AZT 750/300 2015 Planning

[jmh]

Anyone know how the monsoon rains and floods early this year affected condition of the trail? 

[ScottM]

We discussed this briefly earlier in the thread, but stay tuned for more updates as some of us get out on more of the trail.  Lots of work events are happening to fix damage.  Some sections definitely got hammered.

[jmh]

We discussed this briefly earlier in the thread, but stay tuned for more updates as some of us get out on more of the trail.  Lots of work events are happening to fix damage.  Some sections definitely got hammered.

Thanks.  I forgot about that post in this thread. 

As in not rideable hammered? 

My local trails in El Paso got hammered too... some are rideable, some are just significantly more difficult, some are no longer rideable.  I was hoping to understand the extent of the damage when that information is available.

[ScottM]

Some sections are unrideable hammered, for sure.  Of course many probably weren't rideable before, either.... "less rideable" might be a better term.

But yes, from what I have heard/seen, there was some significant ride-affecting damage done out there.

[ScottM]

I just realized that 2015 will be the 10th running of the AZT 300.    The first was in 2006 -- and was the first singletrack bikepacking race (that I know of, anyway).  It was also the first event I've heard of to have its course defined by a GPX track.

My how the time flies.  Pretty stoked that this thing is still going and still proves to be a good terrible idea.

[AZTtripper]

My how the time flies.  Pretty stoked that this thing is still going and still proves to be a good terrible idea.

Awesome, glad I could be a part of a few of them along the way. Funny that there's a race to see who's the fastest one to walk their bike for 300 miles let alone 750!

[Rorr]

I'm down for the 750 4/3/15. Going for the 3 big ones if my 60yr old legs hang in there!

[jaredharris5555]

I am an East Coast guy and trying to figure out how to get to St. George after the race. Getting to he race I will fly into Tucson and take a shuttle to Sierra Vista. But for the end of the route there are no services. I'm assuming the closest airport is at St. George. Anyone have any recommendations on how to get there?

[AZTtripper]

Jared

People have had good luck hitching out of the State Line area. Just north of the State Line Campground there's a TH for the very popular, permit required, hike to The Wave. Lots of very outdoorsy folk coming down from the Campground the night before or after hiking. There's a shuttle service out of Kanab, looks like a park tour perhaps, all you would really need would be a lift thru the tunnel in Zion. Even if they dropped you at the Parks Visitor Center you should be able to get to St. George from there.

Just found this http://www.azdot.gov/media/News/news-release/2013/10/15/newly-completed-us-89-bypass-fully-open-with-no-restrictions

Makes me want to go to the State Line just to see this newly improved road way, Navaho lands are pretty special. The drive or ride from Flag North though the Painted Desert has always been a favorite of mine.

[Couloirman]

Well crap, gotta go to a wedding the weekend of the grand depart. Looks like I will be starting my 750 a few days late.

[mikepro]

I am an East Coast guy and trying to figure out how to get to St. George after the race. Anyone have any recommendations on how to get there?

My exit was via St George last April, to Las Vegas Airport.  Airport shuttle services from St George to LV, run multiple times a day.  I looked at flying out of St George, but flight times are more limited and cost was hundreds more, versus a <$50 shuttle ride to LV where the flight options where plentiful.  Write down the St George shuttle service names and numbers ahead of time.  I ended up, by luck, being dropped off at St George Shuttle.

Caveat:I did no pre-planning what-so-ever and just dealt with it on the spot as I rolled into Stateline Campground.  It was adventurous and fun, but not a tactic I would recommend for everyone.  It ended up going really well, and I was home in Oregon 24hrs after finishing the 750.  My recommendations based on my only experience so far:

1. Do some pre-planning.  Find someone and arrange ahead of time for them to be at Stateline CG to pick you up (not saying I will absolutely do this, but I will put some more effort into having a pre-arranged ride out next time).
2. Hope that you get lucky and can hitch a ride from whoever happens to be at Stateline CG when you finish the 750.
3. As posted above, pedal North a few clicks to the TH for The Wave - tons of cars and peeps there - and try to hitch a ride.  I thought about stopping and asking for a ride, but I just looked over and smiled and waved and kept pedaling North (naively, of course).
4. Pedal either North to 89 or South to 89A and hitch a ride going either East to Page (then to Flagstaff) or West to Kanab/Fredonia/St George.  I chose to ride North to 89 (with a spur-of-moment-left-turn short cut NW on dirt roads - more climbing, but shorter distance and less highway), since I'd predetermined that St George was my way out.  Note: hitchhiking is technically illegal in Utah, so you might have a higher likelihood of getting a ride at The Wave TH, or by going South to 89A and hitching within AZ.

My 'AZTR extraction' ended up happening this way:
I finished at Stateline CG around 10am.  Found 2 old guys packing up camp.  They said no to giving me a lift as they were heading out for a day of touring, but gave me some water and let me look at their maps.  They left to go sightseeing, and I sat at an empty table at a now deserted CG to collect my thoughts and study the maps.  After about an hour, I tucked their maps back under their large camp stove along with the last couple of dollars I had left (for the water - good Karma?), and then pedaled North into Utah.  I blew past the aforementioned Wave TH, then pedaled halfway to Kanab (tired, hungry, going 4mph into a stiff headwind) with my thumb out, then learned the Utah hitchhiking law from the county sheriff who ended up giving me a ride anyway.  In his brand new sheriff's truck no less.  He dropped me off at a hotel in Kanab and I tried to score a shuttle to St George, but found out that they are very few and far between, or booked, or charging ridiculous fees, or not avail until the next day, etc..  I chatted up folks outside the hotel and a nice lady drove me the 7 miles to Fredonia (back in AZ where hitchiking is legal), and then I got lucky after about 20mins of thumbing it, and hitched a ride from Fredonia to St George  along the 59/389 from a Kanab contractor who was making a Home Depot run to St George (something like a 150mile round trip Home Depot shopping run).  I learned from him that most daily non-tourist traffic from Kanab to St George goes South through Fredonia then West, rather than North and then West through Zion.  He was interesting conversation, and a great help, and dropped me off at the St George Shuttle office doorstep.  St Geoerge Shuttle is convenient: it's a half-block to nearest hotel with other hotels a few blocks away, several nearby food options, with a bike shop half-mile up the road where I got a bike box out of a dumpster after hours (I called them 5mins before closing and they said I could), and is a few blocks away from a big box store where I got tape for my bike box.  Got a hotel room, boxed up my bike, got some food at a 24hr diner, got 3 hours of sleep, up at 4am to catch the shuttle to LV, on a plane 3hrs later.  Boo-yah!

Edit:  Looks like St George Shuttle has moved locations recently according to their inter-webs page, so the convenience I experienced might not be the same - or it might be better.

[markphx]

Just noticed that the 2015 AZT 300/AZTR 750 starts on Good Friday. I won't be fasting that day (unless the Canelos give me heat exhaustion), but I will be engaging in a little penance to say the least.

[markphx]

I am an East Coast guy and trying to figure out how to get to St. George after the race. Getting to he race I will fly into Tucson and take a shuttle to Sierra Vista. But for the end of the route there are no services. I'm assuming the closest airport is at St. George. Anyone have any recommendations on how to get there?

I am looking into this just in case I can't find someone to swoop me from the Stateline CG (assuming I'm lucky enough to make it that far). I emailed a place called Paria Outpost & Outfitters (http://www.paria.com/) that is located about 14 miles from the Stateline CG (https://www.google.com/maps?saddr=House+Rock+Rd&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=37.068875,-111.94313&spn=0.252299,0.528374&sll=37.104685,-111.90397&sspn=0.015761,0.033023&geocode=FTGSNAIdXoNS-Q%3BFdI1NgIdFV9U-Q&t=h&mra=dme&mrsp=1&sz=16&z=12). They said they could give a ride from the Stateline CG to Kanab for $100 (I know, not exactly cheap, but at least it's a guaranteed ride). From Kanab, it looks like there's a $20 one way shuttle to St George with limited hours that runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and departs at 8 a.m. (http://kanabstagecoach.com/), but I'm not sure if they have room for bikes on their shuttles. If the shuttle can't carry bikes, there's a small bike shop with very limited hours in Kanab called Knuckle Heads (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Knuckle-Heads-Bikes-Boards-More/158140634233272) that may be able to assist with shipping a bike. I talked to the shop owner who seemed cool and he said that he can usually meet anyone at the shop any time after 4 p.m. Once in St George, as mikepro mentioned, there's a shuttle that runs to the Las Vegas airport.

If all else fails, there's the winging it and hitch hiking option.

[AZTtripper]

then learned the Utah hitchhiking law from the county sheriff who ended up giving me a ride anyway. 

To be honest I prefer to stay in AZ. I don't at all mind the extra dirt coming in from 89a, you get the condor site that way as well. Sounds like hitchhikers need to have a ride before leaving AZ or the dirt any rate.

There are also Outfitters in Flag that do runs up to the North rim and to Lee's Ferry for the river runners. Though I can't see how they could make any profit on picking you up at the finish. The gas and driver would get pricey. Seems like someone rented a Uhaul to just leave there and had another rider partner up to rent something to drive to Sierra Vista. I guess the trick is finding a shuttle partner who matches your planned pace.

I'd be curious to here how much these guys would charge  (http://www.paria.com/)

[mikepro]

Right, that Uhaul idea that was done is/was a good idea.  Either find a person with the same pace, or create a situation where both of you have the flexibility to wait a few days for the other(s) to finish.  You know, the first one to finish grabs the rig and goes to town for a cooler, plenty of beer, good food, massage team, etc, etc, and sets up a proper finish line party for the other(s)! 

[AZTtripper]

On the resupply side, I see that Rincon Market has closed, but the bar and grill at Saguaro Corners, Old Spanish Trail and Escalante, has been remodeled and has outdoor seating. http://www.saguarocorners.com/ Pretty sure this is now the only food on course in Tucson.

[ECEGatorTuro]

On the resupply side, I see that Rincon Market has closed, but the bar and grill at Saguaro Corners, Old Spanish Trail and Escalante, has been remodeled and has outdoor seating. http://www.saguarocorners.com/ Pretty sure this is now the only food on course in Tucson.

Nice find!

I was looking for a resupply a while back and just two miles off course on Broadway and Houghton there is a ton of food options (Subway, McD, Quiznos, pizza, etc.) as well as a Safeway and CVS. That might be a nice option for more variety if you're willing to add two miles each way off course.

[AZTtripper]

It's on my way to work so I couldn't miss it, yep Bway and Houghton has the most I went there in 010 and lost a bunch of time. Then I got waiting on Reddington while the FS brought in the bomb squad, all of one cop out of Marana, several others got stuck as well. Not sure about the menu at the bar and grill, looks interesting for bar food but the only thing I see to pack to go would be the club and you would blow cash to get enough sandwiches to get to Oracle. Likely the Circle K on Tanque Verde, just make sure you stay on Wentworth to TV the left off course 2 miles. Houghton is about the same but Subway and then a store stop adds up. Circle K if you know what you want is a quick fix. 

[dream4est]

Leaving my car at finish line on 4/1. Looking for 2 others who want to do the same and rent a minivan to get to Sierra Vista, etc.

[Sean Allan]

I would do that again Mark.