2010 Arizona Trail 300

[ScottM]

Hey Scott, without Oracle Ridge, how would you keep your ears warm?

(!)

Haha.....

I'd have to find another way to get people to curse and badmouth me.  

Or carry ear muffs.  One more thing in my pack... hmmm...

[jonesy792]

hey scott, do you have an idea when that GPS track will be done?

[ScottM]

Just as soon as I make up my mind about burning ears and heinous hike-a-bikes.

I've made all the other changes to the GPS and cues...

What's your start date?

[jonesy792]

I'm starting next Friday (3/12). 

IIRC there was a similar decision to be made for including 10 mile in last years CTR.  I think the choices were between "the colorado trail race" and "the colorado trail race except for some sections that we don't want to do".  Do you want the 300 to be known as "300 miles of AZT except for some sections we don't want to do"?

[AZTtripper]

I'm starting next Friday (3/12).  

IIRC there was a similar decision to be made for including 10 mile in last years CTR.  I think the choices were between "the colorado trail race" and "the colorado trail race except for some sections that we don't want to do".  Do you want the 300 to be known as "300 miles of AZT except for some sections we don't want to do"?

Some of us are too old to know what IIRC stands for but then my wife just googled it who knew it would be that easy.

Put me down for having to do it all there are getting to be too many finishers anyway.

That is one of the hardest parts of the whole AZT the always knowing that there is an easier way but I have to go this way and it's all Scott's fault. But even when I am not racing that is still the hardest part of sticking to the real trail knowing that there is an easier some times much easier way.

I would be in favor of a snow clause but it would have to be noted and if you skip it and someone else doesn't then you can't win. But I could see it being too deep to be smart to try and this might be the year for it to be deep.

Jonesy are you starting at Parker next week lucky dog you might get rained on but there wont be any shortage of drinking water. I rode from Pistol Hill to Elephant Head Fri/Sat there are a bunch of creeks running north of Rosemont. Perfect bikepacking conditions but I don't know about Oracle Ridge right now better to go down the road like Scott and I did in March of 06. You can always go back and do the whole ridge latter but you can start down the road get back up on the ridge asap (that one I know) I am pretty sure you can get back up to the ridge at Peppersauce by then you should be below the deepest snow.  

[Chad B]

Snow seems to be coating much of Lemmon right now. I have a funny feeling things could get interesting for you on the backside of Lemmon. I rode Oracle Ridge in what I would call "very minor" a amounts of snow. It was not pretty. Hold down brakes, take a step, use the bike to stand up, move bike a few inches, take a small step on ice...etc. It was pretty slow going.

I am a strong maybe for doing the 300 miles late March during my Spring Break.

[jonesy792]

hmm mabe a pair of these could come in handy.... http://www.rei.com/product/760280

[ScottM]

IIRC there was a similar decision to be made for including 10 mile in last years CTR.  I think the choices were between "the colorado trail race" and "the colorado trail race except for some sections that we don't want to do".  Do you want the 300 to be known as "300 miles of AZT except for some sections we don't want to do"?

Fair point, though the full AZT definitely falls into the latter category.  I don't want to make it a twenty day race.  You can go to pretty ridiculous extremes to try to ride every piece of AZT.

The 300 is generally "as much of the trail as possible", though we could be climbing to the top of Lemmon and going down CDO west fork, up CDO east fork, then climb back UP to Oracle Ridge -- that would be more true to the AZT and add a half day, minimum.

We are also skipping Ripsey Hill -- not because it isn't worth doing -- it is one of my favorite sections of AZT anywhere, but because you'd have to go out of your way to connect to it, or to come back.  Once the AZT is done and continuous... the 300 will definitely do Ripsey and all of White Canyon (and it's going to be amazing).

So... the 300 does not stay with the AZT as much as possible.

But... it has always included Oracle Ridge, and everyone seems to want to keep it.  Going down the Control Road is kind of lame, I must admit.  So I think it'll stay.  I just have to figure out whether to add some of the other stuff.  I'll have it figured out before you head out, Jonesy.  Thanks.

[jonesy792]

Fair point scott.  Now to figure out how to get to the start line....

[AZTtripper]

Fair point scott.  Now to figure out how to get to the start line....

You have a bike right?

[jonesy792]

Haha that's true, I've got it all figured out now.  Transportation logistics are done, weather looks like it will cooperate, I've written the grocery list and taken vacation time from work.  Now I have no excuses to back out :-D

[AZTtripper]

Jonesy

You may want to use that snow clause a little early like say while you are on Redington road. You might want to check with the FS and find out if the Control road is open? I assume that they plow it out at the same time as the highway but you never know. Their web site says it is closed Dec 15 to March 1 so you are good there but it would suck to ride all the way up there and then find 2-3+ snow on the road.

[jonesy792]

I just talked to a guy at work who has backcountry skied lemmon since the mid 90's and he was convinced that the last couple storms will leave the trails and road impassable thru next weekend with hip deep snow in places.  The new plan is to detour down reddington rd, head out to san manuel and take the dirt road west out of san manuel to reconnect to the course

[AZTtripper]

Sounds like a good plan still a great ride I plan to head out on Saturday morning should be on the trail in Rincon valley by 9-10 am.

[Chad B]

road impassable thru next weekend with hip deep snow in places.

Sounds like an epic adventure...I'd say go up and over Lemmon. Knowing that it is going to be snowed in, you could be more prepared.

[jonesy792]

Yeah I was preparing to do just that (you should have seen me last night trying to figure out how to lash my bike to my pack with para cord).  Unless someone can hook me up with some bikepackable snowshoes in the next 24 hours I think it would be best to detour.  It is my first 300 after all

[AZTtripper]

Take the detour if this snow keeps up we may all want to go that way.

[ScottM]

Yeah, I'd say a detour makes sense.  Aaron S. reported 3-4 inches of fresh snow at the Bugs parking lot today.  That's a lot on top of whatever else has been accumulating higher up.

I just sent Jonesy a Redington detour idea involving..... wait for it...

another gas line!  An AZT favorite!

You can take some roads, the gasline, the haul road, then control road, and maybe even climb up to descend Cody trail.  Seems like a pretty legit detour to me.  It actually adds mileage, making the 300 a legit 300! 

He'll be on the AZT tracker.  I'll post more about that when he's rolling.

Good luck Jonesy!

[jonesy792]

You can take some roads, the gasline, the haul road, then control road, and maybe even climb up to descend Cody trail.  Seems like a pretty legit detour to me.  It actually adds mileage, making the 300 a legit 300! 

too legit to quit!

He'll be on the AZT tracker.  I'll post more about that when he's rolling.

so its not just new to me trail, but new to me trail that I'm not allowed to find out about beforehand.  I'm excited 

[jonesy792]

wow scott I'm impressed, I just looked over the detour and not only did you find a route that is more exciting than dirt road but also one with an equal amount of climbing and less resupply than the original.