Coconino 250 Stage Race 2010

[DaNM]

And five more.

[ScottM]

Nice pics Dan, thanks.

I'll put together a replay soon.  If anyone wants to not appear to be cutting the course (I will use SPOT data) send me GPX from your GPS.  I already have Tim and Matt's.  For the stage race the replay is usually pretty entertaining...

[jimfab]

Question?

Is the picture of the red / slick rock in post #55 the alt route to the river crossing section in Sedona, Not sure of the name of the trail but it has ben my arch enemy every time we have tangled. After getting all backwards on the Sedona BFL and crossing it at full flow like 9 times somebody asked why i did not get op on the slickrock bypass? Just wondering if that is the spot in the picture? If so i am going to go find it next week.

Rock- JF

[AZTtripper]

The pics in post 55 are on the Munds Wagon trail that parallels Schnebly Hill. There is a little creek there but not much water.

I haven't done the BFL so I am not sure if this is in it but it sounds like you are talking about somewhere else.

[jimfab]

Well, that is something i need to ride as well, Looks like i may be busy next week. The area i am talking about is north of 89A and west of Sedona. It follows a creek bed in a 30-50' canyon for about 3-4 miles crossing the creek a bunch of times. I remember a fun trail after it that runs along a power line that you almost need to duck under at one point because it is so low to the ground.

I must save time for the 250 next year, looks like a blast! I like the idea of the new format. Was the thought of knowing that you would see your friends at the end of the day a motivating factor when times got tough? Any plans to try the format with the AZT300 or other events? I am looking forward to the AZT this year!

Thanks- JF

[ScottM]

Hey Jim.  That slickrock shot from Munds wagon trail is not anywhere near Oak Creek -- the one that was washing people away during the big friggin loop.  The Coco 250 route crosses that creek on a nice bridge!  I don't know of any "slickrock bypass" for the creek...

Come on out next year.  I have thought about stages for the AZT... but to make them reasonable it'd be at least 5 days, maybe 6.  I don't think too many people will take that much time off, so I think stage racing is better suited to shorter routes.

[jimfab]

Thanks,

I went on GE and could not see way other way around the area i was thinking about. i must have ben a bit hypoxic and dehydrated when that naked indian tell me about the bypass?  Weird?

The 300 is at the top of my list for this year for sure. I really want to get over Tucson way this fall and try some of the great sounding stuff you guys have got including most of the 300 trail and a taco Tuesday ride 

Thanks again, Great pictures everybody!

[ScottM]

My account is up: 

http://www.topofusion.com/diary/2010/10/20/coco-schralp/

Updated results at:

http://rockyroad5050.wordpress.com/aes-results/

Thanks everyone.

[AZTtripper]

I must save time for the 250 next year, looks like a blast! I like the idea of the new format. Was the thought of knowing that you would see your friends at the end of the day a motivating factor when times got tough? Any plans to try the format with the AZT300 or other events? I am looking forward to the AZT this year!

Thanks- JF

Stage racing bikepacking style is great knowing there are people hanging out really helps on the second day. It would be really hard for me to keep going up and up on Mingus just to camp solo.

A 6 day AZT 300 stage race would be great but I doubt Scott would want to do it that way. At least not the night after everyone comes down Oracle Ridge. There have been death threats and it is good to let people cool off and savor the accomplishment before they have to see him.

[ScottM]

FYI - I made a number of changes/improvements to the track file, waypoints and the cue sheet.  They are now posted from the AES site.  If anyone else had any feedback on any of those, I'd love to hear it.

Also, I think next year we are going to try going down "Little Yaeger" = more time descending, less chunk but hopefully more bang for the "hike a bike" buck.

Thanks.

[ScottM]

Replay!

[aarong]

i finally put down a few thoughts about the ride. thanks to all who organize this, most importantly scott and chad for figuring out the route. what an awesome loop! and kudos to all nine others who completed it this year (especially matthew lee for enduring sycamore rim, which is super fun after a night's sleep and big meal but had to be torturous 30-some hours in). great meeting and riding with you all.

http://www.aarongulley.com/a/Musings/Entries/2010/10/25_Coconino_Part_1__The_un-Race.html

[ScottM]

Great stuff Aaron, thanks for the report.  We'll consider adding stage 5 - IKEA next year...

Hope to see you in AZ and at future bikepacking events.

[ScottM]

Hey 2010 racers -- any feedback on preferred start date for next year?  Meaning, which day of the week? 

Starting on a non-weekend for less moto traffic on stage 1 makes sense.  Is a Friday start the best?  Potential for a lot of car campers at Stage Stop 2 (sometimes they are loud), but I guess we need to straddle a weekend.

Any thoughts?

[AZTtripper]

The only thing I would say was that starting on Saturday this year put us out there with too many cars the first day. Sunday in Sedona was crazy but that may have had more to do with the holiday.

Car campers the second night will likely be something we just have to deal with and can they be any loader the the lost bikepackers out there.

I guess you could move the whole thing to happen during the week. It means taking more work days off but people have to take time on either side of the weekend as it is so it might be fine.

[Mathewsen]

I guess you could move the whole thing to happen during the week. It means taking more work days off but people have to take time on either side of the weekend as it is so it might be fine.

If you want to make it really nice for stagers and ITTers (thru-riders), Thursday stage-start is my vote, and encourage 'optional' Thursday or Fri ITT start. It twould be neat/more social for slumming ITTers to attempt to 'ride-thru' the stage-start field instead of bidding farewell at the beginning, plus they're the ones most in need of a carrot and/or flexible start window.

On back-end timing: It's likely that everyone will have to use the Monday holiday for travel anyway. ITTers need Sunday to sleep/recover. Stagers would finish Sunday eve, but should be recovered enough to start the drive home that night or fly home Monday.

Editorial: Not to appear in favor of ITT by saying this, but Coco is one of the more attainable long-weekend events for out-of-staters to bust out an incredible ITT (thru-ride) quickly due to the ease of DIY travel required. Fly into Phx, cheap 2hr shuttle up to Flag, cheap front/back end Flag motels. It's very plug-n-play.

[ScottM]

Thanks for the comments, guys.  I do like the idea of thru-riders starting a day late, though they may be tempted by the warm fire and fellow lost bikepackers on top of Mingus when they get there!

I think the first year we started on Thursday, and that did work well.  I guess we all agree that anything other than starting on a weekend is good.  Maybe we'll try Friday next year and see how it goes.

[AZTtripper]

I thought we started on Friday the first time that seems to make the most sense to me as it bridges the weekend. Anything to keep from running the gauntlet of yahoos on Munds Park road on Saturday.

The hiker parade around Sedona didn't bother me as much as it slowed me down, but I didn't mind it.

I would think that an thru rider would end up either loosing time or not even really meeting the stagers anyway. I would say the the thru riders should have to start early if anything to keep them on the straight thru game. IMO if they are not stage racing it should be more like an ITT ie no moral or other support from the lowly stage racers. Just my .02.

[ScottM]

You're right, it was Friday.  I guess we'll stick with that.

I'd like seeing thru-riders, as a stage racer, but I see your point about the purity of the ITT.  If a fast thru-rider started *early* on day 2, they might be coming up Mingus with the tail end of the stage 2 racers.  Could be good carrots to chase (i.e. crawl) after.

[Mathewsen]

...I would think that a thru rider would end up either losing time or not really meeting the stagers anyway.

Mmm...losing time to temptations! I'm guilty of it. But, part of the 'trappings', right? I love the trappings! It's when the weak get weaker

I'd imagine by the end of day three (Williams area) even the slower thru-riders would catch the back of the stagers pack.  

...thru riders should have to start early if anything to keep them on the straight thru game. IMO if they are not stage racing it should be more like an ITT ie no moral or other support from the lowly stage racers. Just my .02.

Trad. self-support rules were turned slightly on end for Coco in favor of 'sociability', right? So, calling a 'thru-ride' something more than the average ITT, replete with indigenous *and* peer distractions, wouldn't be too far off the mark. There could be be a 'no sharing with stagers' rule if organizers really want to stymie all tendency for co-dependence.

for stretches it might pair together riders who ordinarily never 'race' within sight of each other due to differences in physical/mental trajectory.