Coconino 250 Race Thread 2011

[Chad B]

Coconino Loop Stage Race

The third annual CLR is October 7th, 2011 at 7:00am in Flagstaff, downtown at a coffee place. We drink, chat a bit and then we ride!

The 250-mile route has about 40-50% singletrack, some of which is pretty darn technical, and about 33k of climbing.

The official site: http://rockyroad5050.wordpress.com/5-coconino-250-and-350/

Comments, suggestions, heckling can all be made below. I have the GPX file nailed down, but just need a few more tweaks before it is made available. There will not be too many changes from last year.

You can drool over some pictures on Scott's website: http://www.topofusion.com/diary/2009/06/29/coco-ming-o-bob/  

[YuriB]

Hoping to make it out. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Did a little Mingus exploring this weekend. Didn't find the spigot at the top but I did find a small lake. Makes things a little easier for that section. Also found a little spigot on the "bypass route" that was running.

[tRoy]

I'm planning to make this ride.  Really stoked!
Hey Yuri, Did you taste the water at mingus "lake"?  Where on the bypass did you find the spigot? 

[YuriB]

I filtered water from the "lake" and it tasted fine and vaguely of trout 
The spigot on the alt route up is about 1 easy mile from the split. I don't know if it is a sure thing as there had been recent storms but it seemed semi reliable. WP is roughly N 34 41.453 W 112 06.117  222. A few snaps from the ride here http://upsideout.blogspot.com/2011/08/mingus.html
Sadly other obligations have filtered their way into my life so i'll be arm-chairng this one. Have fun out there.

[Foster]

I'll be in it this year.  I will not be doing the race stages though due to school and amount of time that I can miss.  I will be riding strait through until I am back in flagstaff. 

Looking forward to it.

[Fulton]

Anybody want to carpool from Colorado?

[redrockgirl]

We're in -- three of us -- new blood from AZ, CA and WV/CO.  Still debating stopping at the designated stage stops or pushing thru and enjoying the sights.  (ONE of us is a WUSS when it comes to frigid temps, so...we shall see. )  See ya in a few weeks!

Red Rock

[ScottM]

We're looking at a few route updates this year.  New GPX and cues will be forthcoming.

1) minor change in Sedona for easier navigation (Llama trail)

2) we will try descending little yaeger trail off of Mingus Mtn this year.  More singletrack, and smoother/easier.

3) Looking for opinions on the finish of stage 4 (into Flagstaff).  See the attached map.

Red is current Coco route.
Cyan is new AZT.
Green is the proposed connector from the current route to the AZT, then AZT back to 'moto' trail and the red line, finish as normal.

Any veterans of the Coco Loop, please chime in with your opinion on the matter.  While it's undoubtedly sweet AZT, it does add a 1300' climb (up to nearly 9k) at the end of stage 4.  I personally kind of like that both stages 1 and 4 are relatively short/easy and don't have any monster climbs in them (monster climbs are saved for stages 2 and 3... bwhahaha).

It does seem like a no-brainer to include the AZT below "rocky moto", in minimum.  That'll make the route a little faster.  I also personally don't want to see Wing Mtn eliminated from the route since it's such a classic.  So if we were to include the new AZT all the way from the top I'd find a different way to connect over to it on Hart Prairie road.

Thoughts?

Also, SPOT rental info coming soon.  We'll have plenty available.

[Foster]

Hey Scott,

Here are my thoughts.  I think that including the new section of the AZT just south of rocky moto is definitely the way to go without a doubt, it is really good single track, very fast and smooth.  The upper section of the AZT from snowbowl to snowbowl road is also killer, just road it today.  I guess some options could be taking out the bill williams climb section and replacing it with this extra AZT mileage and elevation gain.  But I also feel like bill williams is a key part of the route, but its the only climb that I can think of that could be taken out if everyone just wanted a swap.  Also if you are going to keep in wing mountain section which is really good then what you could possibly do to input the upper AZT section is cut back to get to hart prairie road using couple of the forest roads, which shouldn't be an issue, there are plenty in the area around the cinder pit shooting areas to make a fairly direct route. 

Also if you keep everything and add the whole AZT section we would have a sweet 5.5 mile downhill section all the way to snowbowl road.  I'm all for it.

[Foster]

Anyone know if all the downed trees on the north side of Bill Williams mountain have been cleared yet?

[AZTtripper]

Unfortunately I won't be able to make it this year.

If you add the new AZT below Moto do I get credit for riding it last year? Ha Ha.

Anyway, going below moto was quick and easy that's why Steve and I choose that route. It was just a guess at that point but I knew what moto had to offer and we got lucky.

I hadn't thought about adding in the stuff farther north I was only thinking about the lower more direct route.

When we had lunch with Mathew Lee he mentioned adding more AZT at the end. He felt that the route could use a few more miles to be closer to a true 250.

Of course ML is a super strong guy and adding a few more or a lot more miles is nothing to him. I recall one guy last year who's comment on the last day was "sick of more", mostly talking about the rim trail.

I think a lot of people will fall into the ready to be finished category and would vote for the shortest easiest way to finish. That is without just taking the highway.

One of the great things about this event is that though it's hard it's not out of reach for non mutants. So it seems to make sense to me to add the AZT below moto and just let people finish up.

Just my .02.

Tim

[AZTtripper]

Anyone know if all the downed trees on the north side of Bill Williams mountain have been cleared yet?

Unfortunately that trail doesn't seem to get much love from the local FS it would be such a sweet down hill run if not for the down trees. Can't remember for sure though it seems like it was not the same trees both years. So maybe the FS does work the trail but by the time we get there more tree's have fallen.

[AZTtripper]

2) we will try descending little yaeger trail off of Mingus Mtn this year.  More singletrack, and smoother/easier.

Man, now I am bummed that I am missing this years run.

[tRoy]

Not a veteran of this ride yet...  but that new AZT from Alpha Fia tank is so awesome.  It is the singletrack-talk of flagstaff right now.  I heard that the wing mtn motorcycle-trail took a hit from the monsoons this year.  I also like the strive for 250 miles idea. 

FYI: the existing cocoloop uses moto not supper-moto.  supper-moto is above moto, above the pipeline (and while that is a wonderful trail) it is darn techy and steep and I believe that it is not being considered for use in the 250. 

I support whatever decision is made...  and very much look forward to hitting the trail and camping at the stage stops with some trail riders. it has been a year since I've done a ride over 50 miles so hot dang I am stoked. 

[redrockgirl]

My cheap two cents:  If you're looking to add some more miles and fun singletrack, then I'd say instead of finishing in that neighborhood north of Flagstaff, try this:  when you leave the parking lot (Schultz/Mt Elden Rd), turn left (up) ride up the hardball Elden Rd for a mile or so, then take Oldham back down (right) to Buffalo Park....a big grassy and usually sunny place to relish in the past few days events.  (Can always throw in Rocky Ridge instead of Elden Rd, but ick....that might just negate the "fun" feeling out of an otherwise fun singletrack finish...ha ha.)

[AZTtripper]

Troy thanks for clearing up my confusion over Moto and Super Moto I change my earlier post to reflect this.

As to RRG's comment on Buffalo Park pretty sure that is the official AZT as well at that point. I have only ridden that section in the other direction but as I recall it's nice. I have fond memories of pulling a heavy Bob trailer up that section in 04.

Wing Mountain is fun stuff but a little messed up by all of the motorized use. So if it's even more messed up by rain why not skip it in favor of picking up more AZT that's non motorized. It would be sweet to have the loop start and finish on the AZT but then I am fairly biased that way.

Anyway bummed I can't make it this year hope everyone has a great time out there.

[redrockgirl]

Yeah, that section/option (shultz/elden parking lot to buffalo park) is often thrown into the state/local mtb xc races.  alot of fun -- both ways (definitely downhill anyway....pretty smooth, nothing too technical, and better views/slow than the road/sidewalk back down to flag).  and, yeah, maybe part of the azt...not sure. 
happy trails.

[ScottM]

Thanks for the opinions so far.  I agree with Tim that we want to keep it reasonable for "non-mutants."  Not sure if adding the AZT will really push it to unreasonable or not, but...

Wing Mtn is too classic to cut, IMO.  I love the little 2 track that you have to suss out and hike-a-bike to the trail.  Few people ever ride it on MTB, but our route brings us right by, giving us the chance.  Luckily we hit it on Monday, so I don't think anyone has actually seen a moto on the trail (I haven't, during the event).

We debated about adding Rocky Ridge or Oldham originally, and while it makes sense from some angles, once you're at Schultz you can smell the ranch (esp. if you know Flagstaff trails at all) and turning 'away' to climb and ride more just feels a little excessive at that stage in the game (wanting to be done, as Tim described it).  I love coasting down the urban path back into town w/ yellow aspens, too.  The urban path down from Buffalo Park isn't as nice, IMO.

Anyone else?

[Foster]

I agree with AZTtripper.  How about adding the whole extra AZT section to make it a true 250 miles?  It is really sweet riding in the aspens and has beautiful views for a nice finish to the ride.  I also don't think that adding the extra mileage will make the ride unreasonable.  The climb up the road really isn't that bad, the grade is fairly mellow and not technical at all.

[RollingStone]

I rode the 4th stage section yesterday and everything was in good shape with exception of a couple spots on the moto trails around Wing Mtn. Nothing that you couldn't ride around. The section before Moto with all the tornado damage from 2010 is all good thanks to someone with a chainsaw and lots of free time. As far as climbing to attain the AZT it makes sense to tie in the Peaks more and make the loop more well rounded so to speak. Maybe the 4th stage needs a classic Flagstaff climb sense there isn't much climbing from Williams. But man o man the Schulz Creek trails are a blast to fly down. Even after 50 miles of sic of more and washboard roads and chewed up moto trails, the miles in the Schulz Creek area were like a sweet reward of pure mountain biking fun. Seems a shame to leave those trails out.

But I haven't ridden the new AZT section down from Snow Bowl so I can't judge it - it may be equal fun. I've heard good things about it - I'm willing to give it a go. As well as the trails leading down into Buffalo Park. It would be cool to tie those trails in as well.

As far as the comments on Bill Williams Mountain I can agree - I didn't know Bill Williams, he may have been a nice guy, but I've been mountain biking on his mountain and it sucks. Every time I drive by I can't look at it because of the memories I have hike-a-biking up it and down it. There's got to be something better around that area. But if it's on the 250 route I'll do it - I'll just be cussin' Bill's name as usual.