First Ever Arizona Trail Race

[Marshal]

It's a fairly minor change in Tucson.  Actually some racers took the new route last year since I announced it a few days before the start.

Basically you just stay 2 miles east of all the stores.  The plus is that if you can skip the stores, that's 4 miles less you have to ride!  Would be tough to skip them though.  Then there is 1 mile of singletrack-ish trail, otherwise it's just a different, lower traffic set of roads.  Only 8 or so total miles changed.

Bugs means ~4 miles less Catalina Highway.  So there's still plenty of paved climbing to get into a grooooove (or not...).  The new trail up on Lemmon is enjoyable stuff, and starts soon after the summit / water stop.

I think these changes are all improvements, but as always I'll welcome people's feedback.  I got a thumbs up from Marshal on the new Tucson route last year.

Yep, snow.  I announced the race at a time when there was very little anywhere.  Little did I know...

Comment on some of the new section thur Tucson/2009:

It was nice to avoid some of the traffic, also………

Horse Trails, the dirt section is obviously a popular local horse area.  I went through it when there were lots of horse riders out for their early morning rides.  I simply kicked into a slow cruise mode, made an effort to be polite, said hi etc etc—no problems.  However if a racer hits this short dirt section when the horse riders are out and about and blasts down the trail, well you get the picture

{Humm, I also seem to remember going right by a large grocery store without needing to go off track?  But then maybe I just diverted over to it.  Anyway it has all you might need from hot deli items to whatever.}

[ScottM]

Marshal --

Yep, there is the Rincon Market, which is right on the route, on Old Spanish Trail, not long after getting off the AZT.  It does have more than the usual gas station stuff -- more of a country store type place.  But not quite the selection of the two full groceries on the old route.

Good point on the horsey nature of that trail.  It's only one mile so hopefully not too much of a pain.  I figure it's a good break from a pretty long stretch of pavement, but if it proves to be too annoying there is a parallel dirt road we can use in later years.

[OurManInTheNorth]

Logistics logistics logistics... I'm hoping to be on the startline for the full AZT, but from the perspective of someone coming from overseas, getting there and extracting from the finish look like some of the harder parts of the whole thing! (I'm certain when I'm in the bottom of the Grand Canyon with the bike on my back and the North Rim visible by craning my neck my opinion of this will change...). I'm going to be in Flagstaff during the week before the start, so the first question is - is anyone going from there down to Parker Lake/the Mexico borderfor the AZT300 or AZTr? Lift shares would be great! I'm fine with hiring a car but not keen on paying to keep it somewhere for the whole duration of the event - one way rentals might work? Next and likely more difficult question - any suggestions for getting back from the finish at the Utah border to Flagstaff, where I will probably be storing stuff? It seems more difficult than the start as people will likely be finishing at quite separate times... Anyway suggestions, ideas, offers welcome!

[wookieone]

I was kinda curious about the shuttle thing as well, I am coming down from Colorado, not sure the route, hope to stay in Tucson and chill for a night. I was wondering what sort of time do we need to leave Tucson to get to the border in time to start by 6:30? I am sure we, depending on how many WE riders there are, can atleast get a plan to get to the start? I am pretty sure my ride down there can be part of the shuttle to the start, not sure how much room, but a couple riders? As far as the finish, man that seems light years away. But my ride says it will be there to get me, too bad there ain't nothing there, no place to chill out and wait. So hard to say what to expect at the end, hope we all make it there!!! But I would like to help anyone close out at the finish, but I also have to get back to Co. as soon as possible, damn work! Keep talking, we'll figure something out. Jefe

[wookieone]

Speaking of which, How many think they are in for this monster?  I am struggling to get it together, but plan on being there, anyone else?

[OurManInTheNorth]

Hey Jefe - Scott was thinking of staying overnight in Sierra Vista, getting a lift/pedalling from there up Montezuma's Pass, and riding south to the border for 6.30 from there. I did wonder about staying somewhere close to the Parker Lake start of the AZT300, getting up early and riding from there south to the border then turning straight round but think Scott's plan gives more sleep time/less distance to cycle before the 6.30am start! Definitely interested in any lift share at the start/finish and I guess it would be good for us all to take details/cells so we can help out each other if possible at the end! Looks like there is car rental in Kanab and Page - they are about the same distance in opposite directions but the latter is in the right direction for me heading to Flag. It seems there are better offroad routes to Kanbab from the finish though, lots of dirt/4wd tracks. Are there any good offroad routes from the finish to Page to keep me off the 89? Worst comes to the worst I'm cycling back to Flag :-) (Possibly round rather than through the canyon on the way back though!). Ian

[krefs]

I am still undecided.  All the snow north of Flag and on the Kaibab has me a bit down, because I was hoping for the whole singletrack shebang.  My knee is doing a lot better now, and it'll get a good test next week during a long Moab training binge.  I'll hopefully make up my mind one way or the other by the beginning of April...

[wookieone]

Yeah I am curious if the snow will change the character of this baby and how much? Taking two weeks off work is a big big deal for me, hope we get to ride most of this? Who knows, seems like the snow just keeps coming, funny we are just weeks away from being melted out here in Gunny @ 7700 feet! Oh well it will be what it will be. Jefe

[Chad B]

I would be happy to help with some shuttles the Thrs night before the race (assuming I am not doing the 300).

[OurManInTheNorth]

Chad - very kind offer. We could all exchange contact details closer to the day to help out everyone who needs it.

Jefe - just had another 3 or 4 inches today of snow continuing the record for my lifetime winter here in Helsinki Finland. Got to hope the skiing, trainer and occasional snow rides are enough for my fitness come the end of April. Hard to prep the bike for the deserts of AZ in weather like this!

[Furgy]

All the snow north of Flag and on the Kaibab has me a bit down, because I was hoping for the whole singletrack shebang. 

I just heard from my sister (who lives near the N. Kaibab) that the North Rim had 15 feet of snow accumulated this past winter.  People up there are prone to exaggerate a bit, but it was the biggest snow since the late 1960s.  I wouldn't count on any segment south of Jacob Lake, or Winter Road being the least bit passable by anything other than skis or snowshoes.  ADOT typically begins clearing snow from SR 89 on April 15th every year.  It may be passable by the time riders get there. The road will technically be closed, and historically law enforcement has ticketed motorists for driving on the closed road.  Who knows how they will treat cyclists.  Better to ask forgiveness than permission?  Who knows.

[ScottM]

Yeah, I think 15' is an exaggeration.  There's probably a snowtel somewhere on the Kaibab?

But you are right that it is highly unlikely we'll be riding the trail south of Jacob Lake.  In '05 the road was plowed but still closed and there was no problem cycling on it.  So as long as the road is plowed to one lane, we should be able to get through.  By that late in April they will need to get out to the rim by car so the employees can get in and start training / setting up for opening.

Missing that singletrack will be too bad, but I don't think this will be the only year this happens.

[DeanHill]

This is something I would love to do this year.  I think I can swing the time off.   My major concern at this point is that I dont have a GPS , and I dont believe I will be able to buy one before this event.   Scott, Is there anyway it may be possible to follow the route without a GPS, other suggestions?    Sounds like a great time,  hope I can join you.

Randy Mason

[OurManInTheNorth]

Randy - I might have a spare by then (currently off being repaired or replaced by garmin) but its an old one, etrex Legend. You're in Flag right? What would your suggestion be for getting back from the finish? If there was a simple offroad route from the end to page it'd be easy enough I'd hire a car there, drive back to flag to pick up the stuff I need to stash when I start the azt, and carry on to LA where I'm visiting my brother. (probably not all in one go!). Not super keen on using the 89 highway to get to Page but I can't find much in the way of any let alone directish routes offroad from the finish to Page.

ian

[AZTtripper]

ian

One option that I have used to get back towards Flagstaff, from the state line, head south down House Rock Valley road (dirt/sand) to 89A (paved) then east on 89A to Lee's Ferry. It's a fairly easy ride there is  resupply along the way and at Navajo Bridge there are showers at the laundry mat well there were in 04 anyway. From there I rode on to Cameron but I wouldn't recommend it, what I did think of though is that there is a lot of river runner traffic between Lee's (the Grand Canyon put in) and Flagstaff. We did a river trip in 08 the shuttle we took up had two extra passengers picking up vehicles there, and the big truck we went up in went back to Flag empty. Somehow there should be a way to get on one of these vehicles and get back to Flag most likely for free.

Any way that is a plan that I came up with to get myself back from the state line someday I will do the whole thing again and I do think this could work.

[DeanHill]

Ian,   
I'm not concerning myself with the return trip at this point.  I figure I will either get a ride from another person doing the race, reverse coarse back to flag (possible using rim to rim tour to shuttle bicycle back across rim) or just go to 89a and start hitchhiking if I'm super burnt at that point.   Thanks for the offer of a gps, I might need to take you up on that if it works out.

Randy

[OurManInTheNorth]

How busy are the 89 in Utah to Page or the 89A to Lee's Ferry? Not keen if its a busy highway, full of trucks and a narrow shoulder and I'm half dead from just finishing (if I even get there of course!)... I had a look at the rim-rim shuttle but it doesn't seem to start until 15th May - there is a charter service though, I might ask how much that is. Are they even allowed up the North Rim Winter Road or will it still be closed then? Or would you try to pick it up at the junction of the 89A and 67?

[AZTtripper]

Ian

Everything changes on May 15 once the park opens. Not sure what your planned pace is but it sounds like most are planning to finish before May 15. Before the park opens there is not that much traffic on 89A afterwords it has way more. I meant to add that earlier the House Rock south to 89A option would be best before May 15. It is possible to take dirt roads back up to Jacob Lake 67 it's on the 200 mile version of the Kaibab Monstercross I believe, but that's a long climb back up. As for the charter I think, you would want them to come to the state line not the North Rim, I am guessing that would be pricey with the long dirt section but it is a option. You couldd easily call in from Jacob Lake to confirm, you should be able to give them an estimated pick up date while you are in Flagstaff.

Randy

Not sure if the Rim to Rim shuttle people are too keen on bikes.

Option 2

Just a thought as long as I am throwing other peoples money around http://www.cliffdwellerslodge.com/ this is the first resupply on 89A heading to Lee's. I seem to remember them having shuttle vans for their quests, I think it is mostly a fishing outfit but the website says they cater to mountain bikers as well. I should think this is worth looking into, looks like its about 40 some miles from the state line 20 some on dirt and 20 on 89A. You might not be able to get a room but as I recall they have good food.

[ScottM]

This is something I would love to do this year.  I think I can swing the time off.   My major concern at this point is that I dont have a GPS , and I dont believe I will be able to buy one before this event.   Scott, Is there anyway it may be possible to follow the route without a GPS, other suggestions?    Sounds like a great time,  hope I can join you.

Randy Mason

GPS is pretty much required for the full AZT, but I suppose anything is possible...

We can probably round up a spare GPS for you if you are interested.  But I would recommend riding a bit with it (or any GPS), while following a track, before heading out.

Great job with the bike activism up in Flag.  Would be cool if you can make it.

[DeanHill]

Scott,  I've done some riding following tracks on a gps.  Left mine sitting in the canyon last year during a hump2hole attempt.  And I know the coarse from mormon lake to the boarder.  But it would be great if there was a gps to use to get me to that point.  Don't know that I'll be able to just follow wheels,  since I may need to do it single and or fixed.  Time off is no problems for me these days,  money is slim though.   Thanks and thanks.   
Randy