at the start, ready to feed my AZT addiction.  With a strong field I may have to race the route hard again.   

[Chad B]

Tequilla is ok too.

Classic. Each time I ride Milagrosa, there is always a story to tell from it.

It does seem like this year's race is bringing in more racers than the previous years, more talent for sure. Glad to see the ultra-enduro races are growing with more like-minded nuts like myself.

[ibclimbn]

Since the AZT300 is a point to point race, I am trying to figure out the logistics. Could someone point me to a thread/forum or answer directly how racers get themselves and their bike to the start and then back again from the finish. I will be coming in from San Deigo.

Thanks,
Kevin
www.ibclimbn.blogspot.com

[ScottM]

As the race gets closer we'll try to get some car shuttling figured out, right here on this thread.  Ideally your own car gets left at the finish, then you make it to Tucson.  There are usually a few vehicles heading to the start from Tucson on "race" morning.

Hope that helps.

[Stefan_G]

I just bought a plane ticket Denver-Tuscon RT for $189!  See ya'll in April!

[ScottM]

I just bought a plane ticket Denver-Tuscon RT for $189!  See ya'll in April!

Awesome!

A shot from yesterday's ride along part of the route, near Colossal Cave:



That's AZTtripper out front and possible '09 entrant Jobie in the back.

[Pivvay]

Getting excited. Might even fly down for a warm up depending on how spring weather goes up here. Even got me a new twenty nine errr and stuff

[JeffD]

Hi all, there are two of us planning to join in the festivities from the Los Angeles area.  As the race gets closer maybe us southern California folk can work out some driving options.  This will be my first multi-day event so I'm pretty excited.

[ScottM]

A little over a month to AZT 300 time!

I spent yesterday sprucing up the AZT near the very start of the race.  The Canelo Hills section of the AZT is still one brutal piece of trail, but it's getting a little better every year. 

Report and pics here:

http://www.topofusion.com/diary/2009/02/22/more-progress-in-the-canelo-hills/

ITT's

I've had a few questions about starting the route on a different date.  That's fine and in fact, encouraged.  The 300 is not an organized race, but more a bunch of Individual Time Trials with a suggested start time.  If you can't make it April 10, for whatever reason, you're welcome to start at a time that works for you.  You'll still be ranked in the 2009 list of results, perhaps with an asterisk or other marker noting your start date.

It's beginning to feel a lot like spring here in Arizona.  Heading west towards Canelo Pass, I wished I were continuing on, bikepacking kit in tow. 

I'll have an updated route GPX file in the next few weeks.  I have a few minor improvements in mind and a slight possibility of a major change pending some recon riding.  Unlikely, but possible.

[ScottM]

Just a quick update.

I posted the first revision of the 2009 GPS data and cue sheets.  It includes minor reroutes near Oak Tree Canyon in the Santa Rita mountains and more singletrack and easier access to services in Oracle.

Find them here:

http://topofusion.com/azt/race-route.php

Chances are this is the final version, but I have a couple recon rides to do that might change things.

[Kevin Montgomery]

I am sure this topic has been hashed out pretty throughly in the past, but how do we feel about doing the race using just the CUE sheets?  Doable or is a GPS unit really necessary?  I've personally never even attempted to operate a GPS unit and I sort of like it that way; that said, getting lost out in the desert doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

I don't have a lot of disposable income right now.  Anyone have a loaner?

[ScottM]

Kevin,

I can probably hook you up with a GPS.  I don't have very many that take replaceable batts, but I have some small ones that could be loaded with the track and used when things get confusing.  (i.e. it will last for ~10 hours or so total, not enough to keep it on the whole ride)

Fred W. followed the first ~half of the course by cues, then he joined our party and just followed along.  He had some good comments that I incorporated into the '09 cues, but he never had any serious route issues.

GPS is definitely the preferred method, but I think the cues work too.

[Kevin Montgomery]

Thanks for the GPS unit advice.  I'll ask my SF locals if they have any I can borrow to play around with and see what I think.

Also, I took the liberty to make a Leaderboard, as I plan on carrying my SPOT http://tourdivide.org/azt300/leaderboard  If anyone else is planning on carrying their unit and would like to be put up on the leaderboard, let me know.

[Kevin Montgomery]

Also, we might as well start getting the carpool thing out in the open.

Does anybody have any room in their car from Phoenix or Tuscon to the start?  I'm considering driving down and abandoning my car somewhere or flying into town.  I figure it is pretty easy to hitch hike my way back to PHX from the finish but getting to the start could be hairy.