National at EveryTrail

East Loop >> Beverly >> Javelina >> Mormon >> National >> Rest at the Saddle >> National >> Pima >> Chocolate Milk.

Great morning to be out. Ran into Harry doing repeats on Javelina. Good to see a friend sweating as much as me at 6 AM.

Got chased by a giant fly for a half mile. I couldn’t climb fast enough to rid myself of the thing. It must be the new shampoo. Why I even use shampoo is a mystery in itself. Last week the wasps were swarming me at the park and the pool. Note to self: No more new shampoo. You don’t even have enough hair to warrant its use.

Sketched big time trying to ride the spine. Lost all confidence after three attempts down the waterfall. Maybe next time. I can ride to the right and to the left of the spine, just not the spine… I tried to ride the chunk to the far left too. Sketch. Looks easy enough, almost had the drop-in but stepped out. My motto: “Next time.” I’ll session a climb five or six time to get it, but for some reason three is my max on descents.

Punctured my new Weirwolf with a hole too big for Stans while simultaneously tore the sidewall…those sharp Arizona rocks…Thank goodness for a spare slime tube and three cartridges of CO2 (thanks to the 59cent sale at Global Bikes a few weeks ago).

Shot some good video, not great, just good. I didn’t hit any of the hucks down National. If only climbing real slow and technical made great video…

It was a fun ride, I just didn’t have any game descending. My brakes were bothering me. Yea, that’s my excuse. They were squishy and need a bleed. But that’s OK, there is always “next time.”

Best part of the ride…the frozen chocolate milk waiting for me in the car that had just thawed out completely by the time I finished. So cold, so delicious. Best post-ride drink ever. Thank you Chocolate and thank you Milk.

Jeff Corwin’s Top Mountain Biking Trails in North America.

National makes the list. Can you guess who the National rider is? I was contacted a few months ago and asked to provide some footage of National. I gave them tons of stuff including helmet cam footage and these two clips are what they used: the steps and upper waterfall.

The clip was featured on Race to the Moment, a family reality game show in the outdoors hosted by Animal Planet’s Jeff Corwin. Cool. More exposure for mountain biking in Arizona!

My clips don’t hardly do National justice. But this video sure does. Enjoy:

South Mountain Widow Maker from SOMO on Vimeo.

From Carr Lake System

Hit the Rim for the weekend and got out for a little spin out at Carr Lake. I rode the outer loop a couple of weeks ago and had a blast on new to me trail. This weekend I hit the inner loops and gotta say that they are awesome. The Carr Lake system is the Hawes of the Mogollon Rim. Well it could be like Hawes, except it is under ridden, under rated, and still under the radar.

The singletrack is primitive, but the Forest crews have already cleaned it up this year, cut the deadfall and now all it needs are tires. The more riders that give this system love the better.

Here’s a sample of the fast terrain.

Carr Lake System at EveryTrail

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I recommend all the trails I rode except the southernmost east to west portion of the Aspen Loop. (The trail at the bottom of the map from the rim headed towards the trailhead.) It was almost non existent. So hard to follow, no singletrack, I went off course for a while and had to b-line it to where I though the trail might be. I had no GPS track to follow, only the Forest service map. So do not trust that section of GPS… I’ll be making a better map of all the trails soon.

From Woods Canyon-Carr Lake

View Woods Canyon Lake in a larger map

The Woods Canyon Lake trail system is a beautiful place to enjoy the Mogollon Rim. The trail that follows the shoreline offers the hiker and mountain biker beautiful lake views as well as challenging rugged terrain.

Four mountain biking I would recommend riding counter clockwise. The north west end of the system is technical and a bit chunky is spots. By no means is this a beginner trail. Take the kiddies on the paved Meadow trail. Then head out around teh Lake to get the tech, roots and exposure you wanted (especially on the west side of the lake). The perimeter loop is about 4 miles total. Since it is so short, I also recommend hooking up with General Crook and seeing some of the Carr Lake System.

Woods Canyon Lake to Carr Lake at EveryTrail

This morning’s ride in pics, vids and GPS…

From Bees Knees Gila Loop

From Bees Knees Gila Loop

From Bees Knees Gila Loop

From Bees Knees Gila Loop

From Bees Knees Gila Loop

From Bees Knees Gila Loop

Bees Knees Gila Loop

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I love WTB. This week I received my much anticipated demo tires: the new Wolverines TCS and the new Weirwolf TCS. I am ecstatic to slap them on my Fuel and rock them. But before I could do that though I needed to get some beloved Stan’s.

So I headed to Global Bikes. I could have gone anywhere, but the team at Global are doing some great things with their store and their brand. One thing in particular…Maps. So why not make a purchase there? With Stan’s in stock, I proceeded to browse through the new Phoenix MTB Maps. Their maps made their debut with the famous Hawes Map, which they put out as a teaser. They now have recently completed a nice set of additional trail maps for classic Phoenix trails as well.

I love maps. Maps are a hundred adventures waiting to happen. My first experiences day dream-riding over a book of maps was Todd Campbell’s “Above and Beyond Slickrock” for MOAB, that I bought in 1995. I practically read that thing cover to cover. Then there was the giant Escalante map and trail guide I bought in 1996. I’ve probably spent more time studying the maps of trails than actually wandering the trails themselves…

The Global MTB Maps are works or art. My favorite one is the McDowell Mountain Trail System map. I really like it because it lays out all the trails in the area, not just the trails on the Preserve, or the Park, this map is no respecter of boundaries. It even includes the new trails on the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve. The possibilities of routes is practically endless.

The McDowell Mountain Trail System Global Bikes Map. I love this map

I’ll never need this physical map on the trail…I know all these trails like a backyard pump track, (plus I’ve got GPS to guide the way) but I bought it anyway. It’ll look real nice framed, on my wall, in my office. Right where I can see it all day long…

Hawes All

20 miles all on Hawes. A great way to spend the mid morning. 64 degrees at 9:30 am on May 24. Three hours to cover 20 miles and it was only 74 when I finished. Unbelievably cool weather for this time of year.

Riding these miles was good for me. It reminded me how much fun it is to Mountain Bike. Lately I’ve been so obsessed with exploring, climbing, and pushing myself past my limits… today was all about the ride. No camera, no helmet cam, just me and the bike (GPS is still standard equipment).

I saw a singlespeed 29er guy out there and was a little jealous of his ride. I stopped on a down to let him climb past me and couldn’t help thinking how simplistic his riding looked. Two big wheels and one gear. That’s really all you need out there.

Black Canyon Trail in May at EveryTrail

I finally got out to Ride the BCT. Only a small portion of it, but it was pure BCT fun. Fast and flowy singletrack galore. The urban legends are true, Black Canyon Trail is possibly the best hand crafted singletrack in the state. I cannot wait to get out and ride more of the segments. Eventually I hope to do a BCT Monstercross… Fall cannot come soon enough.

In the meantime, I’ll be hitting up the Mogollon Rim this summer and maybe even venture up to Flagstaff…it’s been almost a decade since I rode in the pines on Elden.

This is the only video I got of the ride. The rest of the video I recorded magically disappeared from the SD Card…#fail. Including the awesome full speed wheelie into the river crossing almost faceplant in the river footage…would have been good.

The following information is posted on the MTBR Arizona Forum, where you can keep up with the thread for the latest information about the event, ask questions, and post up if you are going to make any of the rides. I’ve re-posted an enhanced version of the info below, with more links and interactive maps to some of the awesome trails we’ll be riding. If you have not had a chance to get up to the Mogollon Rim and ride, this is it.

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The Strawberry Valley Blues Festival and Rim Country Mountain Bike Festival are only weeks away. Just wanted to plug the event again and invite any and all who want to come ride the Rim with us on June 12 and 13 while also enjoying a Blues Festival in Strawberry.

Below is a weekend itinerary. I know it’s long, but I wanted to try and be as thorough as possible. Some of my mileages may be off a little, but you’ll get the gist! If I’ve made any mistakes, nicely bring it to my attention. I am a busy guy and wrote this up late last night.

Hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Rim Country Mountain Bike Festival 2010 Weekend Itinerary

Friday June 11th

-We figure some of you will want to show up on Friday. We don’t have an official ride planned for Friday, but we encourage all of you who come into town to do a little exploring on your own. Stop in at Hike, Bike, & Run to say hi, check out the Natural Bridge, hike down to Fossil Creek, hike or mountain bike from the Pine Trailhead, all while taking in the beauty around Payson’s Rim Country.

(My recommendation for Friday: Highline Trail. Plenty of options. Military Sinkhole to See Canyon, 260 Trailhead to See, or some versions in between. Out-n-back or shuttles. I’ll most likely be riding this on Friday afternoon.

Saturday June 12th: Cabin Loop

-THIS IS A FREE RIDE! We will be meeting between 9:00am-9:30am at the General Springs Cabin to ride the Cabin Loop trail system. We want to take a group photo of all riders at 10:00am to start the ride. To find the General Springs Cabin, take Hwy 87 north from the town of Strawberry to Forest Road 300. Turn right (or east) onto Forest Road 300 and drive approximately 10 miles. Look for our white Hike, Bike, & Run van which will be parked alongside the 300 Road. This is where the Arizona Trail crests the top of the Rim. There is a war monument at the junction. The General Springs Cabin is about a half mile down the dirt road to your left (going north, away from the Rim). Here is a link to a map of the Cabin Loop

MTBikeAZ’s Google Map

View Cabin Loop in a larger map

There are multiple route options to cater to all level of riders.

-Short Loop – Out and back on Fred Haught Trail – 12 mile round trip (easiest option)

-Standard Loop – Fred Haught Trail to Houston Brothers Trail back to Forest Road 300 – 20 mile ride (this will be the loop most of us will be doing – it is a difficult 20 miles).

(I did this loop and wrote about it in Cabin Fever)

-Long Loop – Fred Haught Trail to U-Bar Trail to Barbershop Trail to Houston Brothers Trail back to Forest Road 300 – 30-40+ miles (this is a difficult loop with lots of hike-a-bike)

-These are not mandatory group rides. We encourage folks to team up, make new friends, and enjoy some trail magic, but ride your own ride, know the route you will be riding in advance, be prepared, and have fun. This entire route is above 7,000 feet in elevation, and the trail is remote, so be prepared for any trail problems and for any inclement weather.

-After Saturday’s ride, we’ll head back to Strawberry or wherever you are staying, clean-up, and hit the Blues Festival. The Blues Festival is in the heart of Strawberry approximately 2 ½ miles down Fossil Creek Road. Enjoy the Blues Festival, but make certain to save some energy for Sunday’s mountain bike ride.

Sunday June 13th: Rim Lakes Recreation Area

-ANOTHER FREE RIDE! We will be meeting between 9:00am-9:30am at the Rim Lakes Recreation Area. Go East on Hwy 260 approximately 30 miles east of Payson. When you crest the top of the Rim, you will see a Forest Service Visitor Center on your right. Take a left onto Forest Road 300 (heading towards Woods Canyon Lake), and park in the first parking lot on your right. You will see our white Hike, Bike, & Run van parked here. The parking lot is only a quarter mile off Hwy 260. Here is a link to a map of the Rim Lakes

We will once again take a group photo at 10:00am to start the ride.

-Short Loop – Rim Vista Loop, using part of the General Crook trail to Woods Canyon Lake and back – 12-13 mile ride (easiest option)

-Medium Loop – Rim Vista Trail to Meadow Trail to Woods Canyon Lake Trail, around Woods Canyon Lake, taking Meadow Trail back to Rim Vista Trail and back to your car – 16-18 mile ride

-Medium Long Loop – All of the above, but going west on the Rim Vista Trail, riding to the Mogollon Campground, then taking the General Crook Trail to the Carr Lake Trailhead, riding the Boulder Hop Trail, then riding back to your car – approximately a 25 mile ride (it is worth checking out the Carr Lake Trails if you can manage the mileage).

-Long Loop – all of the above, but after the Boulder Hop Trail we will take the Drew Trail and ride down the face of the Mogollon Rim (it is a steep downhill but I do it on a rigid single speed), once down the Rim we will take the Highline Trail to See Canyon, then ride back to Christopher Creek where our Hike, Bike, & Run van will shuttle all of us back to our cars on the Rim – upwards of a 30-35 mile ride (this ride is Epic, and if you can go the distance, there is no better way to end a Rim Lakes ride then by dropping the Rim and riding to Christopher Creek – the last 6-7 miles of this ride is extremely technical and difficult, but amazing).

After the ride, you are on your own. You can go home, try and squeeze in a bit more of the Blues Festival, or meet us for dinner in Payson at the Payson Pizza Factory.

Over the course of the weekend, if you like the trails you ride, and can see the potential of Payson’s Rim Country as a mountain biking hot spot, please leave a donation. 100% of all donations will be given to the Black Mesa Ranger district, and will be used for trail maintenance and new trail signage for the Rim Lakes trails.

If you have any questions, email Mick Wolf @ Hike, Bike, & Run at shop@hikebikeandrun.com

I wasn’t planning on writing anything about this ride. But my road buddy really wants me to tell the story of how I bonked on this ride. He thinks I need to share this experience with the world…to humble me…or something like that.

So after a short hiatus from riding (off the bike for 16 days)… it’s finally time something was said. So here goes. Happy Birthday Chris. (This post is all you’re gonna get from me. I’m keeping the a Camelbak Podium bottle for myself now).

This is how I felt after finally finishing the entire ride. The expression on my face says it all. I should note that when I said “that ride totally sucked,” I was referring to the last 18 miles of said ride. The first 52 were really, really awesome (for a road ride anyway).

Here was our route. Not just the road to EOP but the road to the road to EOP. I forget now whose idea it was to start out so far away…couldn’t have been mine…like we really needed that long of a warm up?

End of Pavement at EveryTrail

The first 20 miles is a rolling climb. We had the wind at our backs and we pushed a descent average. At the infamous first steep up, Chris says, “are you ready to go?” And of course I say “yes.” Then he went up like a rocket ship and I sputtered, backfired, and looked around for my legs, because I sure did not see them anywhere. Gears dropping as fast as my pride.

Chris waited for me to catch up, then we descended the first long down. He ended up slowing his pace and riding with me through the rest of the climbs out to EOP. I knew it was hard for him to go so slow. But it was really nice to have some conversation on the hills.

I had a great ride once I found my pace. The hills lived up to their fame and the scenery was absolutely amazing. I usually only get those kind of views on the mountain bike.

We hit the End of Pavement, u-turned on the dirt (I suppressed the desire to keep riding the good stuff to Roosevelt) and headed for refills at the Marina. I had the thought to grab a Pepsi from one of the machines at the base of the last climb, something to lift me out from the Lake, but I ignored it. Mistake. We refueled, but I was still hungry. I didn’t have enough food with me, even with the food Chris gave me.

I should have known I’d be in trouble when I lost my legs on the first climb. The remaining climbs out from the lake completely depleted anything I had left, and at Mile 52, Chris said lets hammer home, he pedaled hard and I could not follow. I went from could not follow to just barely hanging on withing a few miles. And then the demons set in with 10 miles to go.

Things I learned from my first big road ride.

Eat more food before the ride. Frosted Flakes do not cut it. They may be Grrrreat, but they are no good.

Eat more food during the ride. If it wasn’t for the Clif Shots and Bars Chris brought I would not have lasted more than 30 miles.

Drink something besides plain water (need to restock on CarboRocket)

Take advantage of restrooms when they are near. You don’t get a second chance…

If you see a Pepsi machine out in the middle of nowhere, go ahead and buy one, or two.

Eat more food after the ride. I should have just stopped at In-n-Out for post ride indulgence.

Never, ever, under any circumstances, try to keep up with a top 40 Tour de Phoenix finisher, let alone pass him on a climb. here’s why:

Notice the “Look” he gives me. Lots of lessons learned from this ride. If I ever get back on the road bike again, maybe I’ll take them to heart. Better yet, I’ll just stick to mountain biking.

In this clip I pass Chris and then take a corner really sloppy while Chris passes me on the left. A near miss from my view point… On the road I have the tendency to look around a lot…up and down, all the time. It’s annoying, so sorry in advance.