2020 AZTR

[schillingsworth]

2020 AZTR & beyond: 4th Thursday in October. So, October 22nd, 2020.
Again, ITT's are welcome ANYTIME and encouraged!!

Website has been updated except for the GPX page. That will happen at a later date, but before this coming fall in case anyone wants to get a jump start.

Also, some clarification needed to happen on the Rules page. I encourage anyone considering an AZTR ride to refresh themselves with the rules. Please share with your friends and family members too, don't get put in an awkward situation from well-wishers.

https://aztrail.home.blog/rules/

Here's a snapshot:
A clean finish is following the route defined by the GPX 100%

An (*) will denote a rider who missed between 0% & 1% (3 & 8 miles respectively) A finish time will be recorded.

A rider will be relegated for missing between 1% (3 & 8 miles) & 5% (15 & 40 miles) of the route defined by the GPX. A finish time will be recorded.

Snow detours and any official posted detours or signed reroutes do not apply to the above.

An Alternator is any rider who deviates from the defined GPX file by more than 5% (15 & 40 miles) A finish time will NOT be recorded.

It is highly encouraged for riders to record their ride via GPS, Strava, Trailforks, etc. In the event of a discrepancy, the track may be requested by the Race Director. The rider will have 7 days to submit the track, if requested. Any tampering with the gpx file with result in relegation.

Mobile bike service is allowed. If a bike shop wants to offer mobile service for AZTR riders, but doesn’t normally offer mobile service, this must be declared at least one month prior to the Grand Depart.

None of this is really new per se, it just needed some definition to help avoid gray areas.

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As for the route itself, there's a year and a half for ATA projects to come to fruition. The updated route should include: Rosemont re-route north of Kentucky Camp which cuts out Las Colinas, potential new singletrack north of Freeman Rd. bypassing the gas line section & more singletrack before dropping into Ripsey Wash (Both currently tied up at the State Trust Land Division), Four Peaks option from 2019 will become the official route, Colonel Devin trail added at Washington Park (Should've been added in 2019, but it was omitted by mistake!), Completion?? of the Happy Jack singletrack project which would eliminate miles upon miles of lava rock embedded forest roads, Babbitt Ranch singletrack project which adds about 11 miles of singletrack bypassing dirt roads and finally, the addition of the Kaibab Plateau singletrack on the North Rim which would swap 40 miles of pavement for 50 miles of pure AZT.

Plus, there are two much larger long-term projects on the horizon. The Temporal Gulch re-route will create singletrack open to bikes around the Mt. Wrigtson Wilderness area between Patagonia & Sonoita. Re-route will start near Red Bank well, windmill, on the Canelo Hills West Passage and connect in at Gardner Canyon south of Kentucky Camp. What does this mean? The AZT300 will be 100% AZT from Parker Canyon Lake to Hope Camp just outside of Tucson.

The other one is the re-route along the Ripsey segment leading into Kelvin due to the Ray Mine tailings relocation. Fear not, the Big Hill and famed Ripsey Ridgeline will still be there!! Gone? The switchback attack descent towards the Kelvin trailhead and the two goofy miles of trail across the Florence-Kelvin Hwy.

No timetable for either at the moment.

Excited? You should be.

Thank you again to all the riders this year and everyone who has an interest in this non-event. Please continue to support the Arizona Trail Association so all these projects can become a reality. If you're not a member, please join!!

[taprider]

yes I am excited

to how many decimal places is 0%?  
I remember a short cut in Sonoita by going into the truck stop rather than sticking on the highway, wandering aimlessly (literally) in the dark around fallen trees within no obvious bike tracks anywhere near my GPS track before Tusayan, and weird GPS track errors that would obviously be short cutting switchbacks before Flagstaff (maybe one of those wandering Sedona vortices)  ;-)
0.0% would be reasonable

[phatmike]

Cool. Seems like there was some back and forth with the date change... with the most recent being that it wasn't going to change for myriad reasons. What pushed it back to this side of the decision?

[geekonabike]

2020 AZTR & beyond: 4th Thursday in October. So, October 22nd, 2020.
Again, ITT's are welcome ANYTIME and encouraged!!

Opinions went back & forth but John seems firm & clear.

[aarond]

Cool. Seems like there was some back and forth with the date change... with the most recent being that it wasn't going to change for myriad reasons. What pushed it back to this side of the decision?

No conflicts with hikers and north rim st being open were a couple of reasons.

[AZTtripper]

I wasn't sure what to think at first but I am glad that John was thinking about other trail users. Maintaining a good relationship with hikers and the ATA will be crucial to the future of the event.

[schillingsworth]

I think we can all agree, there is no perfect date. There's always going to be a compromise. As Aaron mentioned, the two major factors were spreading out the usage of trail resources, i.e. caches. during the heavy through hiker spring season. It's always bugged me and I assume Scott as well, that the North Rim singletrack is always bypassed due to snow. It's some of the best riding along the entire AZT. When the topic was posted a couple of weeks ago, I was a bit surprised at the overwhelming support to a fall switch. So, the vast majority seem to be in favor, then let's do it. I have a feeling there will always be a few spring ITTs.

The big tradeoff will be colder nights up north and about 2 hours less daylight. Sounds like there are a few folks interested in giving the AZTR a whirl this October as ITTs. Fantastic. I'll set an October 1st deadline for myself to have the gpx track as updated as possible after the summer ATA build season.

Taprider, I hope you realize that 0% margin for error doesn't mean you'd get an (*) for cutting through a corner parking lot!! Yes, I'm well aware of possible deviations due to down trees, etc. Yes, that zig-zag section south of Flagstaff was also not updated in this year's track. Missed it. Now updated for 2020!! Of course, any trail re-route like that trumps any gpx track. The rule has always been to follow the AZT as signed (excluding Wilderness detours). So, of course you wouldn't get an (*) for staying true to the current trail alignment. I do my best to get all the re-route projects the ATA performs, but I don't ride the entire trail all the time. As expected, trail reports are gathered from locals and ATA when possible. IIRC, there are still two small sections that riders can go either way and be ok, at the end of the Gold Canyon singletrack riders can hop/climb through the fence OR stick to the track and essentially do an out-n-back to a gate that brings you back to the fence crossing and the section from Washington Park up to the Mogollon Rim, riders have never been dinged for not turning on the Tunnel trail and staying on the powerline trail. Personally, I think the powerline trail is a bit tougher, less scenic and overall crappier. This parameter is really meant for those that think it's ok to miss a mile or two here and there, that'll get you an (*). Prime example is the two mile stretch of trail after the Kelvin trailhead leading down to the Gila River. It can be easy to miss, but it's a miss.

[phatmike]

Awesome. I think keeping the state of the race healthy is of prime importance to the race director, so thanks John (and all involved) for thinking outside the (time) box for this.

[taprider]

Thanks for clearing that up John.  I have heard from other people (including a race director) that even cutting through a parking lot is a *
I prefer that when discrepancies occur, following the Official Land Manager's trail signage beats the gpx track.

Also, thanks for the changes to the time and route too.  Looking forward to October 2020, it will be a 60th birthday present to me.

[NCBio]

Seriously, a huge thank you for all the efforts, John (and of course Scott). I didn't realize the the potential for straining trail resources until seeing it first hand. Seems like.a wise move. With this level of thoughtfulness and dedication I'm sure you'll have this gem running smoothly for years to come. I'll be hoping of a 2021 return.

[hanyo66]

In for 2020 300....need that AZT redemption

[bmattingly]

I was driving home from work tonight thinking about the race.  Yesterday I rode a bit on the AZT on a big ride.  A thought came to my mind that I'm not sure anyone has considered.  That is this.  Sometime in October (I'm pretty sure) hunting season is on with rifles.  I've ridden up on fully camouflaged, fully armed hunters, right on the AZT on both sides of Flagstaff.  I'm always super careful riding in the fall because of hunting season.  I'm not trying to stir the pot at all and think Fall is a good season for the race.  Just thinking that it may be possible to avoid hunting season.

[LandSharkBrian]

I was driving home from work tonight thinking about the race.  Yesterday I rode a bit on the AZT on a big ride.  A thought came to my mind that I'm not sure anyone has considered.  That is this.  Sometime in October (I'm pretty sure) hunting season is on with rifles.  I've ridden up on fully camouflaged, fully armed hunters, right on the AZT on both sides of Flagstaff.  I'm always super careful riding in the fall because of hunting season.  I'm not trying to stir the pot at all and think Fall is a good season for the race.  Just thinking that it may be possible to avoid hunting season.

Good thought, but it looks like late October is generally not a heavy hunting period. 

Per the 2019-2020 regulations, youth deer starts in various areas Oct 4 and Oct 11; the first general hunts start 25 Oct. (with one exception 25 Oct is when muzzle loader starts too).

Archery seasons are much earlier, Aug & September, and later, Dec '19 & Jan '20.

Shotgun turkey Oct 4-10
Youth javelina Oct & later
There are two areas open for bighorn sheep in October in the Flag-to-south rim areas
Bison, mountain lion, bear may have some hunters out.

Frankly, I think the folks banging away north of KY Camp and off of Redington are still a bigger deal than any of the hunting seasons for a late October race.

[bmattingly]

Good point.  I forgot about the Reddington area where people like to shoot.  Deer and Elk are the most commonly hunted game on the Rim.  Thanks for the provided information on dates or certain hunts.

[AZTtripper]

Don't forget about the motor heads Reddington is a zoo on many levels. Opening day of dove season is September 1st so not an issue apparently the area south of Sahuarita road is crazy that day.

[phatmike]

Interesting thoughts re: hunting. That's  one reason I bought a god awful looking orange puffy haha.

Another thing I thought about in regards to being good stewards. It's no secret that this race has been going on for quite some time now. Long enough that towns and shops (especially on the 300 route) have come to expect what I would anticipate being what has to be their largest few days of the year every April. I don't know how or the best way to communicate the change (maybe they do their own research and figure it out on their own) but it might be worth thinking about getting a heads up to those folks. I'm really thinking Patagonia/Sonoita and Summerhaven. Oracle is tougher obviously but also has more resources so maybe not a big deal. Though the Circle K might be worth it?

Just throwing thoughts out there. Maybe I am overestimating the impact the race has on those businesses...

[Yogi the Barry]

Re: April >>> October

There are pros to the Oct. vs. April date [with a set date, now water under the bridge], but two [edit: three] cons come to mind:

Goatheads - Where I mostly ride, NM, it's prime season for post-monsoon goatheads. The year I did the snowed-out Coco 250 in Oct, my version wound up being about 150, there were some sections of trail that resulted in goatheads coating the tires so much they looked like studded snow-tires. It's quite stressful not knowing if your Stan's will seal that many punctures. In the spring, goatheads have mostly dried up and blown away.

Springtime bloom - Would definitely miss the palo verde, which almost carpets the ground with fallen blossoms, the awesome ocotillo and all sorts of other blooming plants I don't know the names of. The desert always has its beauty, but all those springtime blossoms just make it more awesome.

Less daylight - Being on the longer nights side of the equinox, for sure less heat, but potentially lots more cold and night riding.

Edit: After reading a few other comments, maybe I'm wrong about October being cooler than April. It can snow in either month, but it would seem that since the days in October are almost two hours shorter than they are in April, on average it would be cooler in Oct... [?]

A selfish pro - The extra time might allow me to resolve the hand/arm/shoulder/neck numbness issues which have forced me away from ultras. I'm all ears on that topic, if anyone wants to share, but that's another thread for another day...

Ciao,

-Barry Ritchey

[JoePAz]

I did the AZT300 2 years ago. (2017) and was planning to hit it again in 2020. However as a 300 rider I have concerns about October date. I have had many years of 95 even 100 deg in the deserts at Halloween.  Sure it can cool down, but it is often hot.  October is hotter than April for sure.  We are always waiting for the heat to "break" and usually it happens by the first week of November.  This means that late October is always dicey for temps down low.  This makes the 300 rather unappealing to me.

Now a North to South AZT800 more likely since you can start with cooler temps and have a few days before you hit the desert heat.

[AZTtripper]

Now a North to South AZT800 more likely since you can start with cooler temps and have a few days before you hit the desert heat.

South bound ITTs could work a group start wouldn't as you run the risk of more than 11 starting the canyon at the same time.

[JoePAz]

South bound ITTs could work a group start wouldn't as you run the risk of more than 11 starting the canyon at the same time.

Good point.  Had not thought of that.